Feature #2: Starcia Ague

This amazing young lady has quite a story.  When one goes through all that she has gone through, and is still eventually able to, as some Americans love to say, “pull herself up by the bootstraps,” and not only that, but make a difference in the world, you’ve got a premium jewel on your hands! Her name is Starcia Ague. She was born in Fort Lewis, Washington (State). Her mother had her when she was 15. When you ask Starcia to describe her childhood she will honestly tell you rape, abuse, neglect, and abandonment characterized her young life. Her father produced meth and her mother became addicted to the drug.

Starcia and her mother would always move—sometimes it would be a friend or family member’s house and other times it would be a homeless shelter. By the time Starcia was 11, her mother kicked her out of the house and Starcia moved in with her dad.

Though it was a complex living situation, for a brief period of time Starcia was able to feel a sense of stability. Her father had the money to buy her clothes for school and school supplies, and therefore Starcia was able to go to school on a regular basis. One day, her father’s house was raided. She was taken to the emergency room as the property was deemed hazardous and her father was arrested. Bail was set for $20,000 cash only. Her father skipped bail and told her he would be back for her, but he never did come back.

Form that point on Starcia’s young life was filled with numerous foster homes and crime. At age of 15 she spent 214 days in detention with six pending Class A felonies. She took plea for three and got sentenced to “juvenile life.” From ages 15-21 she spent in jail.

The turning point in Starcia’s life takes place here—at Naselle Youth Camp (one of the three prisons in Washington for juveniles). Starcia describes it as, “…An amazing beautiful African-American woman came to the jail to give her testimony.” Her mother was in an asylum, and she had also endured a life of rape and abuse. Starcia was so amazed with her story that that day, she decided to accept God into her life at 17 years old.

Knowing that education would be a way out for her, she inquired about taking college classes but the prison administrators laughed at her. Starcia did some research of her own and discovered that, “for every kid who doesn’t graduate the prison gets funding for, so they didn’t want you to graduate in prison.” Starcia being the intelligent young lady that she is, made a deal with the institution—“I’ll graduate a year later if you let me take college classes.” When she was released on her 21^st birthday, July 23, 2008, she was five credits away from earning her AA. Immediately she transferred to Washington State University and got her degree in Criminal Justice in 2010.

Starcia is the only juvenile in state of Washington to get a pardon from the governor, which she received on February 17, 2011. She is also a recipient of the 2009 Spirit of Youth Award, which gave her $1,000 towards school.

Today she is the Program Coordinator at The Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy at the University of Washington. There, she is in engaged in the selection process of mental health training materials for juvenile justice applications in connection with the MacArthur Foundation “Models for Change” project. Starcia also was their 2012 “Champion for Change” recipient. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QD5qHtML2E

In addition, Starcia is working on passing a bill in the state of Washington, so that young juveniles’ records will not have their adjudications available to anyone via electronic dissemination. The state of Washington often sells these records to corporations and individual proprietors, making it one of only three states in the entire nation that make income off of prison records and Starcia is driven to put a stop to it. Otherwise, once juveniles are released, this makes it nearly impossible for them to get a job anywhere, which leads them inevitably right back into the prison system.

It’s worthy to note that Harvard Educational Review Journal published some of Starcia’s work about system reform and being resilient. Starcia would like to go to Harvard to study in the near future. Based on the amazing things she’s done already, I believe without a doubt that she will get to Harvard! To read more about Starcia, please visit www.starciaague.org.

Written by Yasmine Arrington, Elon University '15

Feature #1: Min. Travis Ellis

I met Min. Ellis at a Gospel Benefit Concert for my non-profit ScholarCHIPS. He told me is story and I transcribed it. To hear his story in real life in his own words is amazing, and also to read it is amazing, so I wanted to share! 

Min. Travis Kevin “P.T” Ellis was born January 9, 1989 in Southeast Washington, DC.  Min. Ellis is a youth advocate, life-skills and juvenile rehabilitation coach, entrepreneur and Christian Hip-Hop artist. What is even more amazing about this young man than his many talents and service activities is his personal story that led him to where he is today.       

Growing up in the inner city, being raised by a single-mother, Ellis found himself as a troubled youth quickly immersing himself into a life of drugs and crime. By the age of 17, Ellis was diagnosed with a persistent vegetative state (PVS) in which the human brain suffers severe damage to the point of wakeful unconsciousness. He was then referred to a psychiatric ward. Ellis remained in the psychiatric ward for over a year and that is where he met Bishop Dwayne E. Stewart Sr., of The Gospel Truth Life Changing Ministries, who began to minister the Gospel to Ellis in his brain-dead state. Miraculously, when Ellis decided to give his life to Christ, his consciousness returned and from that point on, he never looked back. 

Ellis knew he had a unique story and a responsibility to give back and uplift the youth within his community. Ellis received his ministerial license April 21, 2008 under Bishop Stewart. Min. Ellis specializes in urban outreach, teaching Sunday school classes and Youth and Young Adult Ministry classes. In addition, Min. Ellis teaches classes as an instructor for the non-profit Living Classrooms, an organization founded in 1895 that provides at-risk youth in DC, Maryland and Virginia with hands-on education and job training. 

He also serves as the student development coordinator for the Fresh Start Program, a sub-program under Living Classrooms, that targets youth ages 14-17 who have been involved in the juvenile justice system, providing them with individualized vocational, life-skills, leadership and self-esteem development training.  Ellis is also founder of two robotics teams called Fresh T.E.C.H (stands for Technology, Engineering Carpentry, and Higher-Learning) at Living Classrooms for young men ages 16-19 and is a mentor for the Renaissance Boys Program at Septima Clark Public Charter School in Southeast DC.

 Ellis coaches basketball via the DeLoren Foundation and coaches at numerous recreational centers throughout the DMV area. He is a co-founder of The Hood Proud Foundation, with Franklin Dent and Nicole Rudd, which also provides life coaching, tutoring and mentoring for at-risk inner-city minorities of all ages. Most notably, Min. Ellis is founder of the record label and entertainment company Team G.U.C.C.I. (God Uses Chosen Children as Instruments) Entertainment LLC (2013), a mission he began in 2008 to spread the Gospel through various forms of entertainment (i.e. stageplays, liturgical/hip-hop dance, and Christian rap).  G.U.C.C.I. Ent. LLC travels to various churches and community venues all over the country in states such as Philadelphia, New York, Delaware, North Carolina, Atlanta, Florida, California and Texas. Ellis received his Bachelor of Science from WestWood College in 2010. Ellis is married to India Shonté Ellis and they are the parents of a three-year-old son named Josiah Travis Ellis.

AMAZING RIGHT? 

What's New, Same Ol'

Sorry you haven't gotten much out of me in the prior two months. Sometimes you go through dry seasons in life that just cause for silence. I was still hearing things in the news, etc. but I just had to step away from it. Sometimes I feel like I am wasting precious breathe (or letters, lol), trying to scream JUSTICE at the top of my lungs, but nobody hears me. Anyways, I digress.

So some things that are new...well, a 8-year-old girl was sworn in as the governor of Maryland for a day. She's cute and smart. Check her out: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/eight-year-old-prince-georges-girl-serves-as-governor-for-a-day/2013/07/02/77499aa6-e2c3-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story.html

Apparently Kerry Washington had a secret wedding to a football player? Now, I'm not going to jump and say that this is true because media gets things twisted ALL THE TIME!

And B. Scott, a popular gay media personality rejects BET's (at the BET Awards) apology for pulling him to the side and telling him that his look was inappropriate" and to turn down!

Enough gossip...I want to talk about REAL PEOPLE. EVERY DAY PEOPLE! I am amazed by some of the wonderful, driven people I've met within the last few months and they have powerful stories and struggles, even more powerful than mine and they need to be told! So the next few blog posts you'll read, are are some about some AMAZING PEOPLE who turned their lives around and began a new life, helping people.

BTW....HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Just remember that even FREEdom, isn't FREE!

Meagan Good's Inappropriate BET Ensemble

Ok, I must say I'm rather disappointed. Not in a overblown scolding way, but in a..."Come on, really?" way. Meagan Good, who is now married to a pastor, showed up to the BET Awards wearing a PLUNGING neckline dress...scratch that, it wasn't anything of a neckline. The dress exposed much of her cleavage and upper body (her nipples were exposed too). Tight fitting. middle slit. Personally, I think the tight fitted dress, would have been more or less okay...what red carpet celeb female do you know who doesn't wear a tight, fitted dress. And the slit wasn't bad, but first lady needs to tuck the girls away. I think there comes a point in time in a person's age, where the things they used to do as a teenager and as a 20 year old, are no longer cool anymore.

Plus, if I were her husband I would say "Honey...nnnnoooo! Take that off." And not only this, but Meagan was presenting the 2013 Gospel Music Award to Mary Mary in this dress. I know if Mary Mary was there, in their minds they would be like...hold up, wait a minute!" Even Cedric the Entertainer came up behind them and said "What church they go to?" lol Last year, she was confessing to the magazines that she and her husband had been celibate till marriage. And that dress does not look like one a true pastor who still practices celibacy before marriage would allow wifey to wear.

Well what can I say? I guess when you are famous an indescribably rich, you can break rules without repercussion or sense of guilt...I don't say that to be drastic, I'm just saying. I guess when Chris Tuckers said in his commercial leading up to the BET Awards..."ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN! ANYTHING!" He certainly meant it :) What do you think? Was Meagan's dress appropriate?

Barbies Gets A Makeover

Well, with all the criticism of Barbie's unrealistic figure in recent years and all the popular makeover shows on television, we knew sooner or later that Barbie would get a makeover (again) herself, but people are not to fond of her new look. What do you think? Its designer is Nickolay Lamm, who based her on average measurements of a 19-year-old American woman according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Here are some of the comments on the Yahoo story, I thought were funny, but also interesting observations...I was wondering myself why the new Barbie looks so unhappy, or miserable and ready to bodyslam! What are they trying to say? lol I know lots of thick, happy women :)


"This Barbie (the second) looks like she had a few kids and went through a divorce" lol

"Leave Barbie Alone!"

"What's with the arms out to the side? She looks like she's ready to throw somebody to the ground. Other than that, and the bizarre expression on her face, I like the idea of this more realistic doll."

"Why does lil Barbie look so miserable?"

"haha, Barbie with a Badonkadonk"

"She's built like a linebacker for the NFL"...LOL

"Still doesn't look quite right."

Live Blogging: All in the Family: Sammy's Visit

This is the first time I am doing a live blog. It's holds the same principles as live tweeting does...you write about an event as it is happening. For this live blog I am going to watch an "All in the Family," episode called "Sammy's Visit," when Archie Bunker (the protagonist) happened to drive the famous black actor Sammy Davis Jr. in his cab. Davis left his suitcase in the car and is now coming to Archie's house to pick it up. This episode is very funny, but also historic in that it openly talked about the issue of racism, but in a humorous way and also because it has a very famous and beloved celebrity of the time featured. For those of you who know about "All in the Family," it was an American sitcom ran by CBS from 1971-1979 that tackled many taboo issues such as racism, women's liberation, abortion, religion, breast cancer, the Vietnam War, etc. Archie is a bigot, but he is a very lovable character because it is obvious that he is trying to adjust to the modern world (though he is ignorant he is not hateful). His wife, Edith is very kind but also naive. Archie often clashes with his daughter's (Gloria) husband, Mike, who represents the Hippie and anti-establishment counterculture of the 1960s. So I will begin live blogging now:

"All in the Family"--Sammy's Visit
--Scene opens: Edith is playing cards by herself/Gloria and husband Mike talking in living room
Archie walks in, tells Mike to get out of his chair, demands more respect and a cup of coffee

Tells his family to guess who he carried in his cab today
Edith asks--"living or dead?" Archie: "I was driving a cab Edith, not a hearse."
Mike--"Well either it's Dezi Arnez or knowing you he's probably black."
Archie--"Hey black is the Ace of Spades!" Edith--"Archie for goodness sakes I just turned up the Ace of Spades (holding up her card)."
Gloria/Mike--"Was it Flip Wilson? Bellafonte?"
Archie--"I said black Mike! Ballafonte ain't black...he's white dipped in caramel!" (audience laughs)
Gloria guesses Sammy Davis Jr.!

Archie--"He's a fine guy. Sat in the back of the cap and talked to me about the weather and things just like  regular person. If I didn't have a rear view mirror, I'd think he was a white guy."
Mike--Aaarrcchhh, whadda yah gotta say things like that for?"
Archie--"What did I say anyhow?"

Phone rings...Sammy Davis Jr. calling to ask about suitcase
Archie--"He's coming over!" (Everyone yelling in excitement) And guess where he was calling from? A car...yeah he's in a limosine with a phone in it. Some of these coloreds are fancy...if they got it, they spend it."
Mike "What do you mean coloreds are classy?"
Archie--"Because when they deserve a compliment once in a while, I don't mind. Dummy up!"
Now Edith don't go blabbing all over the neighborhood that Sammy Davis Jr. is coming, because the house is going to be a mob scene....before you know it we'll be up to our armpits in jungle bunnies."
Mike--"When Sammy Davis Jr. gets here you gonna call him a jungle bunny?"
Archie--"Of course not! i'm gonna call him Mr. Davis
Mike--"Oh yeah, just a minute ago he was the Ace of Spades, now he's Mr. Davis?"
Archie--"Yes, because he worked his way up to be called Mr. Davis and he deserves that! In this great country a man like that can overcome the unequals of his color and rise to become a great star!" (audience laughs)
Edith starts calling and telling people

Next door neighbor Lionel shows up. Edith tells him who's coming and Archie says "The dingbat strikes again!"
Sammy Davis shows up
Edith is so excited! "I'm so excited but you can't imagine because you never had to meet yourself!"
Sammy mistakes Lionel for Gloria's husband. Archie yells NNNOOO! (Audience laughs)
Sammy pays Archie for getting him his briefcase. Archie gives Sammy his chair (Archie never gives ANYONE HIS CHAIR)
Archie says to Sammy, "I was just telling my family that you are perhaps the greatest credit to your race."
Sammy--"Well thank you very much. I'm sure you've done lots for yours too" (audience laughs)

Archie asks Edith to bring him a cold beer in a glass and open up a fresh box of Twinkies for Mr. Davis
Sammy makes a face.
Mike--"Yeah, they're a WASP (White-Anglo Saxon Protestant) Soul food!"
Edith brings out a Twinkie on a plate for Sammy Davis
Visitors come in trying to impress Sammy Davis Jr. (lady makes her daughter tap dance)

Neighbor gives a toast, shares glass with Archie. Sammy drinks out of cup...Archie is about to drink but puts the cup down.
Archie--"Now Sammy, I want to ask you a question. Now I know being colored you didn't have no choice in that, but what made you turn Jew?" (audience laughs)
Archie--"Yeah, I saw you Sammy recently on TV with that uuhh Raquelle Walsh."
Edith--"Yeah, Archie said he never though he'd see the day when whites and coloreds would be kissing and hugging from coast to coast" (audience laughs)

Archie--"Now no prejudice intended but I always check the Bible on these things. I think if God had meant us to be together He'da put us together. But looked what He done. He put all of yall in Africa and the rest of us in all the white countries."
Sammy--"Well he must of told them where we were because SOMEBODY came and got us." (audience howls)
Archie--"I was always dead set against slavery
Gloria, Mike and Lionel all sing "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah"
Archie--"Sammy you've seen and met a lot of people. You see me. Do I strike you as the prejudice kind?"
Sammy--"Oh no, not you Archie. If you were you would have called no a coon or a Nig***, but you said it flat out and I hear you...you said colored! (audience laughs)...and if you were, you would close your eyes to all that's going on in this great country. But not you Archie...you can see the difference between black and white!
Before Sammy leaves he asks to get one picture with Archie Bunker. On the count of three he kisses Archie on the cheek and leaves. Archie frowns his face.

Sammy Davis Jr: http://www.biography.com/people/sammy-davis-jr-9268223
All in the Family: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_Family

HERO: Charles Ramsey Saves Amanda Berry, then gets Autotune Treatment

BREAKING: Amanda Berry, who has been missing for ten years, was rescued by neighbor Charles Ramsey. She was 16 when she disappeared in 2003. Below is the original version of Charles Ramsey's news interview and the following vid is the autotune remix of his interview. This autotune mix has become a trend, especially with seemingly funny black news interviewees. As strange as it is, the autotunes are actually humorous, however, is it okay to always want to make a joke of out serious situations. The first viral news interview autotune mix was made of Antoine Dodson, whose apartment was broken into and his sister was almost raped. From the autotune mix of his interview people began jokingly saying, "Hide your kids. Hide you wife!" The second was of who was named Sweet Brown, who ran out of her house after it caught on fire (video has more than 32 million views). Now you can commonly hear people make jokes saying, "Lord Jesus...it's a FFIIRRREEE!" What do you think of this autotune trend? And what common phrase will come of Charles Ramsey's interview? Perhaps..."dead giveaway"?