Elissa Yancey, Author at Soapbox

Elissa Yancey's Latest Articles

Finding hip-hop hot, inspirational at Elementz

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February 8, 2011

At the Cincinnati Pops 2010 Christmas concert, "The Little Drummer Boy" never looked so jazzy. When dancers from Elementz, the Central Parkway studio where "hip-hop" is always mentioned in the same breath as "respect," took the stage, Tom Kent could not have been more proud. "This is an unusually gifted group of youth," says Kent, an initial funder and now executive director of the non-profit Elementz. What started in 2005 as an outreach effort designed to give young people in Over-the-Rhine and the West End a safe place to hang out after school has evolved into an incubator of positive creativity. Open four days a week from 2:30 until 10 p.m., Elementz uses hip-hop to engage and inspire youth. Young men and women take classes and practice honing their skills in rapping, dee-jaying, dancing and grafitti, or urban art. Kent says that on an average night, 30 to 45 young people show up to record, to learn, to talk and to listen. "We're developing a real reputation as a safe place where you are treasured," Kent says. With more than 320 members, Elementz ranks include aspiring artists aged 14 to 24, some of whom have attained their GEDs since starting at the studio. Some are preparing for college; some are already enrolled. But Kent says that many of the young artists don't want to talk about outside measures of accomplishment. "They want to talk about how they found themselves, how they found family when they needed family," he says. At the same time, they are preparing for public performances at neighborhood coffee shops, community centers and special events, including their upcoming sixth anniversary concert at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley. A sample rap from MC Forty: "Cincinnati We Be" C-I-N-C-I-N-N-A-T-I's where I'm at.That is where I live and that is where I rap.If you're raised by the city of the gray and the grittyYou can take from the city, but try and give back.I walk past mass cats everydayWith a "C" on their hat, claiming "Down The Way"And "Over the Rhine," but what do they sayWhen asked about faith and hope and change?Most will say that they gon' stay hustlers,Posted on Vine Street waiting for customers -Grinding, crunking, swagging, stunting,Passing time and up to nothing!But what about buildin' children,Education, preachin', prayin',Working, legally. Are you feeling me?I'll help healing you, you help healing me. Do Good: • Donate: Visit Elementz and make a contribution to their creative cause. • Enjoy the show: Attend Elementz Sixth Anniversary Showcase, March 10, 2011, 8-11 p.m., at the 20th Century Theater. Tickets are just $10. • Tweet about it: Follow Elementz on Twitter, @elementzhiphop

Homeless, but not hopeless at the Cincinnati Zoo

By Elissa Yancey

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Diversity

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February 8, 2011

Antonio lingers at the elephant house, taking pictures and marveling at the size - and the smell - of the creatures before him. UC undergraduate Zach Koons laughs as he watches his 10-year-old charge snap photo after photo before the two move on to the Reptile House, where snakes hold the charm for the wide-eyed Bond Hill Academy student. The elephants and snakes have a serious if invisible advantage over Antonio, though. They have permanent night-time addresses. Antonio is homeless. Koon meets with Antonio every week as part of Zoo-Mates, a partnership between Project Connect, the University of Cincinnati's Center for Community Engagement and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. "Zoo-Mates enables UC students to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood," says Koons, 21, who changed his major from Business to Middle Childhood Education as a result of his work with the program. "We can touch the lives of inner-city youth, and they can remind us of what is truly important in life." When it began, Zoo-Mates was a once-a-month program, with UC students meeting their young partners at the zoo, where they toured and talked. Now in its sixth year, Zoo-Mates pairs meet weekly, including regular visits to UC's Clifton campus. The success of the program has exceeded its organizers' expectations, according to Center for Community Engagement Director Kathy Dick. "The a-ha moment for me was when two families decided to keep their children in their home school so that they could continue to be a part of Zoo-Mates," she says. For families without homes, maintaining stability at school is a major challenge that can lead to academic problems for kids. Koons started volunteering because he needed to log community service hours to maintain a scholarship. But that's not why he stays. "Time can be worth more than any amount of money you can spend on someone," he says. For Antonio, any time he can spend away from worry is particularly sweet, even when it's laced with the smell of elephant. Do Good: • Donate: Make a financial contribution to the non-profit Faces without Places, which provides local homeless children with a wide range of services. Specify that you want your donation to support Zoo-Mates. • Cast your vote: Visit True Hero and vote for Zoo-Mates to receive additional funding. • Follow the blog: Find out the latest program activities at the Zoo-Mates' blog.

Welcoming the new kids on The BLOC

By Elissa Yancey

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Diversity

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February 8, 2011

Tucked behind the shiny new Kroger store on Warsaw Avenue in East Price Hill, an old, once-majestic red brick church welcomes a new wave of immigrants. At the McPherson Avenue BLOC Center, Guatemalan families find English and Acculturation classes, homework help for their children, computer training and a growing sense of community. The BLOC, a non-profit, faith-based organization, was founded in 1998 by Executive Director Dwight Young and his wife Stephanie, a licensed counselor. Its Price Hill and Cleves centers offer at-risk youth after-school programs, from theater classes to tutoring to sports and games. Some lift weights, others play pool or navigate new computer programs. All students who hang at The BLOC create their own communities and learn how to make positive decisions part of their daily routines. They take those lessons home, and, Young believes, contribute to building stronger families because of them. "We just try to help them with everyday life," he says. A new initiative, though, brings The BLOC closer to the homes of some of its most at-risk neighbors. Young wanted to serve the growing number of Hispanic families in Price Hill—families with parents struggling to learn English and children struggling to fit in. Providing healthy, affordable housing, and establishing a community one street at a time, seemed like the perfect way to start. Bolstered with a grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, The BLOC has launched a concerted effort to renovate three homes and an eight-unit building on McPherson, providing space for 12 to 14 Guatemalan families, by this summer. "Our goal is to bring a better attitude to the people who live on that street," he says. Do Good: • Donate: Support the efforts online at The BLOC. Each apartment unit will cost $5,000 to renovate. All donations welcome. • Have some coffee: Visit one of the two Corner BLOC Coffee Houses. • Make a Friend: Like BLOC Ministries on Facebook.