Young Black Professionals Coalition -

"SHOOT BASKETBALLS NOT PEOPLE" FREE BASKETBALL CLINIC STEERS YOUTH IN POSTIVE PATH

CHECK OUT THE "SBNP" ARTICLE IN
THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE EVENT

YBPC Distributes Hundreds of Bookbags & Haircuts at Annual "I Know I Can Back To School Drive Sat. August 25

AKRON, Ohio – August 27, 2012 – The Young Black Professionals Coalition (YBPC) and DJ Mr. King hosted its 5th Annual “I Know I Can” Back 2 School Drive this past Saturday at Deon’s Grooming Lounge in Akron, attracting more than 600 inner city youth, parents and volunteers .

Students grades K-12 received bookbags filled with school supplies, free haircuts and nail styling during the six hour event. In addition there were community organizations and businesses on hand including Planned Parenthood, the FADIA organization, Ladies First basketball team, Pammies Soul Food Restaurant, Akron Inflatables and Best Buy The event, designed to prepare students for the upcoming school year, was the biggest turnout YBPC has had since it began hosting in 2007.

In the past five years, the event has reached more than 2,500 children and 1,100 adults from low-income families in the Akron area.

"It's a blessing to see how this event has grown each year," said YBPC member Naia Oden . "For some of these kids, this may be their only haircut or only school supplies they are able to afford this year. Just being able to help in some capacity is an humbling experience in itself."

Special Thanks To Our Sponsors:
Huntington Bank
Deon's Grooming Lounge
UKNWN
StarMeUp Lashes
DJ Mr. King
Best Buy
Cleveland Browns
Pammies Restaurant
Slater & Zurz LLP
Resse's Pieces Jewelery
Akron Inflatables
Planned Parenthood
FADIA
Ladies First Basketball
MKU Athletics
The Essentials Basketball Academy
The Ohio State University Young Scholars Program
Akron Beacon Journal
West Side Leader
Money Graphics
Abu Sesay
Erica Glover (OKBNU)
Stacy Berrier
711 Corvette Club
and ALL the volunteers & supporters who helped make this event a success!!!

YBPC 3RD ANNUAL CHARITY KICKBALL ATTRACTS HUNDREDS OVER HOLIDAY WEEKEND

The Young Black Professionals Coalition would like to thank everyone who supported and participated in the 3rd Annual 4th of July Charity Kickball Tournament this past Saturday at Erie Island Fields in Akron, Ohio.

Congratulations to Team Who's Your Daddy for taking home the 2012 championship trophy!

This year was by far the most competitive, hard fought yet fun tournament we have held to date. After all the dirt, sweat and pull muscles were rubbed away, YBPC raised $1,325 in registration, donations and supplies to help support its 5th Annual “I Know I Can” Back to School Drive and Community Resource Fair. The Back-To-School Drive will be held Saturday August 27 at Deon's Grooming Lounge, where more than 700 bookbags filled with school supplies will be distributed to innercity youth through the city of Akron.

Special thanks to the following sponsors for helping make this event a success:

Sheets Energy
Planned Parenthood
Ethirace
Stop The Violence
DJ Mr. King
Sleep Night Club
New Realm Media
ArtTees Printing
and more

Check out footage from the Kickball Tournament (Courtesy of New Realm Media)

Hundreds of Youth Attend "Call to Action" Young Men's Conference
@ Univ. of Akron

Over 400 participants attended the "Call to Action" Young Men’s Conference Saturday March 24 at The University of Akron. The conference provided a forum to discuss solutions that young black males age 6 to adults face today. We focused on education, teen fatherhood, incarceration, and positive male role models. Our ultimate goal was to empower our young men to become leaders, engage in positive dialog, connect with community mentors, leaders and expose them to fundamental life skills. Without a doubt we achieved this.

Our keynote speaker, Jeff Johnson, challenged our young men to be successful encouraging them to brave themselves beyond the levels of mediocrity and grasp the opportunities in front of them with no regrets. City of Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic talked to the youth about the importance of preparing themselves today to be leaders of tomorrow while inmates from the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shared their stories of mishaps in hopes of steering the young men down the opposite path they traveled. In addition there were various breakout sessions for the youth that targeted healthy living and hygiene, sex and interpersonal relationships as well as the dangers of social media and cyber bullying.

We can’t ignore the growing rate of young men dropping out of school; especial young black males. Nor can we ignore that our young people are killing each other. The fight continues and our job is far from being over. We believe the solution is in our working together, sharing resources and building bridges of possibilities for our kids.

Thank you again for all the support surrounding this event. We are excited and looking forward to putting on another great event in 2013!

CLICK HERE FOR PICS!!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO OF THE CONFERENCE!!

YBPC & Macy's Black History Celebration Attracts Hundreds to University Square Location

The Young Black Professionals Coalition in collaboration with Macy's celebrated an afternoon of African-American culture over the weekend at Macy's University Square.

The afternoon began with an art display from the talent trio of Don & Dali and a live radio remote with Haz Matthews and 93.1 WZAK. The Cleveland Heights Gospel Choir later packed the entire second floor of the department store as the put on a 30 minute soul filled gospel performance for all in attendance.

Chef Eric Wells, who is the first African American to graduate from the International Culinary Arts and Sciences Institute in Chesterland, OH, ended the afternoon with an amazing display of culinary arts. He wowed the crowd with his delicious, yet healthy, soul food cuisine that kept the crowd glued to his area well past his completion.

YBPC would like to send their sincere appreciation Traci King, Macy's and all those who attended and helped make this historical event a success. We look forward to continuing to shed a positive light on our culture for years to come!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURES!!

YBPC "Strikes 4 Hunger" Event Raises More Than 1,100 Pounds in Food

On behalf of YBPC (Young Black Professionals Coalition) we would like to send our sincere thanks and gratitude to all those who supported The 4th Annual Strikes 4 Hunger Charity Bowling Outing this past Wednesday at Riviera Lanes in Akron, Ohio.

Through your generosity and participation, YBPC was able to donate more than 1100 pounds of food to the House of Prayer For All People in Akron, Ohio.

Please take time to view pictures from the event online by clicking the following linkhttp://s807.photobucket.com/albums/yy359/ybpc/YBPC%204th%20Annual%20Strikes%204%20Hunger/

To receive more information about future community and networking events the Young Black Professionals Coalition will be hosting email ybpcinfo@gmail.com

YBPC TO HOST BREAST CANCER AWARENESS BREAKFAST & PANEL DISCUSSION SATURDAY OCT. 8

The Young Black Professionals Coalition (YBPC) will be hosting its inaugural Breast Cancer Awareness Breakfast Saturday October 8th at Antioch Baptist Church located at 670 Vernon Odom Blvd in Akron, Ohio.

The event, which begins at 9am, will include a panel discussion of breast cancer survivors, victims, medical experts, family and friends.

Advance tickets are available through Oct. 1 for $30. Ticket price includes breakfast, YBPC Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirt and registration for the Relay for Life Breast Cancer walk Sunday Oct. 16 at the University of Akron.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ybpc.info

All proceeds raised from this event will be donated to the American Cancer Society to help assist breast cancer research.

For more information, contact Steve King at 330-701-8327, Brandy Johnson at 330-606-3524 or email YBPC at ybpcinfo@gmail.com

YBPC Distributes Hundreds of Backpacks & Free Haircuts at 4th Annual "I Know I Can" Back to School Drive in Akron!!

AKRON, Ohio – August 27, 2011 – The Young Black Professionals Coalition (YBPC) and DJ Mr. King hosted its 4th Annual “I Know I Can” Back 2 School Drive this past Saturday at Deon’s Grooming Lounge in Akron, attracting more than 500 inner city youth, parents and volunteers .

The event, designed to prepare students for the upcoming school year, saw students receive bookbags filled with school supplies and free haircuts. In addition, there were information booths ranging from alternative schools that teach life skills to how to get a GED diploma for thse who did not graduate from school.

In the past four years, the event has reached more than 2,000 children and 800 adults from low-income families in the Akron area.

"We are blessed to be able to give back to our community," said YBPC President Eric Fletcher. "It may not mean much to some, but at the very least these students can start the year off on a positive note with the confidence to be successful this school year."

Special Thanks To Our Sponsors:
Huntington Bank
Deon's Grooming Lounge
DJ Mr. King
Project Learn
Life Skills
Minority Behavior Health Group
East Akron Neighborhood Development
M.I.C.A.H. Foundation
Kent State University
American Cancer Society
Earth Fare
Small Smiles
Ren1010 Sports
Primetime Sporting Goods
Communities in Schools of Central Ohio
Akron Beacon Journal
Money Graphics
Abu Sesay
Stacy Berrier

“YOUNG BLACK PROFESSIONALS HOSTS “BACK TO SCHOOL” FAIR
Akron Beacon Journal
Sunday August 28, 2011

YBPC JOINS 4TH ANNUAL KOTA HIP HOP FESTIVAL & SHOWCASE

Keepers of the Art, Inc and the City of Akron present The 4th Annual KOTA Hip-Hop Festival and Showcase on Saturday September 3, 2011 at Lock 3 in Akron, OH. This annual “edutainment” extravaganza consists of a concert and an assortment of educational outlets centered around Youth Development, Hip-Hop, Education, Art and Culture.

The 2011 version will consist of a FREE community conference along with the traditional evening concert starring MC Lyte, EPMD, Ohio's own Stalley and more.

In addition, YBPC will be own hand Saturday morning at the "Pop Culture and the Media Youth Summit" at Quaker Square Inn on the University of Akron's campus distributing school supplies and other giveaways for the youth in attendance beginning at 10am .

The Akron Hip-Hop Showcase is an annual “edutainment” extravaganza designed to act as a springboard for the creation of a more appealing social environment for the City’s young professional who grew-up influenced by Hip-Hop culture. Their main objective is to showcase Hip-Hop culture’s true essence through its original four elements of Djaying, Emceeing, Graffiti, and Break Dancing.

Other goals and objectives are:

1 - To help the City of Akron attract and retain young professionals inspired by Hip-Hop culture.

2 - Provide an opportunity for businesses to market their product/brand to thousands of consumers.

3 - To spotlight the original elements of Hip-Hop culture and pass it on to the next generation.

4 - To encourage young professionals to establish themselves as mentors & role models for the City of Akron’s youth.

5 - To raise awareness for various social issues and create a platform for community organizations.

6 - To serve as a springboard for the creation for a more appealing social environment for the City of Akron’s young professional demographic inspired by Hip-Hop culture.

Please come out and enjoy this great community event!! For more information, visit www.keepersoftheart.com

YBPC Charity Kickball Tournament Huge Akron Attraction Over 4th of July Weekend!!

On behalf of YBPC (Young Black Professionals Coalition), we would like to thank everyone who supported and participated in the 2nd Annual 4th of July Charity Kickball Tournament this past Saturday at Erie Island Fields in Akron, Ohio.

Congratulations to Team We Got Balls, who were crowned 2011 champions!

Through your support and generosity, YBPC was able to raise money and donations for its 4th Annual “I Know I Can” Back to School Drive and Community Resource Fair Saturday August 27, where more than 500 bookbags filled with school supplies will be distributed to innercity youth through the city of Akron.

Special thanks to the following sponsors for helping make this event a success:
Senator Tom Sawyer
Arts Eat Bakery (South Carolina)
Prime Time Sporting Goods
WePartyFresh
DJ Mr. King
Ren1010 Sports
University of Akron Athletics
Kent State University Athletics

**AKRON AEROS COLLABORATE WITH THE YOUNG BLACK PROFESSIONALS COALITION TO HOST CITYWIDE "BATTLE OF THE JOYSTICKS" AT CANAL PARK**

Akron, OH (May 10, 2011) – The Young Black Professionals Coalition (YBPC), in collaboration with the Akron Aeros, will be hosting its inaugural Battle of the Joysticks Madden ’11 Tournament Saturday, June 11 at Canal Park in Akron. All proceeds raised from the tournament will go toward the organization’s 4th Annual I Know I Can Back to School Drive in August.

This event is free and open to public and gamers of all ages. There will also be a separate “Challenge Bracket” available for more competitive games for a $20 entry fee. Both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be available for play. Grand prizes will be awarded for first place winners in each bracket. Prizes include cash, copies of Madden 2012 and trophies.

“We are excited to host an event like this in the city of Akron,” said YBPC Vice President Steve King. “The Akron Aeros organization has been tremendous in helping us launch this event. We’re looking forward to a day full of fun competition at one of the most beautiful stadiums in the state.”

Interested participants can register online at www.ybpc.info. A limited number of onsite registration will be available the morning of the event until 10:30 a.m.

The event will also include appearances by Aeros mascot Orbit, Cleveland Browns players and more.

For additional questions or information on sponsorships or volunteer opportunities, contact Steve King at 330-701-8327 or via email at ybpcinfo@gmail.com.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURES

"Pretty In Pink" (Breast Cancer Awareness Event) Friday Oct. 15 @ Vertigo

YBPC & WEPARTYFRESH.COM

PRESENTS

"PRETTY IN PINK"

(BREAST CANCER AWARENESS PARTY)

FRIDAY OCT. 15

@ VERTIGO

21 & UP

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY "RELAY FOR LIFE" 5k WALK SUNDAY OCT. 17

*Steps to register for YBPC Breast Cancer Walk (MUST REGISTER BY SUNDAY!!)** http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MSABC_FY11_FindAnEvent

1.) Click the link above

2.) Click Find a Event, enter 44320 as the zip code,

3.) Click the AKRON EVENT

4.) Click Sign Up

5.) Join a Team (Type in YBPC and click search for team. You do not need to select a a Company name from the drop down menu)

6.) At this point you will be asked to fill out YOUR personal info. (Note: YOU DON'T have to make a donation if you don't want to. Click the last line "no donation at this time" if you choose not to make a donation and you can also enter 0 in the goal box. Your $20 will be collected by a YBPC person when the shirts arrive)

**Please FWD all confirmed registration to ybpcinfo@gmail.com**

**For More Information Contact 330-701-8327**

YBPC 3RD ANNUAL "I KNOW I CAN" BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE PREPARE AREA YOUTH FOR SCHOOL YEAR

AKRON, Ohio – August 30, 2010 – The Young Black Professionals Coalition (YBPC) and DJ Mr. King hosted its 3rd Annual “I Know I Can” Back 2 School Drive this past Saturday at Deon’s Grooming Lounge in Akron, attracting more than 500 inner city youth, parents and volunteers .

The event, designed to prepare students for the upcoming school year, saw studentsreceive bookbags filled with school supplies as well as gift bags from Limited Brands & Communities in Schools of Central Ohio. Young men were provided with free haircuts while young women will receive discounted hair washing and styling courtesy of Polished Hair Designs as well as free nail design courtesy of Allison Harvery.

In the past three years, the event has reached more than 1,500 children and 600 adults from low-income families in the Akron area.

"The event was very successful," said YBPC volunteer coordinator Tanesha Walker. "Not only was it beneficial to the kids and parents but it was also fulfilling to all the volunteers invlolved."

Sponsoring parties of the 3rd Annual "I Know I Can" Back to School Drive include:

Deon's Grooming Lounge
Polished Hair Designed
North Hill Hand Wash
DJ Mr. King
Allison Harvery
All Digital Graphics
Coca-Cola
Limited Brands
Communities In Schools of Central Ohio
Stacy Berrier
Cheryl Wells
Hush Money Mgmt
Job Corps
Elder Rodney Bowden & Family
Money Graphics

YBPC 4th of July Charity Kickball Tourney in Akron a Huge Success

On behalf of DJ Mr. King, Tha Takeover Productions and YBPC (Young Black Professionals Coalition) we would like to send our sincere thanks and gratitude to all those who supported our inaugural Charity Kickball Tournament Saturday July 3 at Erie Island Fields in Akron, Ohio.

Congratulations to Team Untouchables (University of Akron & Kent State University track team) who were crowned champions of the event!

Through your generosity and participation, we were able to raise $1,110 in cash and school supplies. All proceeds raised from the tournament will benefit the 3rd Annual “I Know I Can” Back-To-School Drive in Akron Saturday, August 28.

If you are interested in making a donation or would like more information on this event please contact

Steve King at 330-701-8327 or Eric Fletcher at 614-668-2225. You may also send an email to ybpcinfo@gmail.com to receive more information about future community and networking events the Young Black Professionals Coalition will be hosting.

Please take time to view pictures from the event