Community Problems
Need Community Voices, Let Yours Be Heard at VOICES
Thursday.
By Bernadette Joy Temple-Graham, MA
Special to The Truth
Returning to Toledo in April
2011, I found my unique place with the African American
Legacy Project (AALP) as its program coordinator. By October
of that same year, I experienced my first Legend’s Weekend
where six Emerging Leaders were honored for their
outstanding leadership and professional accomplishments as
role models to younger generations as well as six and two
posthumous awards given to honorees who have dedicated their
lives to community, people and the world for the greater
good.
Year after year, I enjoyed
each class of Emerging Leaders and Honorees and all of the
events in between such as the youth sports camps, the Easter
Egg Hunt, holiday gatherings and of course Dorr St. Live.
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As life would have it, I was no
longer able to carry on a full time role at the AALP.
Unfortunately, by this time I
was so attached to the people and the programs I could not
just walk away completely. I continued to assist in writing
the monthly kids’ pieces for TPS Schools as well as working
with the Emerging Leaders program.
On a winter’s afternoon, I
found myself sitting and talking with five Emerging Leaders
from various past years. Within those hours we realized we
had talked about real issues that affect real lives in our
community such as education and why there are no minorities
on the Board of Education and too few minority teachers in
Toledo Public Schools, issues of the justice system and why
both the adult and youth population is mostly made up of
minorities, health disparities and politics and voting.
We all agreed that while we
could spend hours and hours talking about these issues
nothing would ever manifest by pure talk. Soon we began
discussing how we could do something instead of just talking
about it. While we could be the voice of others, why not
assist others in becoming more educated on these issues and
how they can be changed and how they can use their own
voice.
We talked about staying true
to the mission, vision and purpose of the AALP such as being
a motivator and promoter of community development, bringing
together people who are interested in documenting and
preserving the history of northwest Ohio’s African-American
communities and their impact and influence upon Toledo and
the greater world community, and being an avenue for
nurturing unity and the creative process.
As a group we created VOICES,
Visions Of Integrating Community Empowerment Socially. There
are a great number of leaders and individuals in our
community who seek social justice and change for the
betterment of our community. Individually, it is very
difficult to create change but as a group, as a community
integrated we can empower each other for the changes we seek
and need.
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One of those changes is in
having a vote, knowing what issues can greatly affect our
community and understanding on a systemic level how this can
be done. Derrick R. Clay will be speaking at our first
VOICES event 5:30 p.m., Thursday April 28, 2015 to begin
this empowerment.
Recognized by Ebony Magazine
as one of the nation's 30 young leaders of the future,
Business First Magazine as one of its 40 under 40 business
leaders and Smart Business Magazine as one of its Smart
Leaders, Derrick R. Clay has established his niche as a key
political operative and emerging business leader.
In January 2004, he joined
New Visions Group, as a vice president and partner and
became president and CEO in 2014. Derrick has served as
Midwest Political Director for the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee, Ohio State Director for the
Gore-Lieberman 2000 presidential campaign and a staff member
of the historic Florida Recount Committee. He has also
served as the Ohio State Director for the Service Employees
International Union (SEIU) Hero Program and Field Director
for the Ohio Democratic Party. |
Derrick
R. Clay |
Previously, he served as the executive director of the Ohio
Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) and has served as a
legislative aide to the Ohio House of Representative’s
former Assistant Majority Leader and Finance Committee
Chairman Vernon Sykes and former Toledo Mayor Jack Ford.
A proud “zip”, Derrick is a 1994
graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in
Business and Organizational Communication. In February 2001,
Derrick was awarded an honorary certificate in applied
politics from the University of Akron's Bliss Institute of
Applied politics. In September 2004, he was awarded the
Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Akron's
Office of Multicultural Development.
His affiliations include The
Ohio Lobbying Association, The University of Akron Bliss
Institute of Applied Politics, and Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity Incorporated. Derrick also serves on the boards
of the Columbus Symphony and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning
Commission (MORPC) where he was the past board chair.
Derrick is married to Tanyeh
Clay. He and his family reside in the Olde Towne East
Neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.
Meet Derrick and others on
Thursday, April 28 2016, from 530pm – 8pm. This will be a
time to join in on our community discussions and learn about
important topics that affect you and your community and how
you can be a voice in those decisions being made. The VOICES
group consists of Rashieda F. Timpson (2015 Emerging Leader)
RN, BSN, FNP student, licensed minister and entrepreneur has
special interested in holistic health and wellness as well
as community empowerment., Larome Myrick (2015 Emerging
Leader), MA, criminal justice professional, Dr. Hope Bland
(2013 Emerging Leader), director and community activist
dedicated in promoting racial equality in education,
healthcare and employment opportunities, Willie Ward, M.Ed
(2012 Emerging Leader), School Leader -Educator, Joshua S.
Peterson (2013 Emerging Leader), a local attorney and active
community member, and Bernadette Joy Temple-Graham, MA, PhD
student and advocate for youth substance abuse prevention.
The event will be held at the
African American Legacy Project, 1326 Collingwood Blvd.
There will be a $10 donation, individuals must be 21 and
over. Enjoy live music, food, wine bar, games and ,, more,
but most importantly utilize this event to have your voice
heard and be empowered by others to create that change. If
you are unable to attend the April 28 VOICES, we will be
having additional dates for May, June and July. For more
information, you may contact the AALP directly at
419.720-4369 or email aalpemergingleaders@gmail.com |
