The ride up to Washington was so much fun.  Can you say road trip?!!!!!  We’ve been anticipating for this days to come and everyone is excited.  We finally reached the Code Pink house around five o’clock .  We ate pizza settled in, had a great conversation with the ladies of Code Pink, and now we are decorating shirts with them. I can’t wait for tomorrow.  We will be meeting with several NY repersenative’s staff members.

Ngoma was born in Virginia but lived in New York since 1979. His musical influence is his mother who is a church pianiosit, and a woman name Pamela Woods who as well is a pioanists who has inspired him to start taking piano lessons at the age of 7. His Spoken word music is with a purpose , to raise political and spiritual consciousness through his music. His major women influence is, Sonia Sanchez, Odeita, and Nina Simone are just a few.

Darrin is the lead singer of the all black rock band called Sankofa. Who’s music is a unique hard metal sound. His musical women influence is Nikki Giovanni and Mahalia Jackson just to name a few.

Poez is a trial lawyer in Los Angeles. He got introduced into Spoken word a few years ago.. now theres a audience for what he had did in the past. He got back into the scene wondering if anyone remembered him in the past. so he began to get back into the scene and a book was publish of his poetry. Some women musical influences are Buffy St. Marie, Billy Holiday, Joni Mitchell, are a few.

Chris Rob raised by is mother who has trained him as a pianiost and vocalist. Music was a big force in his household growing up. got into the music world, playing in jazz bands, and singing. wasnt satified in Chicago moved to New York. He toured with Snoop and John Legand. He is a Universal Artist. in his music he trys to uplift his audience. some of his musical influence, Lauryn Hill, Angela Davis, and The Clark Sisters.

Carlos is a poet and actor. had gotten into writing, not a fluent english speaker until the age of six, his language native language is Porteguese and Spanish. Being a writer with a learning disability not being able to read he was determined. at the age of seventeen, a poet who touched him in a sense to start writing. began writing hundreds of poems. Finished college and kept performing got him in to acting, and writing plays, and short stories. Some of his women influences are Ella Baker, Sharen Olds, and Audre Lorde.

Check out the podcast on Girls On Air!

MJ Josephine seems like a woman all for music. A lot of her taste and style goes towards Jazz, Hip Hop, and Soul. Her major Zap Mama, Mamel Larrieus , Jill Scott, Floetry,and Alicia Keys who all have unique sounds. There is joy that comes to her as being a female artist. Given so much freedom, and having the right to claim it and influence the young people. Family inspires her, the struggle of life, being able to help the community helps her music. She left us with a message that we all will keep “anyone is more capable of doing anything and to stay focus”. Her music is soulful, she really knows how to sing a tune…Fm Supreme is a young MC and Poet. Started ten years ago, writing her own music. At the age of fifteen she began writing poetry and doing youth slams. She has just released her album “Basic Gumbo”, a lot of hip hop and activism is in her music. Her music women influences who has inspired her to do what she does today is , MC Lyte, Bahamadia, Jean Grae, Eve, Angela Davis an activist, and Ella Baker. Joy comes from being a woman performer as well, her being the best female performer in a show, with women being undermind, as well as her selling her music to women as well. She likes to challenge people, make others explore not only as a performer as well as a activist.Shes all about activism through her music. This girl is really inspirational, through her music and through her life as a activist.

Check out the podcast on Girls On Air!

Luna Bella Avila (*ting!) is 26 years old and was one of the first members of the Girls Club.  She started volunteering at 17 and became a staff member at the age of 22, being one of the youngest employees at the time.

Luna’s mom (Blance Martinetti) was a founding member of the Girls Club and growing up, Luna was shown different aspects of how to run a non-profit.  Seeing how great an organization it was, she wanted to become a part of its home base.

Luna currently holds multiple positions at the Girls Club including Arts Program Associate, Cascading Leadership (CL) Programs Associate, and La Tiendita store Manager.  Every aspect of associate life with the Girls Club has given her more responsibility.  She enjoys working at the Girl Club, where it helps her “become everything that I [Luna] can be.”

She hopes to grow with the Girls Club and to become Assistant Director one day.  Her leadership position helps make a change in young girls’ lives.  “Most adults don’t give teenagers credit, I want to prove that teenagers can make a change, because I have been through that experience.”

The Girls Club has had a profound affect on Luna, both as staff and as a member and has opened her eyes to many different aspects of social activism.  “I realized that the world doesn’t revolve around me, most girls go through the same thing.”

Now, in her current position at the Girls Club, Luna feels like an active part of the community.  “I am given more responsibility.  I love it because I still have to figure out a system and how to be happy in an intricate part of the Girls Club Web… As a member and employee, I have learned how to deal with girls, which is hard work.  Building a non- profit organization is also hard work.”

As well as yesterday, we attended the conference in the morning. One of the inspirational speakers was Majora Carter who was born in the South Bronx of New York. She was very aspiring, living in the Bronx it was a time where there were a lot of disadvantages of pollution and destruct in her community; environmentally. Not only as an environmental activist she was a black woman who wanted to make a change in not only her community but in life. Just being able to hear her thoughts and actions she took to make not only the ecosystem a better place but New York City where I am from, gave me a lot oh hope to fight for what e believe in. Being the last day of the conference I felt it went on a good note being able to be in the same room with some of the activists was very inspirational and I hope that next time around I am able to meet her again in the future.

Today was a good day. We were able to experience something that i would never think would happen in a million years. The girls and i got the opportunity to have personal interviews with Van Jones and Eve Ensler. These two people were very inspirational. I was able to personally recieve from their speeches physical, emotional and spiritual aspects that are apart of my life. Getting to be in a room with people who worked towards making a difference and change in life, starting with the environment and ecosystem.

At the later end of the day we got a chance to take a lot of pictures with each other as well as with the people at Mission Pies. Being with different people who fight for the same change keeps me close and makes me excited for the next day.

On October 18, 2007, it was our 1st day of Bioneers. The morning started out early, the 13 of us were split into two and we went into different groups. Luna and I were partners, our 1st group was the “Grandmas.” Women from all around the world come to Bioneers with hope for youth hosts. In the next group, we learned about networking, getting in contact with others who are attending the conference. In the middle of the afternoon, we had a chance to check out the “Farmers Market.” It was really colorful, with flowers, fruits, and food. We also bumped into some of our new friends from “Misson Pie.” Brittany, Justine, Lee and I went all out and wild. When we said “Girls Gone Green,” we went green. Playing on the dock with the ducks, taking a long tour at the hotel, and going to the park. Later that night it was a open mic night, we had a blast. We rapped, sang, dance, and had a good time. I cant wait until tomorrow.

On the weekend of September 8 and 9th, many others and myself got to experience the Howl Festival in Thompson Square. This being my first year of attending the festival with the Girls Club I was very liberated and honored to be a part of the experience. Before the festival I didn’t know what Howl was and why it had a huge impact on many until I got to experience that impact. Seeing the whole of the community put me in a good place. Many came together to see the festival and honor the diversity of many cultures of dance, music, performance, poetry, and writing, but The Girls Club attends the festival for more than that. Not only to raise money for our organization, but also to see the whole of the community who supports us. This year it was different for all of us. I personally had a good time celebrating with everyone. I had never seen so much joy and excitement in one person, whether it came from the art or the food. Howl is history. And this weekend I was a part of that history. One of my favorite moments of the festival was when I got to participate with two bands, the Hungry Marching Band and the Manhattan Samba. These two bands were two different cultures of music, but they came together and let us be a part of that entertainment. Not being from the Lower East Side I was excited to experience something new, and with the two bands I was filled with the love of fitting into a new family.

Sierra back at Coney Island.  Yes its me again!  I’m reporting back to you on my next trip I’d taken to Coney Island.  This one really touched my heart.  This week the HS girls took some interviews of workers who are affected by the closure of Coney Island.  We had seen a copy of the contract that was signed of what parts would be sold of Coney Island.  It was one of the most sadest experiences myself and many encountered.  Watching younger generations playing in Astroland and Wonder Wheel Park brung back memories of when I was a fellow camper visting Coney Island.  The sadest part of it all is explaining the situation to the Lower Eastside Girls Club summer camp girls.  What a sad day!!

On Tuesday July 10, 2007, the HS girls, CL girls, Lou, Amanda, and Lyn went to Angel Farm. One of the HS girls, Lizbeth her family has a farm out in Goshen New York. Besides the heat it was a wonderful experience. Seeing another side of New York you never seen before. One of the many things that I experienced as well as Luna (a CL girl) was to sit on a tracker trailer. Even though we weren’t able to drive it (Luna would of probably killed us all, lol) we got to take the adventure and we pursued it. Besides the tracker just the beauty of the flowers, produce, and the family was awesome. These adventures are what you treasure forever.