Organizational Affiliation: Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

Chapter: Alpha Upsilon-Chicago City Wide

Crossing date: June 25, 2005

Crossing Name: SurMount

Blake Martin doesn’t wait for things to happen. “I like to MAKE things happen,” he assures. He began his career in entertainment in Chicago where he became the first male cheerleader in Bloom High School’s 104-year history, earning a full cheerleading scholarship to Benedict College in South Carolina. There he pledged Iota Phi Theta and earned a degree in Radio and TV Broadcasting.

After being released from one of his jobs for “being too creative,” Blake began Blake Martin Productions, an entertainment company managing models, producing artists, fashion shows and movies, and managing the top dancers in the country. Blake says, “When opportunity doesn’t knock, snatch the door off the hinges and find it.”

Blake plans to catapult Blake Martin Productions into a multi-billion dollar industry by integrating the various forms of entertainment, making them art. In addition, Blake is head designer for dV8 Clothing, Inc. and founder and former international president of the world’s first co-ed Greek-lettered dance organization, Delta Phi Delta Dance Fraternity, Inc. Blake’s extreme commitment to youth and education led him to develop the Project B.L.A.K.E. foundation. The foundation donates 100% of the profits from its events to local high schools to aid cheer teams, dancers, and the drama department.

]]> http://progressivegreek.com/organizations/iota-phi-theta-fraternity/greek-of-the-week-blake-martin/feed/ 2 http://progressivegreek.com/organizations/delta-sigma-theta-sorority/greek-of-the-week-caneeka-miller/ http://progressivegreek.com/organizations/delta-sigma-theta-sorority/greek-of-the-week-caneeka-miller/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:00:25 +0000 erika1913 http://progressivegreek.com/?p=4813

Organizational Affiliation: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Chapter: University of Alabama, Lambda Zeta Chapter

Crossing date:  March 26, 2004

Crossing Name: Justice

Changing the World One Word at a Time

Caneeka E. Miller received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development with a concentration in Family Studies from the University of Alabama.

In November, 2009 she published her first book entitled Smeared Eyeliner & Faded Lipstick; a compilation of poems on subjects such as the different facets of love and ending domestic abuse. Caneeka envisions her work having an impact on women from all walks of life; especially those who have suffered abuse in silence. “I want my words, my expression, and my coming out to stand up for the children of domestic violence,” says Miller.

Her passion for writing poetry emerged shortly after discovering a Paul Laurence Dunbar book in her aunt’s attic. “As a young child I was a witness to my mother’s physical abuse and those are images that stuck with me well into college. I was silent in my confusion and often times felt alone in my experience.”

Caneeka has always had a desire to make an impact on individuals through either activism or written word. She hopes to help stop violence against women by increasing awareness and to become a spokesperson for children who have witnessed domestic violence.  Mrs. Miller will donate 10% of the proceeds from Smeared Eyeliner & Faded Lipstick to Crisis Services of North Alabama to support children who’ve witnessed domestic violence.

Community Involvement and Accomplishments:

President of Students for Gender Justice

Member of Female Focus

Chair of the Physical and Mental Health Committee of the Lambda Zeta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta

Featured in the April 2010 issue of Upgrade magazine

Interested individuals can purchase her book on Amazon.com or Lulu.com. It is also available for download on Kindle.

Contact Information:

Email: words.behind.the.makeup@gmail.com

Twitter:@ESSENCEinme

Nicole A. Taylor | Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Chapter of Initiation: Nu Chapter, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Date of Initiation: April 12, 2002

Line Information: M.I.R.A.G.E. 11

Line Name: Private Eye

Current City: Chicago, IL

Religious background: Christian

About Nicole: Nicole A. Taylor, a native of Farmington Hills, Michigan, attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.  Upon graduating from Michigan, Nicole attended DePaul University College of Law.  While at DePaul, Nicole was actively involved in numerous student organizations.

Nicole currently works as a Staff Attorney for Allstate Insurance Company in the Dispute Resolution Services group.  In her capacity as a Staff Attorney, Nicole manages and directs federal and state employment and general insurance litigation matters handled by outside counsel.

n addition to her professional responsibilities, Nicole is actively involved in her community.  She currently serves as Chairperson of the Micah Legal Ministry at Trinity United Church of Christ.  She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Renewal Society, a faith-based community organization that advocates for social and economic justice.  Finally, Nicole serves as a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago.  She and her Little Sister, Taylor, have been matched for nearly 4 years.

Nicole is deeply committed to advancing social justice and her life ministry is devoted to bettering the lives of at-risk youth.

Age: 27

What is your dating age range? Open

Marital Status: Single, never been married

Do you have any children? No

Are you open to dating someone with kids? Yes

Are you open to dating someone of a different religion? No

Want to contact Nicole? Send her a message singles@progressivegreek.com

David M. Wilson, II | Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc

Chapter of Initiation: Delta Nu

Line Information: FA 2000,  The D.Y.N.A.S.T.Y.

Line Name: #2 Kharizmatick

Educational Background: Bachelor of Arts Eastern Michigan University, MBA University of Phoenix

Current City: Atlanta

Hometown: Southfield, Michigan

Religion: Baptist

About David: David M. Wilson, II is a 29 year old Mortgage Representative for SunTrust Bank. He is a Virgo in every sense of the word; very fun loving, kind and analytical. In his spare time, he enjoys writing, the arts, social events and traveling. David believes that laughter is the key to longevity. He is a very extroverted individual that pushes the envelope and the limits to life.  He enjoys women who are free thinkers and those that are not too clingy. He likes sophistication and refinement. David’s ideal mate is just as diverse as he is, a non conformist and very easy on the eyes. He would love to meet and date a young lady that is God fearing and family oriented as well; one who respects and uplifts black enterprising males.

Age: 29

What is your dating age range? (25-35)

Marital Status: Single, never been married

Do you have any children? No

Are you open to dating someone with kids? Yes, 1

Are you open to dating someone of a different religion? Yes

Want to contact David? Send him a message singles@progressivegreek.com

Donald A. Mitchell | Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Chapter of Initiation: “Awesome” Zeta Alpha – Tennessee State University

Initiation Date: November 19, 1999

Line Name: S .S. TRAUMA

Line Name: #7 The Enquirer

Current City: Washington DC

Religious background: Baptist born and raised

About Donald: Since an early age, Donald has always had a keen affixation for electronics.  His parents always looked to me for guidance when installing electronics in the house.  This sparked my interests in computers, and is the reason why I have established a career in Information Technology.

Donald is a Systems Administrator for a law firm in Washington DC.  He aspires to climb up the corporate ladder to director status and beyond.  In addition, he wants to establish a family that will need or want for nothing.

The perfect mate for Donald is one who is understanding, but firm when it comes to what she wants.  One who compliments him and is equally yoked in her desire for a better life.  He is interested in a woman who enjoys the finer things in life, but is also cool with being a homebody.  One who stimulates his intellect, his love of music, and beyond.

Age: 30

What is your dating age range: 27-39

Marital Status: Single, never married

Are you open to dating someone who’s been married before? Sure am

Do you have any children? None

Are you open to dating someone with kids? Sure

Are you open to dating someone of a different religion? Nah….conflicting religious beliefs don’t work well with me.

Want to contact Donald? Send him a message singles@progressivegreek.com

Kumari Ellison | Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Chapter of Initiation: Lambda Pi Grand Valley State University

Date of Initiation: March 23, 2002 The Negotiators

Line name: Chieftain

Current City: Canton, MI

Religious background: Christian

Kumari Ellison manages the Human Resources function at Shiloh Industries a Tier 1 auto supplier.  There Kumari is responsible for benefits, compensation, recruitment, employee relations and more.  Prior to joining Shiloh Industries, Kumari worked at Fathead as the Human Resources Manager.  Kumari plans to continue to progress in the Human Resources field and ultimately would like to be a Vice President of Human Resources or Chief People Person at a large corporation.

Education is very important to Kumari.  She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Grand Valley State University; and is working on her MBA at Wayne State University. Kumari received her Professional Human Resources Certification in 2005 and is presently studying to take the Senior Professional Human Resources exam.

Kumari lives an extremely active life style and enjoys traveling, working out, spending time with friends and family, studying and is very involved in her church. The ideal mate for Kumari has a love for Christ, is goal oriented, honest, spontaneous, caring and giving.  In a relationship Kumari is looking to find someone that she can have fun with and enjoy all that life has to offer.  In time Kumari is looking for marriage and children but only with the right person.

Age: 30

What is your dating age range? 30-38

Marital status:  Single, never been married

Do you have any children? No

Are you open to dating someone with kids? Yes

Are you open to dating someone of a different religion? No

Want to contact Kumari? Send her a message singles@progressivegreek.com

July 31, 1921 – March 11, 1971

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Whitney Young Jr. was arguably the National Urban League’s most influential executive director. During the decade he served as head of the civil rights organization, Young increased its budget 18-fold, pushed corporate America to provide more jobs for African Americans and swayed dignitaries to use federal funding to benefit inner cities. Learn more about Whitney Young and his legacy with the biography below.

June 21, 1927 – April 3, 1996

Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc.

Early Years:

April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Harold Washington was born in 1922. He was the last child of Roy and Bertha Washington. His father was a lawyer, a Methodist minister, and an active precinct captain and he instilled in his son a love of education, reading, and public service. Harold’s parents divorced when he was very young and he was raised primarily by his father, of whom he spoke admiringly. ”I knew who Santa Claus was,” Harold told writer Robert McClory. “He came home every night, put his feet under the table and had dinner with me.” Harold grew-up on Chicago’s hardscrabble South Side guided by a strong paternal hand. He briefly attended a boarding school in Milwaukee and then Forestville Elementary School in Chicago’s Third Ward. He attended DuSable High School and excelled as a high hurdler and middleweight boxer. His education was interrupted by a four-year stint in the Army Air Corps, where he reached the rank of sergeant and earned a high school equivalency diploma. After his discharge, he enrolled at the newly opened Roosevelt College in downtown Chicago. A voracious reader and eager student, Harold thrived in this academic setting; he was elected president of the student council and of his senior class.

Following the vocational footsteps of his father, Harold continued his education at Northwestern University’s School of Law, graduating in 1952. His father died a year later and Harold took over the family law firm. Roy Washington was the first black man appointed as assistant corporation council in Chicago and Harold also succeeded his father in that job. He later worked for the Illinois Industrial Commission. Well-versed by his father in the nuts-and-bolts of precinct politics, Harold became a coveted political strategist and he managed the successful campaign of Third Ward alderman Ralph Metcalfe. In 1964, he won a seat in the state legislature.

Harold served six distinguished terms in the state legislature — five as a state representative and one as a senator. He ran a somewhat symbolic campaign in a 1977 mayoral election called after the sudden death of Mayor Richard J. Daley. In 1980, Harold won the election to represent Illinois’ First Congressional District and quickly earned a national reputation as an articulate critic of President Ronald Reagan and his administration’s conservative policies.

But as his star was rising on the national stage, the clamor was growing among black Chicagoans urging him to run for mayor. He initially resisted their call and relented only after the demanding requisites he set for his supporters had been met. They easily met his conditions and when Harold stepped up, they exuberantly launched the Washington crusade/campaign. Harold campaigned as a proudly black candidate and a dedicated political reformer. African-Americans across the nation saw the Washington crusade as another step in the civil rights movement. Political reformers saw Harold’s run as a populist and progressive challenge to the encrusted corruption of Chicago’s machine politics. During a period when conservative forces were gaining national power, Harold had ignited a progressive prairie fire in the heartland.

Washington’s opponents in the 1983 primary election were incumbent Mayor Jane Byrne and Cook County State’s Attorney Richard M. Daley. Daley was the son of the legendary mayor Richard J. Daley, who died in office in 1976. Byrne, Chicago’s first female mayor, had won the first election held after the elder Daley’s death. Byrne and Daley basked in the headlines, while Washington’s candidacy sailed under the media radar. In the election, most white voters split between Byrne and Daley. Washington pulled about 73 percent of the black vote and 20 percent of the Latino vote to become the Democrats’ first black mayoral nominee. The pundits and much of the white public were stunned. Black Chicagoans, for the most part, were jubilant that their long political exile could be over. The general election was blighted by an ugly kind of racial politics that drew international attention. Chicago’s white electorate, which had become famous (even infamous) for its unvarying support of Democrats, rapidly changed political preferences and delivered their support to a formerly obscure state legislator named Bernard Epton. His campaign slogan was: “Epton, Before It’s Too Late.”

Virtually every black voter chose Harold in that historic general election in 1983. With more than one-half of the Latino vote and about 12 percent of whites, Harold won a narrow victory to become Chicago’s first black mayor. He outlined an ambitious agenda, but many of his reform policies were blocked by what became known as “Council Wars.” On one side of this conflict were 29 white aldermen led by Edward Vrydolyak and loyal to remnants of the political machine and on the other side was a multiracial group of 21, known as the Washington reformers. This political rivalry became so rancorous it earned Chicago the moniker “Beirut-on-the-lake.” Through it all, Harold continued pushing for progressive changes, slowly gaining converts for his commitment to fairness and transparent government. A special aldermanic election in 1986 changed the ratio of Washington and Vrydolyak forces and allowed Washington to execute his agenda just a year before the end of his first term.

Washington’s re-election effort focused on his progress in the face of an obstructionist opposition. Although the racist character of attacks on Washington subsided a bit in the 1987 campaign, there was a racial subtext nonetheless. After defeating former mayor Byrne in the primary, Washington had to ward off challenges from two former Democratic officials who had formed entirely new parties to challenge him. Even the GOP candidate was a former Democrat. Harold won re-election with a slightly larger portion of the white vote than he got the first time, but he solidified his hold on black voters and made gains among the Latino electorate.

Political momentum was moving in his direction and his second term seemed promising. He had broadened his electoral coalition and gained the City Council majority. The Daley machine finally looked to have lost its grip on municipal power and Harold Washington was poised to pick up the reins and steer a new progressive course. But then: a massive heart attack felled Washington the day before Thanksgiving 1987, just seven months into his second term. His sudden death traumatized black Chicagoans, but it soon it became clear that the city’s first black mayor was not just a local hero. His charismatic presence and widening reputation as a people’s intellectual gave him a personal appeal that spanned geography, social class and race. His principled struggle against racist opposition and machine politics — and his eventual triumph — inspired activists of all persuasions and provided hope that successful multiracial alliances were possible. During his tenure, Washington opened city government to those previously excluded, he unified the black electorate into a powerful and influential political force, and he unleashed the forces of reform. However, Washington’s coalition was a collection of disparate interests that were unified only through his unique appeal.

Twenty years have passed since his death and several books have chronicled the Washington years, but something about Harold — which is how nearly everyone refers to him still — remains mysterious. A certain quality of his baritone voice … his rhetorical skills … a peculiar tilt of his head — all connoted an intangible something, something uniquely “Haroldesque.” He seemed unimpressed with the accoutrements of power. In fact, his indifference to financial rewards accounts for one of the most conspicuous blemishes on his professional record — his conviction for failing to file his income tax returns. The other major stain on Washington’s resume was a temporary suspension of his law license for failing to perform legal work for which he was paid. His supporters dismissed those crimes as careless indiscretions, products of the man’s absentminded political intensity.

Following his death, the coalition he constructed collapsed and dissipated into the political mist.

Original Source

September 10, 1949–August 20, 2008

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998, becoming the first African-American woman to represent Ohio in the U.S. Congress. In the 110th Congress (2007–2009), Jones became the first African-American woman to chair a standing House committee.1 Representative Jones, who chaired the Standards of Official Conduct Committee and held a seat on the influential Ways and Means Committee, focused on the economic issues affecting her Cleveland-centered district: financial literacy, access to health care, retirement security, and education.

Stephanie Tubbs was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 10, 1949, the youngest of three daughters raised by Mary Tubbs, a factory worker, and Andrew Tubbs, an airline skycap. Raised in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, Stephanie Tubbs graduated from Collinwood High School, earning 10 academic and athletic awards. At Case Western Reserve University, Tubbs founded the African-American Students Association and, in 1971, earned a B.A. in sociology with a minor in psychology. “All my life I had wanted to help others, and I had been active in helping others,” she recalled. “I was always interested in service. In my day, the college watchword was relevant. . . . With a law degree, I thought I could bring about relevant change in the world.”2 She enrolled in the Case Western University Law School and graduated in 1974 with a J.D. Tubbs then served as the assistant general counsel for the equal opportunity administrator of the northeast Ohio regional sewer district. In 1976, Tubbs married Mervyn Jones. They raised a son, Mervyn. Stephanie Tubbs Jones later worked as an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor and trial attorney for the Cleveland district equal employment opportunity commission. When Jones and several friends worked on a successful political campaign in 1979, the group pledged to select one among them to promote for public office. Noting a lack of minority members on the bench, they chose Jones, who eventually won election as a judge on the Cleveland municipal court. Ohio Governor Richard Celeste appointed Jones to the Cuyahoga County court of common pleas, where she served from 1983 to 1991. In 1992, she was appointed the Cuyahoga County prosecutor, making her the state’s first African-American prosecutor and the only black woman prosecutor in a major U.S. city. Jones was re-elected twice.3

In 1998, when 30-year veteran U.S. Representative Louis Stokes retired from his Ohio district seat, Jones entered the Democratic primary to succeed him. She ran on the basis of her 17-year career in public office in the district and on her well-established political connection to constituents.4 Capturing 51 percent of the vote among five primary candidates, she later won 80 percent in the general election. Jones faced no serious challenges in her four re-election bids, winning by 75 percent or more of the vote.5 In 2006, Jones won with 83 percent.6

When she took her seat in the 106th Congress (1999–2001), Jones received assignments on the Banking and Financial Services (later renamed Financial Services) and Small Business committees. In the 107th Congress (2001–2003), in addition to serving on those two panels, she served on the Standards of Official Conduct Committee, which oversees House ethics guidelines for Members and staff. In the 108th Congress (2003–2005), Jones won a seat on the prestigious Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax law.7

Representative Jones’s district encompassed some of Cleveland’s most affluent suburbs and parts of poor, inner-city neighborhoods. Her seat on Financial Services helped her secure funding for business and housing development. In the 108th Congress, Jones chaired the Congressional Black Caucus Housing Task Force, investigating allegations against subprime lenders and introducing legislation against predatory lenders.8 Jones’s seat on Ways and Means enabled her to focus legislative efforts on shoring up Social Security and Medicare, pension law, and long-term care.

Jones also took a legislative interest in children’s issues, health, and education. She authored and passed the Child Abuse prevention and enforcement Act of 1999 to increase training funds for child-protection workers through money generated from bail bonds, fines, and forfeited assets. In the 107th through the 109th Congresses (2001–2007), Representative Jones introduced the Uterine Fibroids Research and Education Act and also authored the Campus Fire Prevention Act to provide federal funds to equip college housing with fire suppression equipment. In 2005, Jones introduced the Count Every Vote Act to improve electronic voting systems. Additionally, she authored legislation to clarify the legal status of cash balance pension plans. In the 109th Congress, she chaired the Congressional Black Caucus Retirement Security Task Force.

Representative Jones died suddenly of a brain aneurism on August 20, 2008. She was succeeded by Marcia L. Fudge—one of her former aides and the mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio—in a special election on November 18, 2008.

Click here for more info on Stephanie Tubbs Jones