Act Up Classes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ACT UP! Creative Concoctions, Ages 8 – 11

Florida Rep is proud to continue their ACT UP programming, designed especially for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Students will explore their fun side with exercises in creative movement, verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. Taught by Florida Rep’s Education Director, Rachael Endrizzi and assisted by Florida Gulf Coast University’s Occupational Therapy department, this 8-week course promises to stretch imaginations and offer a fun, imaginative outlet for all students.

Tuesdays (except Nov. 10) 5:00 – 6:30pm

Oct. 27, Nov. 3, 13*, 17, 24, Dec. 8, 15

Instructor: Rachael Endrizzi

Alliance for the Arts; Edwards Building

8 Weeks – $150 (Limited Enrollment)

ACT UP! Drama Workshop, Ages 11 – 18

As Florida Rep’s ACT UP program expands, we are thrilled to offer arts education to older students on the Autism Spectrum. Class activities will include scene study, improvisation and creative movement. Taught by Florida Rep’s Education Director, Rachael Endrizzi and assisted by Florida Gulf Coast University’s Occupational Therapy department, students can explore their creative side in a safe, fun-filled classroom.

Mondays 4:30 – 6:00pm November 9 – December 14

Instructor: Rachael Endrizzi

Florida Rep Studio 6 Weeks – $125 (Limited Enrollment)

To Enroll or for more information, contact:

Rachael Endrizzi

Education Director

Florida Repertory Theatre

239-332-4665 ext. 20

http://www.floridarep.org/

My Top 20 Causes to follow on Twitter…

1.) @Peasintheirpods – Every 40 seconds a child is reported missing in the United States and of these missing children approximately 45% are African Americans being torn away from their families by strangers and in some cases other family members. This organization fight for the safety and recovery of our missing children but there is also an online radio broadcast every Sunday evening where professionals, counselors, parents and beyond merge together for the betterment of our youth.

2.) @NationalAutism – The National Autism Association provides real help to families affected by Autism. The mission of the National Autism Association is to educate and empower families affected by autism and other neurological disorders, while advocating on behalf of those who cannot fight for their own rights, educate society, raise awareness, encourage those in the autism community to never give up & finding a cure for the neurological damage from which so many affected by autism suffer.

3.) @thebridgeyc – The Bridge is a grassroots, faith-based, non-profit organization that serves youth ages 11-18 years old (grades 6-12) in the local community.

4.) @AllAsOne – Providing the orphaned and destitute children of Sierra Leone with a loving home, education, medical care, and hope. Provides adoption facilitation from the African countries of The Gambia and Sierra Leone.

5.) @Sept11Memorial – The National September 11 Memorial & Museum under construction at the World Trade Center site.

6.) @heroBox – We send customized care packages to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adopt a soldier and/or get your soldier to sign up!

7.) @HouseOfUmoja – The House of UMOJA is now an internationally acclaimed organization that is dedicated to the positive development of youth, reducing violence and abusive behavior, providing interventions in negative behavior and improving the quality of life for economically disadvantaged urban male youth and their families. Its comprehensive program provides a positive living environment for boys ages 15-18 who unfortunately lack a sufficient family structure and it operates on the principle of the extended family.

8.) @NgongRoad – Friends of Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya is a high impact NGO educating children who have lost their parents to AIDS. Friends of Ngong Road and Ngong Road Children Association is a partnership of volunteers in the U.S. and Kenya with a deep belief in the value of education and the hope it can bring to young lives.  Volunteers in the U.S. from Friends of Ngong Road focus on fund-raising and sponsor recruitment.  The volunteers and staff in Nairobi, most of whom have lived in or near the impoverished communities, are committed to helping children whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS.

9.) @OneBrownGirl – OneBrownGirl.com’s (OBG) mission is to celebrate culture, diversity and strong self image amongst Brown Girls across the globe. Our hope and heartfelt intention is to – in some small way – inspire Brown Girls everywhere to greatness by creating a well-known and respected brand that is adopted globally and consistently speaks to the mission.

10.) @SaveDarfur – The Save Darfur Coalition raises awareness about the genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the people of Darfur.

11.) @ARProject – Malaak is Founder and Director of The Angelrock Project. Her main goal is to inspire people to give back to society in a multitude of cool and exciting ways.

12.) @QOHFoundation – The Mission of the Queen of Hearts Foundation^® is to empower women regarding their heart health through awareness, education and information. Implementation of these three principles will help women of all ages save their lives through early awareness and detection, understanding their heart history, impact of lifestyle choices and knowledge of overall heart health.

13.) @AmazonCares – addresses vital topics important to a healthy community environment in Peru’s remote Amazon region. These topics include animal welfare, human health, domestic violence prevention, humane education, conservation, environmental issues, respect for wildlife in their natural habitat, safety, responsible pet ownership and assisted animal therapy.

14.) @autismvotes – Autism Votes, an initiative of Autism Speaks, is and a comprehensive grassroots advocacy program for autism-related legislation. Check out www.autismvotes.org!

15.) @Dosomething – Do Something believes you have the power to make a difference. It is our aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of doers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. At DoSomething.org we provide the tools and resources for you to convert your ideas and energy into positive action. Be part of a generation of doers.

16.) @AmeriCares – We are a nonprofit international disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization. AmeriCares is a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs – and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs – for all people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion.

17.) @youngleadership – The YLC of New Orleans develops leadership in young professionals (21-42) through community service.

18.) @NOH8Campaign – A non-profit organization photo project and silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8.

19.) @ChildrensCare – Special needs hospital/school for children including those with autism.

20.) @ContactAFamily – Contact a Family provides support, advice and information for families with disabled children, no matter what their condition or disability. Contact a Family became a registered charity in 1979 and we have nearly 30 years of experience of working with families with disabled children.

Man vs The Machine

Andreas Hale, former BET.com Executive Editor of Music

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! *kicks up feet on desk*

Doesn’t it feel GREAT when your innermost instincts are verified in black & white?! You see, BET has exploited us for soooo long & its about time someone gives em a taste of their own medicine except in this case… its TRUTH. This is probably the ONLY time I’ll agree that snitchin’ is appreciated. All in all, thank you, Mr. Hale and if this is INDEED a book in the making… I’ll take TWO. If Karrine can be a best seller, I’ll be damned if you should not. Go get em!

“As someone who has been critical of BET for many years, it surprised many that I would leave my post at HipHopDX last year to take a position at BET. But it was an opportunity I absolutely had to take. I could no longer be critical of this company without accepting the opportunity to change it when given. Although I was hired to bring about change, I was systematically shut down. I wasn’t hired to make noise, I was hired to be silenced. The truth of the matter is that everything that you thought was wrong with BET is true.”

Click here for the email in its entirety…

Look Like a Lady, Run Like a Man…

I’m almost positive you’ve heard all the controversy about 18-year old South African athlete Caster Semenya who was ordered to undergo sex-verification tests after winning last month’s 800m final at the World Athletics Championships. You see, sista girl won the gold medal in Berlin in 1 minute 55.45 seconds (the best in the world for 2009) beating Janeth Jepkosgei, the defending champion, by 2.45 seconds.  I mean, no waaaaay could an African woman do that right? *side-eye*

But I digress…

Anyway, the aforementioned “tests” necessary to determine the gender of an athlete are described as “an extremely complex procedure” involving medics, scientists, gynecologists (geesh) and psychologists, the outcome of which is not expected for several weeks.

Question: Albeit we can all agree Caster Semenya truly does look MUCH more feminine since her makeover which debuted in “You” magazine, but do you believe it was something she was “forced” to do? Has America bullied her to conform to what we believe a woman “should” look like? Why should Caster have to step outside her comfort zone just to pacify those who live in that box? I mean, was the gender test NOT enough?!

Now she is quoted as saying:

“I’d like to dress up more often and wear dresses but I never get the chance”

but does she REALLY have a choice? Sound off…

“God made me the way I am and I accept myself.” – C. Semenya

PS: By the way, thanks, America for making Caster’s first experience competing outside of Africa choked full of controversy, humiliation, sexism and drama.  Yep, land of the free & home of the brave, you rock!

09.09.09 is Nat’l “How Much Longer” Day for Autism

In order to hear their voices, we must first raise ours.

It’s time!

NAA’s How Much Longer Campaign is NOW LIVE in our Autism Action Center and ready for you to send a LOUD message to President Obama, the FDA, the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Department of Education, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and all of America!   Your messages will be sent automatically to the above recipients with just a click of your mouse.

How much longer must our children and families wait for insurance coverage, meaningful research, safer vaccines, effective treatment, appropriate services and support, a safe educational environment and for autism to finally be recognized as a national crisis?

Click here to TAKE ACTION NOW!

Dear friends,

You’ve been seeing media pieces over the last few weeks asking HOW MUCH LONGER? They are part of a mass faxing/mailing/calling campaign that will cover community-wide autism issues on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (09.09.09).

Will you join us for a LOUD day of promoting change? With autism now affecting 1 in 100 children, it’s time to set aside polite requests and boldly ask the entire nation HOW MUCH LONGER?

Below are links to samples of the messages we will ask you to forward on 09-09-09 via our easy online advocacy system – The NAA Action Center – which will automatically send your messages to your legislators, federal health officials and the media.

Click here to TAKE ACTION NOW!

HOW MUCH LONGER MESSAGES

• How Much Longer, Tom Insel and NIH?
• How Much Longer, CDC?
• How Much Longer, ACIP?
• How Much Longer, Mr. President?
• How Much Longer, FDA?
• How Much Longer, DOE?
• How Much Longer, AAP?
• How Much Longer, America?

Learn more about our 09.09.09 campaign in this radio interview with WINA’s Coy Barefoot and NAA president Wendy Fournier.  Click here.

Click here for links to jpg and pdf files of our How Much Longer messages.  Feel free to download and post these on your websites, Facebook pages, etc.

Are you on Facebook?  We need your help!  Click here to RSVP for this important event and invite all of your friends:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118216957199&ref=mf

If you are able to help NAA fund the “How Much Longer” campaign, please click here to make a small donation today.

SOURCE

President Obama’s 2009 Speech to Our Students

OBAMA: “Hello, everyone — how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through 12th grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday — at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer — maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper — but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor — maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine — but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life — I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that — if you quit on school — you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our first lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life — what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home — that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer — hundreds of extra hours — to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same. That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education — and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you — you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust — a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor — and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you — don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best. It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down — don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.”

10 Young, Positive Black Actresses

As we can all agree, many of the up and coming black actresses of today have fallen victim to objectifying themselves in movies and the media. While their talents are undeniable and we (as adults) are able to differentiate acting from real life, I personally do not want my daughters being subconsciously inspired by the oversexed characters some of our black women are left to portray in movies today. So after much contemplation and three hours of research & networking, my 13 year old daughter and I compiled a list of prominent, young, African American actresses who have had moderate to extreme success and (thus far) have kept their images in good standing. My daughter listed them in order of her preference and I’d would like to share our findings with you…

10) Rhyon Nicole Brown

DOB: 10/6/1992

Debuted: 1999

Did You Know: Rhyon has been acting since she was 4 and is the middle child of three

Seen on:  Santa & Pete, That’s So Raven, Judging Amy, Lincoln Heights, In Plain Sight, 7th Heaven, Numb3rs, The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, Earthquake, One on One, Two and A Half Men, ER, Boston Public, Hidden Hills, The Ellen Show, My Wife & Kids, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Geena Davis Show, Providence and Get Rich or Die Tryin’

9) Destiny Edmond

DOB: 12/20/1990

Debuted: 2003

Did You Know: Wears glasses or contacts

Seen on: Dragnet, The District, Judging Amy, ER, The Tracy Morgan Show, Woman Thou Art Loosed, That’s So Raven, Everybody Loves Raymond, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School, Hannah Montana and Lincoln Heights

8.) Sahara Garey

DOB: 6/5/1991

Debuted: 2004

Did You Know:

Seen on: Seen, American Dreams, Joe Willie’s Friend, The Shield, Akeelah and the Bee, That’s So Raven, Everybody Hates Chris, Eleventh Hour and This Bitter Earth (in production)

7) Sydney Park

DOB: 10/31/1997

Debuted: 2005

Did You Know: “Syd the Kid” rites her own comedy material with her Mom from real life experiences

Seen on: The Tom Joyner Show – Big Break, America’s Got Talent, Entertainmentstudios.com w/ Byron Allen, The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold, That’s So Raven, Chelsea Lately, My Genie, The Hill, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Entourage, Hannah Montana, Spork (in production)

6) Willow Smith

DOB: 10/31/2000

Debuted: 2007

Did You Know: Is the only daughter of Will & Jada Pinkett Smith

Seen on: Kid’s Choice Awards (presenter), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Baby Gloria’s voice), I Am Legend, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl , Entertainment Tonight, Testing True, and Amulet (in production)

5) Camille Winbush

DOB: 2/9/1990

Debuted: 1994

Did You Know: Owns an ice cream parlor in Pasadena California and is a gymnast!

Seen on: Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Eraser, Dangerous Minds, Criminal Minds, That’s Life, The Norm Show, NYPD Blue, Any Day Now, Geppetto, Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Strong Medicine, The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas, Dinosaur, Recess, The Ladies Man, 7th Heaven, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, Minor Adjustments, CBS Schoolbreak Special, Viper, Larry king Live, The Sharon Osbourne Show, NAACP Image Awards, The Bernie Mac Show, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and more!

4) Kyla Pratt

DOB: 9/1986

Debuted: 1995

Did You Know: Kyla is member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. & attends Hamilton Academy of Music

Seen on: Caramel (in production), Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts, Hotel for Dogs, Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief, Hell on Earth, One on One, Dr. Dolittle 3, The Proud Family Movie, The Proud Family, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Fat Albert, Veronica Mars, The Seat Filler, Lizzie McGuire, Dr. Dolittle 2, Strong Medicine, Moesha, The Hughleys, Love & Basketball, The Parkers, The Parent ‘Hood, Jackie’s Back!, So Weird, Lost, Becker, Any Day Now, Smart Guy, Doctor Dolittle, Barney’s Great Adventure,  The Pretender, Mad City, Walker, Texas Ranger, A Walton Easter, Family Matters, Riot, Friends, Touched by an Angel, Public Morals, ER, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters, In the House, The Show, Living Single, The Baby-Sitters Club, Dr. Phil, BET Awards, Super Short Show/The Proud Family Movie/That’s So Raven: Raven’s House Party, Express Yourself, HBO First Look – The Making of ‘Dr. Dolittle 2, Sister, Sister, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards ‘99, The Rosie O’Donnell Show & more!

3) Raven Symone

DOB: 12/1985

Debuted: 1989

Did You Know: The city of Winnfield declared December 20 as Raven-Symoné Day & is a producer.

Seen on: Tinker Bell: A Midsummer Storm (in production), Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (post-production), Tinker Bell, American Dad!, College Road Trip, That’s So Raven, Kim Possible, Cory in the House,  Raven-Symoné: Raven’s Postcards from Spain, Everyone’s Hero, The Cheetah Girls 2, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, That’s So Raven: Raven’s Makeover Madness, For One Night, That’s So Raven: Disguise the Limit, Kim Possible: So the Drama, Higglytown Heroes, The Cheetah Girls, Fat Albert, That’s So Raven: Supernaturally Stylish, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Zenon: Z3, Fillmore! Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time, Kim Possible: The Secret Files, The Cheetah Girls, The Proud Family, My Wife and Kids, Dr. Dolittle 2, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child , The Princess and the Pauper, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Centur, Doctor Dolittle, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, The Little Rascals, Queen, Blindsided, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Muppets at Walt Disney World, ABC TGIF,  A Different World, Today Show, An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Patti LaBelle, Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular, Good Hair, The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet, The Bonnie Hunt Show, Celebrity Family Feud, WrestleMania XXIV,  Entertainment Tonight, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Phenomenon, NAACP Image Awards, Biography, Dear Santa, Cheetah Tips! How to Be Cheetah-licious,  Showbiz Tonight, Good Morning America, Stadium of Fire, Totally Suite New Year’s Eve, MADtv, Teen Choice Awards 2005, Disney 411, Punk’d, Inside Dish with Rachael Ray, Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Total Request Live, BET Comedy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards 2004, The Teen Choice Awards 2004, On the Set: The Princess Diaries 2 – Royal Engagement, The Cheetah Girls: Behind the Spots, Motown 45, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards ‘04, Weakest Link, E! True Hollywood Story, VH-1 Where Are They Now?, 25th NAACP Image Awards, Soul Train Comedy Awards, Muhammad Ali’s 50th Birthday Celebration, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Comic Relief IV, The Chipmunks: Rockin’ Through the Decades, Night of 100 Stars III, The Earth Day Special and more!

2) KeKe Palmer

DOB: 8/1993

Debuted: 2004

Did You Know: KeKe’s legal name is Lauren Keyana Palmer

Seen on: Oreo (in production), Vapors, (in production), True Jackson, VP, Madea Goes to Jail, Shrink, Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare, The Longshots, Cleaner,  House of Payne, Jump In!, Madea’s Family Reunion, Akeelah and the Bee, Knights of the South Bronx, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, ER, Second Time Around, Keke & Jamal, The Wool Cap,  Strong Medicine, Cold Case, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, The Teen Choice Awards 2009, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, BET Awards 2009, 2009 MTV Movie Awards, The Bonnie Hunt Show, The Jace Hall Show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, Rachael Ray, The 40th NAACP Image Awards, Kids’ Inaugural: We Are the Future, Entertainment Tonight, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, 6ABC Boscov’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Teen Choice Awards 2007, 38th NAACP Image Awards, Sing-Along Bowl-Athon, New Year Sing-A-Long Bowl-A-Thon!, The 2006 Black Movie Awards, The Early Show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 106 & Park Top 10 Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 36th NAACP Image Awards, 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards and more!

1) Rae’Ven Larrymore Kelly

DOB: 6/1985

Debuted: 1992

Did You Know: She was High School Valedictorian & is an Aids Education Advocate

Seen on: The Rogue (pre production), Preacher’s Kid, Genius in Heels, Tournament of Dreams, Hannah Montana, Good Girls Don’t…, Even Stevens, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Flossin, Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family, Odessa, City of Angels, Freedom Song, Any Day Now, Milo, Blossoms and Veils, Maximum Bob, The Last Weekend, Ms. Scrooge, The Ditchdigger’s Daughters, Ghosts of Mississippi,  The Sentinel, A Time to Kill, ER, America’s Dream, How to Make an American Quilt, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Touched by an Angel, Lily in Winter, Roseanne, Sweet Justice, Roc, Monty, I’ll Fly Away: Then and Now, Living Single, What’s Love Got to Do With It, Class of ‘61, I’ll Fly Away, Dead Presidents, The Still Life and more!

Extra Credit: Academics as a College National Dean’s List student, active member of a State of California Honor Society and an International Honor Society, Community Service Support to Pediatric Aids Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Has been a Guest Speaker and lecturer at Florida A&M University, Spelman College, Pepperdine University, Winston-Salem Staye University, Wake Forest University. College Honors: National Dean’s List Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society Alpha Gamma Sigma Honors Society High School Honors: Nation Honor Roll Student Who’s Who Among American High School Students Voted Most Likely to Succeed by High School Faculty & Student Honors Graduate of Sunland Christian High School!

SOURCE

Also, please visit the YBS blog for more info on the up and coming young, African American stars of tomorrow:

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