Welcome back to Open Mic everyone! I have been posting written blogs as opposed to vlogs due to the fact that my camera has for some odd reason not been uploading to YouTube. (gotta love flipshare right? lol) Hopefully my next video will upload as I plan to be back this week, so keep your eyes peeled! Now down to business; as for todays topic I would like to touch on the Jamott Study. This was a study that released data results showing that abstinence only programs do work. However they forgot to highlight one minor detail.....these were abstinence until ready programs!

Just goes to show yet again that ab-only educators are really full of themselves! I mean we have already exposed and exploited the likes of Derek the Abstinence Clown (shout out to his cousin Abstinence Andy by the way! lol), so how much more can we handle?! If you're going to teach an abstinence until ready, you might as well train to be a car salesman because that's like test driving until you're ready to buy! Another profound tactic of abstinence only programs! I find it really sad in all honesty that our youth are recipients of such incomplete and quasi helpful teaching.

Yet another reason why we being pro comp sex ed have a responsibility and a duty to ensure that comp sex ed is what comes to our schools. I need not explain any further why it is even more necessary, because ab only programs such as these do a fine job of that themselves! However we can't let up on our fight so lets see that our youth are provided with what they need and not just with what sounds good for the moment. (which brings me back to that dishonest car salesman we have all encountered at one point or another!)-Freestyle

Welcome to another post from your show and mines Open Mic! On todays post I want to highlight two of my fellow advocates from the Ohio Advocates: Danny Sparks and Emma Southard! Danny and Emma testified before the Ohio House Education Committee on Tuesday February 23rd in support of the Act For Our Children's Future comp. sex ed bill.
As we all know this bill would require schools that choose to provide sex education to their students to use a medically accurate, age appropriate comprehensive sex education curriculum. This is just another great step in seeing that comprehensive sex education is taught in our schools. 

I encourage all of you to continue to support one another in our fight for comp. sex ed. Emma created this action alert and I urge all of  you to check it out and pass it on to everyone that you may know. http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/actforourchildrensfuture Events such as these just continue to show that our fight for comp. sex ed just continues to get stronger, and that we are relentless in our efforts to see that our youth have a brighther future to look forward to. Lets keep the heat on ab-only educators and programs and show them that comp. sex ed is here to stay and never going anywhere!-Freestyle

Welcome to this weeks edition of Open Mic. In light of February being Black History Month I would like to take time to reflect on one of the many great African-Americans in black history; Arthur Ashe. Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. was born July 10, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia. Arthur Ashe is one of the greatest US tennis players in history. Ashe won three Grand Slam titles (the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam), had 33 career titles, a career record of 818-260 and turned pro at the age of 26. Ashe is in the International Tennis Hall of Fame as well in addition to many of his other accalades. Ashe was also known for his civil rights efforts. Ashe was an active civil rights supporter and was a member of a delegation of 31 well-known African-Americans who visited South Africa to witness political change in the country as it reached racial integration.

Arthur Ashe was also very influential and involved when it came to HIV/AIDS. Having contracted the disease himself through blood transfusions he received during heart surgery, Ashe founded the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health to assist in addressing the issue of inadequate health care. Ashe passed away from complications from the disease on February 6, 1993. Ashe was a great man and did alot for the world and was more than just a world-class athlete. He was a first-class citizen.-Freestyle

On this weeks episode I address an injustice that occurred right here in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Situations such as the one discussed have no right in our society, however certain groups of individuals would cause you to think differently. Only in a perfect world I suppose things might be different...this is reality-Freestyle

So it has a been a year since the birth of Open Mic!!! It has been a great year and I look forward to this one being even better, and I thank all of you for your support and views of my blogs and vlogs. (more are to come trust me)! On my very first video for the show last year I talked about this campaign I had created entitled "Lives Under Construction." This campaign is to teach youth advocacy work and how to be activists in the areas of grassroots organizing, media, and online advocacy. I can finally say that success has been reached! After several meetings with the Cleveland Municipal School Districts Responsible Sexual Health Director Ms. Lita Townsend we are preparing to pilot the campaign in two schools! Upon approval of the district and teachers we will be able to go into the schools and teach the youth advocacy through these three mediums of activism work and have them create PSA's to promote sexual health issues surrounding AIDS, HIV, pregnancy, etc. I am really excited that the vision and dream I had for this campaign is preparing to come true and with time I believe great results will be seen from this project! Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted-Freestyle

So it has been a year in office for our nations President Barack Obama. What a year it has been for our president which most certainly has been filled with challenges and trials yet our president is still standing and doing a fine job if I say so myself. There has been a lot of talk about the effects of the stimulus project, healt care reform, education, war, etc. However some strides and progress has been made. Certainly not enough but more employment opportunities have come about, some businesses haven't folded and more programs and intiatives are getting underway. The mess that was left by the previous administration was and has been very challenging to fix, but I belive we have a very strong and bright future as a country to look forward to. But I'd like to take a minute to remind us to help out all those over in Haiti. I donated on the American Red Cross website but there are so many different alternatives and options you can choose from to assist those over in Haiti. Thankfully we live in a country where we see tragedy and occurrences such as these however we are able to build back up effectively as possible. So we need to consider those who are not as fortunate and lend our helping hands. Thanks for your time-Freestyle

Wasup blog world! Welcome to another week of Open Mic. So if you follow college football at all you can't have a conversation about some of the best players without including The University of Florida's star quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebow has brought the Gator's much success including two national championships and he himself won the Heisman trophy as a sophomore. However none of this would have happened if Tebow's mother had not made a life changing decision 23 years ago.

To serve as background, while on a missionary trip in the Phillipines Tebow's mother contracted amoebic dysentery and the medicines she was placed on threatened her unborn fetus. Doctors advised her to abort the child, however she sided against it and on August 14, 1987 Tim Tebow was born.
 
During the Superbowl everyone anticipates the commercials they will witness due to the high popularity of the Superbowl commercials. They all range from comedy to action etc, etc. However these years commercials will feature one in which Tebow advocates and stands up for his strong beliefs against abortion due to his own personal story. The buzz surrounding this has created a lot of frenzy due to the right to choose, however Tebow was quoted as saying: "I know some people won't agree with it, but I think they can at least respect that I stand up for what I believe."

CBS will be running the ad during the Superbowl and has recieved a lot of heat for it, however the message remains the same. It will be interesting to see/hear reactions from those viewing the ad when this is all said and done. Peace, Freestyle

There are a lot of different ways to bring in the new year. I'm sure with just that phrase alone you probably thought of at least a couple of ways off top. Allow me to share the way I brought in the new year....so january 1st first day of the year, holidays filled w/ joys and cheer meeting up with the crew to do what we do advocate for youth yea you know we the truth. 2010 we gonna get it in sharpen up our efforts like the needle of a pin, roundtable discussions in chairs for hours ideas running rampid they fresh like flowers, everybody tryna talk everybody tryna listen but somehow ideas still come up missing, but we get back on track and stick to the facts we all about action as a matter of fact, we get the job done but still have fun and we gon keep it hot so just call us the sun! So you know that for the new year Freestyle had to talk about how the Ohio Advocates brought in the new year. We all met up at our powerhouse location the Aids Taskforce for a weekend which would refresh, renew, and revive our advocacy efforts for the new year! So all I can say with our new focus, and new drive the Ohio Advocates look to have a very successful and progressive New Year, I hope the rest of you do too, change the world!-Freestyle

It is often said that life is too short, and this phrase is so unfortunate to hear yet so true. We hear of people dying everyday it seems like and it really hits home when it happens to be someone close to you. Just this past week we learned of NFL player Chris Henry dying at 26 due to an automobile accident, as well as actress Brittany Murphy dying at the tender age of 32 years old. Young people with their whole lives ahead of them struck down in the prime of life. I even learned that a girl I went to high school with committed suicide just recently by overdosing on medication. In this holiday season it makes it especially harder to deal with these tragedies due to the fact that most of us are surrounded by the love of family and friends during this time. So in light of what has happened I felt the need to post a blog reminding all of us to take great care and responsibility for the lives we live, especially when it comes to sexual activity. Abstinence is the only 100% effective way to protect yourself, but if you should happen to be active it is pertinent to protect your life as well as the lives of others. Let's make decisions that promote good health, safety, and respect for one another. Remember life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift....Merry Christmas-Freestyle

So we all know that President Obama recently accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and there was a lot of controversy surrounding the issue. We all are aware of his most recent decision to send an additional 30,000 troops over seas yet he won this prestigous award in the midst of it all. Granted he inherited this war from the previous administration and he and his administration are in the process of trying to fix it, was the timing of this award appropriate to this moment? Let's explore this on Open Mic, tell me what you think-Freestyle

Welcome to another episode of Open Mic. This weeks episode is dedicated to the recent announcement of President Obama deploying yet another vast amount of troops into Afghanistan, 30,000 in fact. I felt the need to post this video to get some things off my chest as a means to vent and I hope you all viewing can do the same.-Freestyle

Breaking News!!!!!!!!!!! The Ohio Advocates are going to be one of the recipients of the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland's "Voices Against the Silence Awards" for 2009, which honors those who are active in the fight against AIDS. We are all truly humbled by recieving such a prestigous honor. It just goes to show that the training from the great staff at Advocates For Youth, our local state coordinators and our combined efforts truly make a difference. This couldn't have come at a more perfect time with World AIDS Day right around the corner. We are all in the fight to make this world a better place for all of us and for those to come so that we can be in position to see a more united world. Although the AIDS epidemic may not affect some of us directly its a huge part of why we do what we do. We are activists meaning that we have to be active in what we advocate for. So I posted this not to boast and brag about our accomplishments becuase its not about that, its about changing lives and changing the world, and getting recognized for doing so is just more motivation to keep doing what you're doing. Peace -Freestyle

Here is part 2 of my "Pregnant college students" vlog, enjoy-Freestyle

Welcome to another episode of Open Mic. I recently read an article where it stated that 61% of community college students are dropping out of school due to pregnancy. I found this to be an alarming percentage which motivated me to address this issue through my vlog. I interviewed both of my sisters, one who attends community college and the other who attends a four year university wanting them to describe their experiences with pregnant college girls on their campuses and what they see. I hope you find this insightful-Freestyle

You're probably thinking the name of this post is ironic due to the name of this website huh? Well you're right but as you read along you'll see why I entitled the name of this post what I did. A democracy is based on the principle of for the people and by the people. We have free reign to say what we like in hopes of our voices truly being heard. As activists for responsible sexual health education being enstilled in the lives of our youth, we have to Amplify our voices!!! I've recieved several emails and invitations to town hall meetings which are perfect opportunities to amplify your voice. You are able to voice your opinion about the topic at hand, ask questions and truly become part of the solution instead of just listening to the problem.  Action alerts always flood my email, and these are opportunities as activists we can not let slip away! We can not go into the new year and be satisfied with not seeing more change in the end of this year. We have all come a long way in our efforts advocating for comprehensive sexual education, lets not let our guards down now!-Freestyle

In honor of yesterday being Veteran's Day I felt the need to take a different approach in my blog post for the week. I entitled this post "Celebrate America" naturally because we celebrated all of our veterans on yesterday and our active duty military men and women due to the fact that they serve our country and risk their lives everday to defend this country. But we also celebrate change because we saw our first african american president in Barak Obama which changed history forever, we celebrate a country that allows us to be who we truly are and form our own identities not have them be formed for us. Granted we are in a recession, the job market is very depressed, and we see tragedy occurring more frequently than ever yet we still are a free country. With new leadership and new direction in place I strongly believe we can look forward to true change and see the rebirth of a nation! If we all work together and conform to a true spirit of unity I believe we can get back to Celebrating America!-Freestyle

Remember getting out of the last class before lunch time? As you were walking towards the cafeteria you could smell the aroma of pizza, or chicken fingers. Your mouth watered as you grabbed your lunch ticket to get in line and get your food. And then after you came out of the lunch line and went to go sit at your lunch table with your friends you had to sit with your same sex?!  NO! this is not how it was back in elementary school, but contrary to popular belief this is occurring in most schools today. A woman I work with told me of how at lunch time, the school where her daughter attends has segregated lunches. Girls sit with girls, and boys sit with boys. While I don't really see the logic behind this, I have to wonder how does this affect child interactions amongst one another? Sure they have classes together and everything, but we all know lunch time was the time where we got to kick back, laugh and enjoy one another. So this leads me to wonder what affect will this have on them if they continue in this school system as they get older and interact with society? The good 'ol days of elementary school are not what they are used to be...-Freestyle

It definitely went down in a major way in Chicago for the Urban Initiative Summitt that myself and our Ohio Advocates coordinator (big ups to JP and all the Ohio Advocates) attended! Besides all the high class restaurants, delicious appetizers, and beautiful scenery of downtown Chicago, this summitt was very beneficial. I gained a lot of information on sexual health, and what other things I can do to make a difference in my community and the world. However the highlight for me was the Youth as Advocates Panel where myself and Anali and Tea from the Illinois Youth Policy Council as well as two other youth spoke on a panel showing just how instrumental youth are in activism work. We highlighted youth engagement models, campaigns we have all worked on, lobbying efforts, and future plans to continue our great work. I definitely came back to Cleveland with a renewed vigor, fire, and committment to making a difference in my city, and I'm looking forward to everyone else making a difference as well!-Freestyle

Welcome welcome to another episode of Open Mic. On this weeks episode I touch on a story about a young boy who got kicked out of school for coming to school dressed as a girl. So I pose the question that if you were the parent "What would you do?"-Freestyle

Yes!, Open Mic is back and to start it off we have got to talk about why it is more important than ever to step up our efforts and get involved to make a difference in the world. With the return of abstinence-only funding, it's time for all of us world changers to step up and be the difference and cause change to occurr. The video outlines only part of what you can do because I know you already know so much more that can be done-Freestyle

"We are the livest, we are the truest, Advocates 4 Youth yall, come on lets do this!" This line from a song performed at the Urban Retreat 09 this year by Aliyah Noble, Richard Williams, and Nobles Darby summarizes this momentous event! This year's Urban Retreat was filled with amazing people from all over the country and the world, very insightful and beneficial trainings, and most importantly fun! Advocates For Youth truly outdid themselves and I just want to take a moment to show my deep appreciation and gratefulness for all their hard work by saying THANK YOU ALL!!! I believe that we all really became inspired to change the world more than before and therefore deemed ourselves "World Changers." Due to the beneficial and informational workshops we attended I believe we were all equipped with the artillery we need to combat the political barriers standing in our way to see comprehensive sexual education in our schools. I attended the SYAT (State Youth Activist Training) on last year and I didn't think that experience could be topped, however the Urban Retreat definitely took the crown! For Advocates to be able to bring all of the organizations they work with together for a week, made the retreat an unforgettable experience. All I can say is that I have definitely found a passion for activism more so than when I became an activist on last year and I have a deep love and appreciation for all of my World Changers. I definitely look forward to next year with great anticipation! Remember, we are the change the world needs 2 c.....-Freestyle

Wasup to all my people out there in blog land, this is Freestyle of Open Mic checking in this week to discuss a different topic. Im going to take a different spin and/ or approach to my blog this morning because I've seen something over the past few weeks that really got me wondering whats really good? Let me paint the picture for you: So I'm driving on the highway obeying the laws of the road, just cruising enjoying the drive. Up next to me pulls a woman in a minivan driving with headphones on! Yes headphones on! I could've promised that we all have radios in our car the last time I checked! Isn't that dangerous to keep your ears blocked from the sometimes unpredictable highways?! And this is not the first time I've seen this. Over the past several weeks I've noticed several people driving with headphones on. I can't help but to wonder their reasoning behind such unsafe driving practices. Granted the music can be low, and you can still hear however I don't see this as a safe practice for those of us who drive. I don't know maybe I'm tripping and its the norm to drive with headphones on, but whatever the reason may be, I dont think I'll ever understand that! Maybe someone reading this can enlighten me because I just dont get it! lol -Freestyle

Have you ever been in a store and have already bought everything you need, but still needed to get that one thing?, or have you ever knew you have needed to buy this item but walked past the aisle seems like a thousand times before you go get them, or even fumble them around in your hands when picking up a box? Yep u guessed it thats right I'm talking about when you go into a store to buy condoms! It seems like anytime I've been in a store and either someone in front of me or behind me is purchasing condoms they're always in a hurry, or seem very anxious and nervous. I've always found this situation interesting because if you go into a store to buy something personal like perhaps underwear you can be as calm as if you were just buying a gallon of milk, but when it comes to condoms it's as if you have stolen something! lol I can completely understand the anxiety becuase that is something personal, but Condom Confidence is good because buying condoms is a very good thing. You not only protect yourself, but your partner as well. Big businesses these days are locking up and not even talking about condoms as if they are the enemy or something, but we will continue to support the safety of our lives and those of others. So remember Condom Confidence is key to protection. Always and Always keep it safe. -Freestyle

Often times in our country we take the rights and priveleges that we have for granted, when we need to remember those countries with individuals who get punished and scrutinized for what they may say or do. Yes we have the freedom of speech, but we need to be thankful for that freedom -Freestyle

The phrase "That's so gay", is often a phrase that is so mindlessly used in our society. Although the term may not be said with malicious or offensive intent, it's still offensive and needs to not be said. This video is just to serve as a reminder to be socially conscious and aware of the things that we say in order to not offend anyone, and to show equality and ultimately respect. -Freestyle