April 26, 2008
Hip Hop State of the Union, April 26th “What is the State of Hip Hop in the D dot C?” Panelist: Dr. Kokayi Patterson, African Wholistic Health Association; Omar of Black Alley; Moody Streetz, Yung E, Dre Strong and Mbea Da 1 of Likeblood; Princess of Controversy, LM and Mack of the Currency Boyz; Messiah, Emoni Fela, Straight Forward of  Hueman Prophets, Nnamdi Llumba of International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement InPDUM, Hosted by Kulture God of Royal Souls and Miss B of Exclusive Records.

August 15, 2008
360 Secondz Magazine Pre-release party, hosted by aurugin and DJ RBI of the Hueman Prophets.

Friday December 5, 2008
360 Secondz Global Outreach - Youth Cultural Media Exchange Program  in collaboration with US State Department, Guangzhou, China and Seoul Korea.  Video conference with students from Guangzhou China and Seoul Korea (open to all middle and high school students, in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia

August 14, 2009
360 Secondz Launch Party, at Bus Boys and Poets. Hosted by Miss B of Exclusive Records and Kilture God of Royal Souls.

December 2009
Hip Hop State of the Union 2

Beautiful brown skin, curves of a Goddess, the face and voice of an angel, these are just a few ways to describe Ms. AVee Star. With the looks of a model, and the talent of a superstar, she is on a path that many greats before her have taken; the road to becoming an artist who is well respected and known by her peers. Her journey begins in none other than Chocolate City, otherwise known as, Washington, D.C.

At an early age, AVee began developing skills that would ultimately transform her into the artist she is today. At the age of 5, she began to write poetry, and by the age of 11, began to write songs with a few of her elementary school friends. Recognized by some of her teachers, she began entering poetry contests, many of which she won.

To AVee, “poetry was a source of therapy.” Every day, her journal became a chance for her to express how she and her world were changing. Just like many youth and teens growing up in the District, she faced many trials and tribulations. She, however, did not let those trials and tribulations get the best of her. She used those experiences to transpire into the influential individual she is today.

With her mother being a drug addict and her father being incarcerated; AVee looked up to her grandmother for support and guidance. “I think she instilled a lot of values in me, things that I couldn’t have learned from my mother or anyone else in my family, she taught me a lot in general about life and about men, a lot of things that I don’t think I would have wanted to learn on my own by making my own mistakes,” says AVee. Her grandmother ultimately instilled a key value, self-worth.
Her life translated into her lyrics.

AVee spent two years with Black Alley, a local hip hop band, as lead-vocalist, until her desire to show her versatility took over. After competing in the Budweiser SuperFest Contest at Stone Soul Picnic, and becoming a finalist, she met Gunner Gram, co-CEO of Renegade Music. He would be her “shoe-in” into the music industry. Hoping to improve her situation through his local production agency and amazed by her talent, he signed her as an artist. “I loved her energy and ability to create songs,” says Gram. Finally, in 2005, AVee got her big break: “Crush.” “People finally got to hear my voice and what I had to say at the moment.”

AVee plans to insight and inspire those who listen to her music. “I just really want to get my voice heard. There are a lot of things that I want to say and that I think people should hear,” says AVee. “I think I bring uniqueness to hip hop with the way I approach music, and I think I should share it with people.”

“If I could describe my music in one word it would be innovative because it is a new twist on old issues. I talk about things in a way that has never been done before,” AVee.

“When no words, music speaks.” Those words are tattooed on 20-year-old Chidibiere Kalu’s arm. 

While on stage, the lights blind Kalu, making it hard for him to see his audience. But for those listening and watching, the vocals of a blessed gentleman capture the audience’s full attention via eyes and ears. The uniqueness of sound and the words that are sung make some ladies hearts melt, while in essence, it captures the true meaning of “music.”

With much growth over the years, Kalu grew to understand that he could no longer push music aside.  While enrolled at Orangeburg Wilkinson High School in South Carolina, Kalu began to become more involved with music. He sang for Orangeburg High School’s choir and South Carolina’s All-State choir, where he was the only one in the state to sing classical music in tenor.

While he notes legends such as Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass and Lenny Williams as inspiration, classical music has had a big inspiration in advancing his vocal range and musical inspiration.

“Classical music inspires everything. If it weren’t for Beethoven, where would half the people be? These are the people that made the piano and had no idea how to play it but came out with such beautiful works of art that are still here today,” said Kalu.

He stands strong with a persona full of giving, inspiring and serving.

After graduating from high school with a 4.7 GPA, Kalu chose to attend the United States Naval Academy where he sang in the Naval Academy’s Gospel Choir while majoring in economics and general engineering.

“I think serving your country is one of the number one things you can do.”

With amazing musical talent and a vocal range to match, it is no wonder why his name means “God is merciful.”

Aside from singing, Kalu also writes. In the future, he hopes to write about world peace, love and everyone uniting.

“I want people to think about what is going on when I write my music….God put me in the position in the right places to say hey you can make a change, make a difference…I want my music to be eternal, I want my music to be long lasting, to live, to have its own feeling, its own soul, its own expression. I want it to grow legs and walk around the world.”

From the “Continent” of Southeast DC, hip hop artist Chris Styles Bacon wants to bring a mixture of new live music and a little bit of everything in-between to his rhymes. Chris began rhyming at a young age, realizing by the 7th grade that this was something he was serious about. Chris expressed his feelings about hip hop by saying “It’s a power to move people with rhymes. It really brings people together.” When asked the question “What does hip hop mean to you?” Chris responded by saying “hip hop is my livelihood.” As a teacher, Chris uses hip hop to teach through creative writing and workshops. Chris also believes that “hip hop is a positive tool for change.” So from the words of Chris Stylez himself: “I encourage everyone to take and use hip hop in a positive way.”

In the state that our earth is currently in, people are always looking for more efficient and eco friendly ways to get around. While the use of fuel efficient cars, the metro, bicycles and scooters are on the rise the youth in D.C. have taken on another form of transportation.

Still don’t know what this way is? Well here is the answer: skateboarding. In Washington D.C., the local skate scene has witnessed a drastic increase in the amount of skateboarders and the way that skating has evolved from just a fun hobby to a culture and lifestyle known as “skaters”.

From Pulaski Plaza to DuPont Circle to Shaw Skate Park to the streets, skateboarding in D.C. has grown quickly over the past few years. With six major parks in D.C., there are plenty of places that skaters can go to find a thrill ride. While some skaters have made it big coming from D.C. such as Scott Johnston, Sean Sheffey and Pepe Martinez, other local skaters are just enjoying the ride.
Dubb B is just one of many locals who have taken up skating. He started four years ago, and hasn’t looked back since. He was one of thousands to participate in “Go Skateboarding Day” on June 21, and like many others, he considers skateboarding to be a lifestyle.

“Skating is something that started off as a fun hobby, but it is definitely a culture and lifestyle now,” Dubb B said.

Skateboarding has gone from the underground to the open, with its own terminology, clothing, and style. He credits the growth in D.C. partially to the media, but also to the openness of D.C. residents.

“People in D.C. are branching out and expanding their horizons, which has opened the door to skateboarding,” Dubb B said.

One of the people responsible for skateboarding coming to the spotlight is DMV native Andrew “Andy” Stone. Stone grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, and started skateboarding in the 80s. Little did he know that he would become one of the most well known and respected skaters to come out of the area.
Although he no longer skates professionally, he still has a passion for skating. He currently lives in Colorado as a professional engineer and is married with children. He follows skateboarding in the area and is proud of the recent expansion and growth.

“Skateboarding in D.C. has flourished because it draws people from all walks of life together”, Stone said. “There doesn't seem to be any criteria to join the club.  All that is required is that you respect your fellow skater and have fun doing what we all love doing.” 
He believes that it will continue to grow because of the bond that it creates between people. 
Despite not skateboarding anymore, Austin Coard was one of many who loved the sport and took it on as a lifestyle.  He skated for four years and put an hour or two daily into it. He doesn’t skate anymore because he focuses mainly on school, but he does support skateboarding to the fullest extent.

“If I had the time and opportunity, I would definitely go to events to see the action,” Coard said.
He likes how the scene in D.C. has grown and feels because of the athleticism of local youth, it will continue to grow.

“Skateboarding is a good way of expression, and when I have kids some day, I will definitely encourage them to skate,” Coard said.

No matter what walk of life you come from, what type of background you have, what race, ethnicity, or sex you are, there is a common ground that can be found in the world of skateboarding. D.C. is just one of many places in the world that is serving as a stomping ground for skaters to come together and ride side by side. So in the words of hip hop star and skateboarder Lupe Fiasco D.C. skaters will continue to, “Just Kick Push, Kick Push, and Coast”.

Hard work, dedication, intelligence, beauty, talent, these are just a few of the qualities a contestant must have to compete to become Miss Teen D.C. The Pageant committee requires their contestants to be between the ages of 13 to 17, must be enrolled in and attending classes on a full-time basis at an accredited school, and live or go to school in the District. The preliminary judging process consists of an interview, lifestyle and fitness in sportswear, talent, evening wear, on-stage questionnaire, and scholastic achievement.

Out of sixteen contestants, one contestant exhibited all of these qualities, resulting in her being crowned as Miss Teen D.C.  Talented in dancing, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, with a platform based on promoting healthy and active teens, Hope Wiseman, 17, a senior at Bishop McNamara High School, now represents teen girls in the District of Columbia.
Inspired by advertisements of pageants, Wiseman began participating pageants at the age of 12.

What most people don’t know is that pageants require a lot of hard work and endurance. “You have to make sure you prepare mentally and physically…it takes months to prepare,” says Wiseman. “It gets hard but sometimes you just have to take a moment back and have a moment for yourself; as long as I have that I can keep up with the hustle and bustle.”

Besides the glamorous dressing-up part, Wiseman really loves the community service aspect. So much, she was inspired to create her own foundation.

Instead of joining an organization to engage in community service, Wiseman instead decided to work to establish her own: what she came up with was PHAT (Promoting Healthy and Active Teens). The organization is designed to inform teenagers about the importance of being healthy.
“PHAT is not only about the "physical" side of things. It is also about the mental and emotional side of health. A lot of health issues are brought on because of stress, peer pressure, and low self esteem. I want to inspire teens to live above these issues and become extraordinary adults. After all we are the future of our nation, right?”

PHAT is in the process of becoming a non-profit organization that would be available for all teens. In March 2010, Wiseman will be conducting a conference called PHAT: Promoting Healthy and Active Teens: Girls Addition, which will be held at Bishop McNamara in Forestville, Maryland.
At the conference, speakers will cover different issues of PHAT, a fashion show will be held, a keynote speaker will present, performances by local groups, and much more, for girls ages 11 to 17. “I am looking for sponsors and participants. Anyone interested should e-mail me at missteendc2009@gmail.com or visit my website at www.hopewiseman.com.”

The Red Line Metrorail train crash between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations happened on June 22, leaving some riders jittery, but not 19-year-old Brittany Clark.

Every morning Clark walks to the Shaw-Howard Metro station in Northwest DC for a short ride to her job at the Department of Energy near L'Enfant Plaza on the Green Line.
           
For Clark, the June 22 Metro rail cars crash that left nine people dead was just an accident and not an indication that the entire Metro system has failed the public. Metro-ridership levels have proven this.

Metro records indicate that the day after the crash, ridership went down more than 25,000 people. But since then, more riders have boarded the trains 14 out of 24 days than than the day of the crash. For example, on July 4, ridership was up by more than 30,000 compared to July 4 of 2008.
“The crash didn’t change my feelings, I still have to ride it,” Clark said.

Like Clark, many teenagers have no cars and therefore opting out of riding the Metro is not an option.  For example, Zuri Dority, 17, and 17-year-old Desiree Cheeks do not have qualms about riding the Metro.

“Metro isn’t perfect but it is very efficient”, said Dority. Cheeks does not have problems with Metro either, but she feels Metro acted irresponsibly prior to the crash.

“Metro was a little stupid because they didn’t phase out the old cars and get rid of them, and they didn’t listen to warnings about the lack of modernization,” Dority said.

She would feel even better if Metro officials would implement monthly checkups on the tracks, not just when something happens. “Metro should consider remodeling the cars so that when something hits them, it would bounce off instead of piling up like the crash,” she said.

While teenagers aren’t too concerned, some parents are. Edwinda Castleberry, mother of a 16-year -old daughter, says she is a little bit apprehensive. "The thought is always in the back of my mind now,” she said. “You just have to say your prayers when riding and hope that all goes well.”

Still, Castleberry also rides the Metro for the convenience of not having to find parking and pay expensive fees. A native of New York, Castleberry feels confident that Metro will make the necessary changes to improve the rails.

 "I am accustomed to Metro; it is one of the best systems in America,” she said. “The crash affected me because it was so devastating, but they just have to learn from this tragedy and make the necessary improvements."

Sylvester Simpkins Jr., 39, and father of two daughters, ages 10 and 14, believes in the Metro system which he calls solid.  Simpkins commutes on the Orange Line everyday to his job at the Library of Congress, which has limited parking for its employees.

“Overall, Metro has a pretty good track record as far as safety,” Simpkins said.

He, too, is confident Metro executives will step up maintenance and inspections.

Howard University Engineering Professor Errol Noel, an expert in evaluating traffic control and management systems, also believes in the safety of Metro. This was just a simple human mistake that can and will be fixed, he said.

"These things happen,” he said. “Parts are made by humans and errors occur. You try to prevent this by rigorous maintenance but they still happen time to time. We need Metro, we need more of it, and we can’t do without it," he said.

In a letter to Washington Post readers, Metro General Manager John Catoe reassured Metro riders that company executives are working to find out what happened and prevent it from happening again.

“Although we don't yet know all of the factors that contributed to the accident, there are precautions we can take in the meantime,” Catoe wrote. “We immediately began running trains in manual rather than automatic mode, so that we could isolate the automatic train control system and check every one of the 3,000 track circuits that provide location data to our trains.  None have shown any problems.

In 2007, Ragasten Paul walked into Sameerah Stocks classroom at Theodore Roosevelt High School. What Paul bought with him ended up changing her life.

Two years-later, Stocks is veteran teen editor for NovelTeens' Ink, an after- school and summer  multi-media journalism program for D.C. youth. Stocks feels that  the students she works with keep her coming back each year.

“I think it’s each joke or laugh”, Stocks said. “It’s the things they do to brighten my day.  Even more than that, they teach me; the student-teacher role is constantly changing.”  As teen editor, Stocks is responsible for assisting the team lead, as well as editing stories for the editorial/print section, and the blog.

Before working for NovelTeens'Ink, Stocks worked for high school student newspaper.  She also wrote poetry and essays. "I'm bursting with news and creative ideas", she said. 
According to Stocks, NovelTeens'Ink has taught her how to write, be persistent, to be a problem solver and how to be patient. The program is also part of the reason she decided to major in journalism at Buffalo State University.

When Paul started NovelTeens' in 2004, Stocks is an example of what he was aiming to achieve;  students  who are able to set goals and achieve them  in and out of the classroom. “The students were bright; they were just having a hard time learning the English lessons,” Paul said.
He believed that journalism would be the way to go; it would be capturing and hands on. Students would be able to improve their   grammar, punctuation and sentence structure.
Since its conception, the camp has not only improved, but gained popularity.  Lawrence Kaggwa, Ph. D, publisher of the District Chronicles, has gotten calls from  parents from far as Texas,  asking if their kids could join the program.

Renee’ Edelin, 19, production manager for NovelTeens' heard about the program through her friend Latasha Russell.

“Before working here, I decided to major in marketing when I started college," Edelin said. " But after the experience I was given, I changed my mind and I’m currently dual-majoring in Public Relations and Marketing, with a minor in English.”
She feels that one of the best parts of working with NovelTeens' is being able to give back to the community.

In addition to print journalism, students who would possibly be doing nothing with their summer are given the resources to learn skills in advertising, graphic design, photography and radio broadcast.
Students are able to get articles published in various publications including the District Chronicles a local community newspaper, the NovelTeens' Ink blog and 360secondz magazine. Each news outlet gives the students something to work towards.

Although the students work hard, they get to play even harder. They are given the opportunity like drumming with   Kristen Arant also known as the 'Drum Lady', and taking trips to places like New York City. Students have also interacted with industry professionals from Howard University, the Washington Post and the New York Times.
    
 “My most memorable experience was going to New York ,” says Ashley Outlaw, 17, a second-year photography student.  In New York , the students were able to go to Vibe Magazine Company, to see how a magazine was produced.

Assistant Director, Lakeem Winborne, comes back every summer to help out because he enjoys seeing students grow.

 “One student I think [that] was the most intriguing to watch grow was Dominique Jackson," Winborne said. "I watched him work to improve his writing. I watched him work to improve his writing. He was always the first to volunteer and put forth the maximum effort.”

Though he never got published his writing published his first year, he said, Jackson’s constant persistence and successful attitude resulted in him being awarded the program’s first “Nsoroma” (shining star) award at the first awards banquet in 2007. Jackson is currently a teen editor and assistant team lead for the radio team.

Students gain hands-on experience at an early age. Many have spoken about the academic growth from Novelteens’ used during the school year.  For some, research papers have become easier, since they learned how to research accurately in a timely manner.  Others have noticed higher test scores in their English classes and an expansion in their vocabulary.

The mantra of NovelTeens’ is to strive for excellence everyday.  Each student and staff member comes in each morning ready to work.  Students are reminded to keep an open mind and be ready for the day ahead, because they never know what’s planned.  
With all the success and enthusiasm the students have for the program, Mr. Paul says, “ It lets us know we’re doing something right.”

Thats Wassup Lanesha

Four months. A leader emerged in time.

It took LaNesha Kearse, 18, four months to realize that she had a higher calling, being a leader. Hailing from Northwest Washington D.C., Kearse had always shown a keen interest when it came to her academics. Kearse’s mother started getting her daughter involved in academic programs at a young age so that she could have a first-hand experience in various cultures.

She has been receiving outstanding grades since elementary school. “My mother made sure that I was always in the best schools and that I applied myself,” Kearse said..

Aside from her active involvement in school and the community, Kearse’s mother showed her how to be confident and open-minded. 
“She repeatedly told me that with those two values, and the ability to effectively network, I could go anywhere,” Kearse said.

When the time came for Kearse to take her first stride into young adulthood, she found that the transition from middle school to high school was “surprisingly easy”.
“I took a lot of advanced classes in middle school which prepared me a lot for high school,” Kearse said.
Advancing. An achiever took her stand.

After middle school, Kearse enrolled in one of Washington D.C.’s top and nationally ranked academic schools, Benjamin Banneker Academic Senior High School. Her interest steamed from Banneker’s advanced academic programs, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate.  During freshman year, Kearse moved to Alabama where she attended Pelham High School. Despite her smooth transition to high school, Kearse describes her transition to Pelham as slightly difficult.
“It was also a whole different atmosphere. I went from a school of about 300 people to one with 2000 people,” Kearse said.

Though Kearse’s transition was somewhat of a challenge, Kearse moved back to Washington D.C. during her 11th grade year and attended School Without Walls, another top and nationally ranked school in the city. 
“SWW [School Without Walls] was very set on making sure that students knew about different opportunities and scholarships,” Kearse said.

One of those opportunities came in 2008, when Kearse learned about the Posse Scholarship Foundation.

The Posse Foundation, found in 1989, identifies public high school students with excellent academic and leadership potential. Select partner colleges and universities award Posse Scholars with four-year, full-tuition scholarships. A posse or group of 10 multicultural students is set to embark on a personal and academic journey at a partner college or university.
Kearse, who is now a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Posse, was excited and relieved after she found out that she not only won Posee, but was also accepted to the school of her choice.

After completing the last interview process, Kearse received a phone call indicating that she had received the profile
“I immediately jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to tell my parents,” Kearse said.

She considers this process the most memorable because after receiving the exciting news, she realized that staying true to herself had gotten her to where she is today.  

In three months, Kearse went through a Dynamic Assessment three-step process for the Posse Foundation Scholarship.

The first step was to see how the group worked with others while standing out as leaders amongst large crowds of people. The second step was personal interviews. The final step was group interviews and 30 seconds to answer several questions.
“We also played games to break the tension and discussed how we would react to different situations,” Kearse said.
University of Wisconsin-Madison was her top choice because of challenging academics and it has one of the top business programs in the nation.

Aside from academics, if its one thing that school has taught her, it would have to be how to challenge herself.
“I always look forward to conquering the next challenge and even pushing myself out of my comfort zone,” Kearse said.

In hopes of inspiring others to accept new experiences and challenges. Kearse recommends: “Try to be as open as possible to new experiences and even if you absolutely hate one of those experiences, still give it your all.”