Good Morning Fly Girls!

Check out the C.O.R.E Dance Academy recital! It took place at Steve Sanders Academy in Cleveland,OH. Watch our little ones dance their hearts out:)

Good Morning Awesome Ladies!

Need a little morning boost? Check out Willow Smith- I Am Me

Remember to OWN who YOU are!

Hey Ladies,

Check out C.O.R.E Health Field Day that took place in Huntsville, AL this past weekend!

Hey Fly Ladies!

Time for Tuesday Tunes! Check out the hot song by Coco Jones and Tyler James!

Coco Jones feat- Tyler James – Me and You

“Victoria, have you finished your speech?” I hear this question almost daily from my mom. The answer is usually the same, “no”. Recently, I showed her my speech for the radio segment I do on Saturdays, and she totally lost it. Everything about it was wrong. I stood there feeling like I never wanted to write another speech in my life. When I first started doing speeches, it was fun. I loved writing, and public speaking was taking it to another level. In the beginning, I was very blunt in my speeches. My mom showed me how to get my point across without hurting someone’s feelings. I would write, “You should stop having children. Get off drugs, and go to a rehab.” Mom would rewrite it like this, “Our men need to start being responsible when it comes to having children. Young people need their fathers, drug and alcohol free.” See the difference. According to my mom, if you make the audience you are trying to reach angry, then they will not get the message. When I was writing that particular speech, I really didn’t care about the drug dealers, the drug users and the dead beat dads’ feelings. I was thinking about all of the little children that had been suffering from the day they were born. I liked my speech better, but I changed it.

Now almost a year later and mom is still correcting some of my speeches. I felt like such a failure when she was pointing out the mistakes. I was also angry. She’s worried about being tactful when it comes to other people’s feelings but not mine. While she was still fussing, I interrupted loudly and said, “Don’t you think I want to be able to write like you? Don’t you think I want to do this all on my own? Do you know how this make me feels. I hate asking for help.” My mom did something she hardly ever does. She stopped talking. She looked at me with a shocked expression. I’m praying please God don’t let her kill me for screaming and raising my voice at her. In an unusually calm voice, she says, “Victoria why didn’t you tell me this before? I would love to give you writing lessons. I will get you professional help, but I would love to do it until I find a good class for you.” It took a few minutes for me to understand what she was saying, because I was expecting the “if you raise your voice at me again you will be a homeless 12 year old”, speech. Because I admitted that I needed help and really wanted to learn, my mom was excited.

The first step to being better at anything is the desire to want to be better. I want to be an investigative reporter so being a good writer is critical. I’m really looking forward to having classes with my mom. I hope she has patience with me. A teacher needs patience. She has already given me my first lesson. When I watch television, I block out everything. I’m like a zombie when watching a Disney movie. That is the reason my mother does not let me watch much television. First lesson was to concentrate on writing with the same intensity I have when watching television. Block everything out except the subject you are writing about. I hated my first lesson.

The second lesson was to get back the passion that I use to have for writing and speaking. Go back to what made me want to do public speaking in the first place and recapture that moment. That moment was when I was 10, and I gave a speech at Denny Moe’s Superstar Barbershop in Harlem. I cried when I told the audience that I didn’t have a father to take me to the Father/Daughter Dance. When I finished the speech, a man came to me with shades on because he didn’t want anyone to know he was crying. He said if he had heard me speak earlier in his life, he would have made better decisions. That’s when I knew I could use my voice to make a difference. I love talking about that day because it was such a powerful moment in my life.

People always ask me how I got started at the National Action Network. I had been going to the National Action Network all my life. Nobody knew I was alive except four women from the women’s auxiliary committee. May, 2011, the youth director asked me to play Rev Al Sharpton in a mock protest. She gave me a short speech. I had 15 minutes to become familiar with it. My mother didn’t think I could do it and offered another boy $20 to play Rev. Sharpton. He told her no, and I took the stage. I knocked it out the ball park. The NAN staff members noticed me for the first time. About three weeks after that, I became Dominique Sharpton’s intern for the summer. July, 2011, I started speaking on Rev Sharpton’s Saturday morning rally. The first week I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat breakfast. By the 3^rd week I had no fear, and doing the radio segment was something I looked forward to every week. People congratulated me and told me that they listen to me every Saturday.

What I have learned is that people will build you up and then pull you down. I don’t know why. Sometimes people think if a friend or love one starts to do well in life they will not be the same toward them or they will not have time for them.

People that don’t want other people to be happy are usually unhappy themselves. That’s a shame. Misery loves company is not just a saying. Unfortunately, it is a true statement. We really have to start being nicer to each other. Anyway, back to writing and me questioning myself if I want to be an investigative reporter after all.

When people ask me if I write my own material, I hate that I can’t say I do it all on my own. That is the first question most people ask me. It makes me feel like they don’t think I’m smart enough to do it on my own. My mother made me feel a lot better when I told her how I felt. Her response, “My job is to help you and guide you. I know what you are going to say before you say it. I know you better than you know yourself. You know what you want to write and say, but sometimes you need help in putting it out there. That is where I come in. The President has a speech writer. Your auntie is one of the best legal secretaries in NYC, but she ask me for a advice when it comes to writing a letter to school or to a company about bad customer service. Most parents come to me when they need a reference for their children. People that have been speaking for years still ask me to go over their speeches. I can write, but I’m a horrible speller, so I go to your auntie when it comes to that. As long as you try to do it on your own first, I will be here for you. I will be there for you when you need help on your college essays. I will help you, but I can’t do it for you.”

My third lesson, instead of trying to remember a long response, get a tape recorder and record the person. Also a tip from mom, put the recorder under your pillow. Listen to speeches while you are sleeping so it will go into your conscience. I have not tried that yet. I will let you know if it works. My homework assignment is to read The Speeches of Malcolm X. The reason, to be the best, study the best. Nobody was better at speeches than Malcolm X. “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us.” What a line!

When it came to my June blog, I didn’t know what I wanted to write about. So many times when I’m walking down the street or at school I can think of a thousand things I want to blog about. When I get home in front of the computer I go blank. I call it, “blog block”. Mom told me to blog about what had just happened with us, word for word, thought for thought. Let everyone know that it is okay to ask for help.

I’m going to make sure I’m never again short on material. The next time I’m walking down the street and I see something I want to write about or speak on, I will jot it down right then and there. I have a lot of future material like, the negative effect legalizing marijuana will have on the black community, the stupidity of Adidas slave sneakers, my campaign against child sex trafficking, and writing letters to bring back Family Matter reruns. Writing is going to be fun again. See you in July.

– Victoria Pannell

Time for you to check out the FLY and FASHIONABLE teen star, Coco Jones!

Just because school is out that doesn’t mean your health gets put on pause! Make sure you’re still being active and fit over your break. There’s noting worse than getting lazy and sluggish and having to get back in shape. Check out a couple easy exercises you can do to stay tone over the summer months.

Hey Fly Girls!!

So I know you’re sad because you want more FRESH & FLY News from C.O.R.E??? Well, no worries my loves…we’re taking over all of social media! Make sure you connect with us because we are starting GIVEAWAYS for our different networks!

BE OUR FRIEND:)

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Hey Beautiful Ladies!

Check out teen British Soul Singer, Dionne Bromfield, who was also the Goddaughter of the very talented Amy Winehouse.

Dionne Bromfield -Foolin’

Enjoy!

“I’m not good at math!” or “Science, isn’t really my thing.” How many of you are guilty for letting those words slip from your mouth?? Well, after being introduced to The Dennis Project,Inc. you will want  eliminate those negative thoughts forever!  Aunatria Tennille Davis launched and founded The Dennis Project, Inc. which  is committed  to increase awareness and access of minority girls underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics also known as STEM.

The Dennis Project provides enrichment programs that support inner city youth. As a result, young people are expected to make positive contributions to their community and be equipped to enter a competitive workforce.

Time to Meet The Dennis Project…

Please share how the idea of The Dennis Project was develop and the mission behind the movement?

The Dennis Project, Inc. was founded in celebration of my family, the Dennis Family located in Miami, Florida. As Miami-Dade County public school teachers, community leaders and positive role models the Dennis family women have uplifted their community by becoming a positive change and teaching others to do the same. Although faced with many adversities these phenomenal women have held true to their faith, family tradition, love of education and willingness to help others. Their roots are established in the inner city community, where they have made an incredible impact.

The Dennis Project, Inc. is an effort to continue the legacy by providing programs that enrich, engage and empower young people from inner city areas and provide the tools to become positive contributors to their community and society as a whole.

Your organization empowers young girls through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, Why was it important for you to focus on these specific subjects when it comes to young girls?

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM, fields are expected to add 2.7 million new jobs by 2018, yet women and minorities are vastly underrepresented in those fields.
• According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), women make up 46% of the total workforce but hold only 24% of jobs in technical or STEM fields.
• African-Americans and Latinos each comprise 13% of the total workforce and only 3% of the technical workforce.
• In a survey conducted by the Council of State Governments 77% of female scientist said significant numbers of women and minorities are missing from the U.S. STEM work force because “they were not identified, encouraged or nurtured to pursue STEM studies early on.”

These statistics coupled with the lack of young people who are properly exposed to STEM related studies, motivated me to get involved in the awarene
ss movement. If our children are not exposed they will be deprived of careers that will dominate America’s workforce and in some cases left behind.

What are some of the activities that The Dennis Project have done in the past and any future events?

The Dennis Project has delivered several STEM programs for example: In January and February, we delivered a program under Girls Represent! The workshops included 100 middle and high school low-income, minority girls to explore the field of engineering. Prior to the workshop, a survey revealed that 95% of the girls had never considered a career in engineering or any STEM related career, and under the impression these fields “were only for men”. By the end of the workshop 80% of the girls were now considering STEM fields, thinking of registering in a science class in the next school year, and no longer thought engineering and science is for men. It was AWESOME!

In addition, The Dennis Project has partnered with the Girl Scouts of America’s Get Real! Mentoring Program whose mission is to empower and enrich the lives of inner city middle school girls. The Dennis Project delivered several STEM related programs and the girls learned the chemistry behind their make-up and other every day products that girls enjoy. They also did several science experiments and learned the facts about STEM related careers and how science is in everything we do and how important, yet fun science is.

The Dennis has also partnered with private schools and other local youth organizations that service young girls in elementary school in order to spark an interest in science early on.

We tend to pull characteristics from others in our lives or from people we admire, who inspires you and why?

My inspiration began very young within my immediate family. Although, there were several great men represented in my family, the women were the glue that held it all together. The most influential was my grandmother Amelia Dennis. She was a mother of five who found herself a single mother early on. In order to provide a better life for her children she left the comfort of her middle class neighborhood and forced into an inner city housing project. She then empowered herself with the tools she needed to change her life first, her children, and those around her. She earned a GED, was honored as magna cum luade at St. Thomas University, obtained her Florida Teaching Certificate, and emerged from the housing projects.

She then gave back to that same community by teaching in inner city public schools for over 15 years.  Her career was cut short by breast cancer in 1994, when I was 17 years old. Yet, through her life my grandmother taught me how to be a leader, a positive by example, have respect for self and then others, be honest, be loyal, love my family, and most importantly acknowledge and honor God in all I do. By the time she left us, she had already instilled in me all I needed to become a success. All I had to do is walk in the path that was laid and I every day to try to do just that!

We’re all about empowerment at C.O.R.E Mag, what does empowerment mean to you?
In my opinion empowerment is not only to possess but create the necessary tools to change one’s own life and then make an effort to provide those tools to others, so their lives can change too. A famous quote that love states: It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.  ― Leonardo da Vinci. With that said, one that is empowered, happens to things.

Working with youth both parties learn from each other, what’s one thing you have learned from working with girls?

The girls I work with teach me something new daily. It’s too often that adults feel there is nothing to learn from young people. But as I often listen to the girls’ hopes and dreams  I absorb their innocence, potential, honesty, ambition, silliness and willingness to take leaps of faith in life to achieve goals. These are things we all need to be constantly reminded of.

Where do you see The Dennis Project in the next 5 years and what is your ultimate goal for your organization?
5 years from now I see The Dennis Project as a well-established organization servicing thousands of young people all over the United States. My goal is to expand our programs outside of the Tri-county areas of Miami and venture into many other states.
My ultimate goal is complicated because I don’t place limitations on myself or the organization. Yet, ultimately we would like to open a magnet school that focuses on STEM related subjects as well as a variety of programs that promote college and career readiness, leadership and wholesome values.

Check out more of The Dennis Project, Inc…

The Dennis Project

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