Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Click Here to Sign Up: Shop for Girlhood!


Join us for an evening of music, poetry, shoping and sipping! Stella Boutique and The Power of Girlhood have teamed to present an funky good time! Shop with a purpose and have some fun. You will hear poetry from our International Day of the Girl Slam Champion, Natilie Cann plus some of our past participants of our program. We have some serious heat coming of the one's and two's from Stacey J one of the resident DJs from 5 Elements Gallery. PLUS a unique shoping experience where a portion of the proceeds will benifit The Power of Girlhood, the youth division of The Wisdom Institute a 501(c)3 orgranization. Show us some love and we will show you The Power of Girlhood. 

Yours In Girlhood,
Ber-Henda Williams

Friday, October 4, 2013

In Her Words: Najah Scruse

All Hail…Which Queen? --Najah Scruse
 
 

Everyone has their opinion about these two. The competition between them is clearly obvious, but the question remains….who is better? One side is yelling Queen B, while the other is screaming Queen RiRi. Both ladies have experienced great success and are also major players in the music business. But who does it better? Beyoncé’s net worth is $300 million. She has won 17 Grammys and numerous other awards. Behind the music scene, Beyoncé does philanthropic work like Haiti Now and World’s Children Day and is married to one of the most influential music moguls, Jay Z. Having sold over 13 million albums in the U.S and 118 nationwide, Beyonce’s only issue is consistency. Her last album only sold 1.4 million, her worst sales ever.

Even so, Beyoncé has been a force to be reckoned with on tour. But that’s just it. She is a performer and nothing more. Her acting skills are mediocre and her songs average, but performance-wise, she does an amazing job. Rihanna, on the other hand, is an entertainer. She has more authenticity and consistency then Beyoncé.  Beyoncé is boring – point, blank and period. Her interviews are uninteresting, her life is dull and we just don’t care anymore. Beyoncé paints and listen to old-school music in her spare time. When I say old school, I mean James Brown, Aretha Franklin etc…..and did I mention she paints? What are you, an 80-year-old house wife? Rihanna doesn’t care who knows what about her, and it’s that raw realness that sets her apart and gives her the name of a trendsetter.

Admittedly, both women do possess a grave influence over their fans through their music. Rihanna was named by United Kingdom to be the most influential pop artist, beating Beyoncé. (Bow Down whom, B?)  If I had to choose the better role model, I would say neither. They both gyrate and over-sexualize themselves. Beyoncé happens to be a new mom, which helps overshadow her darker side. But behind the facade, what do Rihanna and Beyoncé really promote?

 


In the picture above, it shows Beyoncé flaunting a Baphomet, a symbolic representation of Satan. Sadly, this is not the only picture of Beyoncé brazenly flashing this image.



Pictured above is Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been” video, which is full of symbolic imagery. This one in particular represents the Third Eye, also known as the “all seeing eye”, often used as an icon to represent the illuminati. Some celebrities are blatantly using their status to promote New World Order. Even the Kabbalah cult has been accused of practicing devil worship in exchange for success. Hand signs and symbolical messages are often employed to reach our youth who don’t even realize what they are being taught. However, all the blame cannot be placed on celebrities. At the end of the day, who is raising your child…you or the television?
 
At 25, Rihanna’s net worth is already $265 million. Like Beyoncé, she has her own fashion line and is also a humanitarian. Additionally, Rihanna launched her own vodka brand, owns several restaurants and even a Barbados football team. Six out of seven albums have gone platinum, and so far she has won four Grammys. Rihanna is the highest paid singer in the world this year, pulling in $82 million, by July. So when I say, ALL HAIL THE QUEEN….this one goes to RiRi.


About the Author:

Raised in a  family of political activist and avid readers, Najah Scruse learned at a young gage the power of intellect. Born and raised in Detroit city. Scruse is a college senior at Kentucky State University majoring in English with a minor in Journalism. She is a member of the Obsidian Blues movement. Najah Scruse loves to write and for others to read her writing. To contact Najah her email is Najahdestinee@yahoo.com.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Go Girlhood! The Purple Power Campaign!

Malaya Watson: Singer/Musician--Greatness! 


We are so excited about bringing our programming to local schools, detention centers, and churches. 

Mission: To develop girls 13-18 from within utilizing their natural strengths, talents and abilities through creative and artistic means.

The Vision of The Power of Girlhood: To develop a strong community of young women who are participants in the areas of: Fine and performing arts (including communications), STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and Entrepreneurship.

 Goals:


·         Support our girls in their personal and academic endeavors
·         Teach her to think critically
·         Instruct on how to utilize her network and resources
·         Create new channels and improve upon existing ones for social        change
·         Assist in leadership and character development



Our Purpose
    


·         Build her self esteem & confidence
·         Provide her educational and professional development
·         Provide her community and cultural awareness
·         Promote and encourage healthy lifestyles
·         Facilitate a support system
·         Have her change a nation




Our Program:
We are part of The Wisdom Institute a 501c3 that supports women and girls. Our Mentoring Program is designed to match girls between the ages of 13 to 18 with women who are leaders in their career paths or who have similar backgrounds. Through workshops, field studies, presentations and forums, our girls will be able to see a version of themselves. We recently celebrated our three year anniversary at the Southfield Public Library. We presented demonstrations in the following areas: Yoga, Salsa, Zumba and Belly Dance.  We showcased The Spitfires Poetry Collaborative and Monica Blair along with The Southfield-Lathrup Dance Company and Thompson K-8 International Academy. We also had a host of community resources and organizations such as The AAUW, National Association of Muslim Students and Girl Scouts of America.

2013-2014 Academic Year:
In addition to launching our Rites of Power: Rites of Passage Program of The Power of Girlhood at Hope United Methodist Church, we will be facilitating monthly workshops at Job Core, starting a club at Western International High School, and a mentorship in residency at Tri-County School in Southfield and so much more! For more information please log on to www.thepowerofgirlhood.org or call 947-517-7638   

 We need your help to continue out our programming and mission and here is how: Support The Power of Girlhood by clicking and sharing you can help us reach our goal.  Please support us and encourage others to do the same!

xoxox
B

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Friday, August 30, 2013

Wonderfully Made New: Love Eternal...

Wonderfully Made New: Love Eternal...: Good Morning! I can't get this Marc Anthony Song out of my head since last night. It's an oldie but goodie titled Vivir Lo Nuestro...

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Meet Some of Our Special Guests!

Lesley Jackson holds degrees in psychology, sociology, higher education and is completing her doctorate in Transformative Studies. Her commitment to transformative principles and practices is exemplified in her work as a leadership consultant, higher education instructor and administrator, and as a Life Coach working with women, young adults and girls in transition.  Through Clarity Life Design, her life design firm, she shares her expertise in Self-Care and Life Design. Her clients enjoy phenomenal results through coaching, classes and the Life Design Academy for Teens & Young Adults.  Her motto “Live You! Love You!” embodies her commitment to helping others live their vision.

Lesley Jackson, Clarity LIFE Design, Life Design & Self-Care Expert
Website: www.claritylifedesign.com
Email: info@claritylifedesign.com 
Phone: (248) 602-0YOU (602-0968)
Location: 32580 Grand River Ave, Suite 6, Farmington, MI 48336


                                                                                      *****


Jenna Degowski, MA, RYT 200 is a single mother of two beautiful boys.  While going through a tough a painful life change she discovered the depth of positive effects of yoga and how it can heal and transform one's life.  After practicing yoga for over 10 years and completing a Master's Degree in Children's Literature at EMU she decided to train for her RYT 200. She is passionate about helping adults and children through any aspect of life with personalized yoga sessions.   As owner of Peaceful Spirit Studio in Farmington, MI she is dedicated to assisting anyone on a healing journey through yoga & meditation.  The studio is small and designed to accommodate the needs of individuals in private sessions or small groups.

Jenna is also passionate about returning to a more natural way of life.  She is exploring sustainability through gardening, recycling and reusing everyday materials.  Jenna and her family have been working towards an all natural, organic diet, which is challenging with the processed foods that have become the norm in America.  Making huge changes takes kindness, patience and understanding toward oneself.   Love and peace in our lives are so important and through yoga and meditation she believes we can all cultivated a harmonious world.


Sunday, August 11, 2013

Open House!

Wisdom Institute * Mother Wit * Power of Girlhood * SASHA Center *
*How Does Your Goddess Grow!

Moving forward, stretching and growing, emboldened by Collaboration, stepping into the Future…
We are working together …Wisdom Institute in the vanguard of promoting Womyn’s Ways, with Mother Wit Social Entrepreneurs working and learning through commerce; Power of Girlhood is our strong bridge, to transport girls into womanhood, with confident, competent, powerful voices; SASHA Center (Sexual Assault Services for Holistic Healing and Awareness) is transforming victims into survivors who thrive, utilizing peer support, outreach and activism; and How Does Your Goddess Grow! therapeutic art experiences are opening doorways to our innate creativity…We are in community partnership with Tri-County Educational Center, for the brightest opportunity for adult and high school learners in an alternative setting. Come see what all the excitement is about with our new Community Partnership!



OPEN HOUSE

Friday, August 16, 2013 at Tri-County Educational Center
16299 Mt. Vernon, Southfield, MI (248)-423-507

Activities of the day include:
6-10:00a.m. WJLB Morning Show LIVE @ TCEC * Watch Coco, Foolish, & Mr. Chase LIVE!
*Enrollment Fair during and after Live broadcast until 1 p.m.*
9:00a.m. Meet Community Leaders


10:00 Demonstrations * Tours * Hands-on Workshops throughout the Day!

The Power of Girlhood Meets Camp Fabulous! 

Surrounded by The Young Gifted and Black! #gogirlhood
#gogirlhood #go

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Power of Girlhood: One Nation Under Girlhood: On Deck: One Nation Under Girlhood

The Power of Girlhood: One Nation Under Girlhood: On Deck: One Nation Under Girlhood: Meet the Faces of Girlhood 3.0 Host/Word Maverick: Taki Born and raised on the west of Detroit, Taki grew into being a free spirit....

On Deck: One Nation Under Girlhood

Meet the Faces of Girlhood 3.0

Host/Word Maverick: Taki




Born and raised on the west of Detroit, Taki grew into being a free spirit. She fell in love with poetry many years ago, but developed into a spoken word artist in 2009. A lover of music, the arts, free thinkers and self expression. Taki is dedicated to enlightening the youth with knowledge that is much needed in our society today. Targeting young women, especially, so that they will continue to grow and capture the world with positive thinking and actions.




Sound Queen: DJ Minx from Women on Wax


 

DJ Minx was inspired to spin by the famed Music Institute in Detroit. Her style is described as funky, powerful house, with a smudge of grace.  For two years, Minx engineered and hosted "Deep Space Radio"- an electronic music show on a Detroit’s WGPR radio station. The show was headed by the innovators of techno music: "Magic" Juan Atkins, Kevin “Reese” Saunderson, Eddie Fowlkes, and Derrick May. She played mixes by Kenny "Moodyman" Dixon and Stacy Pullen as well as the show's helmsmen. She conducted live interviews on the show including one which featured Roger Sanchez as he worked on a track at "Strong Room Studios" in England. She also voluntarily did a weekly radio program at the University of Canada on CJAM 91.5 FM called "Steamy Windows" that featured house music by various local and international artists.

Currently on the Connected Artists roster, Detroit’s “First Lady of Wax”is working on her 18th release on W. O.W. Recordings. Minx has also expanded her musical majesty by creating a sub-imprint of the label called W.O.W. B.A.M. (Women On Wax BanginAss Music).  Besides releases on both of her labels, she also has a single on Minus.  “A Walk In the Park” was remixed by Josh Wink, Matthew Dear, Magda and Ricardo Villalobos.  She created “Undaground Boogie” that was featured in Richie Hawtin’s DE9 Transitions mix. She has worked out remixes for Trisomie 21 (Paris), Soiree Records (Detroit), West End Records (New York), Psychostasia Recordings (Detroit), United Music (Paris), and Whasdat Music (Detroit). Minx recently partnered with Jerry the Cat to establish Skyloft Productions, where the two work together to produce music for various artists in multiple genres. Having been successful in DJing, producing, and managing flourishing record labels, one can only imagine the new heights that Minx will explore in the years to come.


The Song Bird: Monica Blaire


From Mozart to Mainstream, eclectic is the way to describe Monica Blaire. Classical, rock, soul, gospel, funk, hip hop, techno, pop playfully coexist. For Blaire, the audience is the performance and her voice is the vehicle. Writing since the age of 5 and singing since a baby, Monica's need to connect with the listener comes first. She seizes the chance to be a truth seeker and create music that is honest. Monica Blaire is more than an artist. She is an experience.


 As a 2010 Kresge Artist Fellow in the Performing Arts, Monica Blaire seeks diversity and flexibility in her projects and collaborators. mB has worked with artists ranging from Roy Ayers, PPP, her own band the RackPack, Dwele, Black Milk, ZO!, and rocked historical venues including Joe's Pub (NY), The Shrine (CHI), and the DIA (DET). She is currently in an experimental rock band Lola Valley, an eclectic spontaneous slumber party on stage.

 
 
The Orical: Dimonique Boyd
 
I wish I could disappear into a fine mist, but if I did, someone would probably choke on me.” The day she uttered this statement in a casual conversation, Dimonique Boyd became fully aware that she…is…a poet.

A daughter of the Café Mahogany days, Dimonique experienced a rebirth in poetry when she became a regular at EchoVerse Poetry and Slam Series in 2007. She has had featured appearances at the Blushing Sky Honors Series, Cliff Bells, Sweet Epiphany, 1515 Broadway, the Detroit Public Library, among many other venues, shows, schools, and community events.

By popular demand, she self-published and released her first volume of poetry, “This is How I Feel: My Life in Verse.” Her book chronicles her life’s journey from ages fourteen to thirty. Though best known for her love and erotic poems, her writing delves into the socio-political, religious, and Hip-Hop realms. An admitted Confessional Poet, most of her poems are short glimpses into pieces of her life. She sees her poetry as both an outlet and an outreach. She is unafraid to give the most personal parts of herself to her audience because she feels that it’s important to be a voice for those who fear that they’re alone or don’t have the words to express how they feel. No matter the subject of her prose, the focus is always humanity. We love, we hurt, we cry, we lust, we sin, and she pours it all on the page and the stage to achieve oneness with her audience.

She has since published three more collections of poetry: "Queen of Heart," "Sleeping in the Ink Spot," and "Inside." all available on createspace.com, amazon.com, and kindle.  For more information, please contact Dimonique at missnique@hotmail.com.
Mahogany Jones: The Prophet


Mahogany Jones, an international recording and performance artist, by way of New York and now Detroit bound, is an avid advocator of the arts. She is a community activist, and arts educator, who is fully convinced "It's Bigger than Hip-Hop".
Mahogany is a member and host of 5e Gallery's, The Foundation, a weekly open mic and organization that "Celebrate's Women in Hip-Hop", a member of Hip Hop activist Toni Blackman's "Rhyme Like a Girl", as well as a programmer and facilitator for The Yuinon, a community organization that is very active through out the Detroit-metro area.
She has completed a full length album along with Ironic-Lee,"Morphed",as well as 3 mixtapes, and has been featured on over 30 albums. She has toured nationally and internationally, and graced stages with The Roots, India Arie, Lecrae, KEM, Yo-Yo, Talib Kweli, Canton Jones, and Pompei, to name a few.

Stay intune: You will have a chance to meet our instructors for Zumba, Yoga, and Belly Dance! Plus some of our special performance by girls of the metro area :-)  Sign up to day for The Power of Girlhood 3.0 One Nation Under Girlhood

Monday, May 27, 2013

The Power of Girlhood: One Nation Under Girlhood: The Power of Girlhood

The Power of Girlhood: One Nation Under Girlhood: The Power of Girlhood: Join us for our annual meet up!  One Nation Under Girlhood! What is the Power of Girlhood? ​ The Power of Girlhood summons the great...

A Word From Our Sponsors!

                                 
   We want to thank our sponsors for  2012-2013 Year of Girlhood!








 
 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

The Power of Girlhood


Join us for our annual meet up! One Nation Under Girlhood!

What is the Power of Girlhood?
The Power of Girlhood summons the greater community to aid and support girls through the process of girlhood. Members from the college and career planning, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, and life skills sectors are called to aid in this process. If they can dream it, than we can support it. True power comes from within and that is what girlhood is about: finding your voice and power with all the love and support you can stand from your community!
Who does the Power of Girlhood Speak to?
The Power of Girlhood was founded in 2011 with the purpose of assisting girls between the ages of 13-18 develop into self-sufficient and confident women. The Power of Girlhood provides on-site mentorship for schools, detention centers, small groups and faith based institutions.