Little Malaika International is a program that encourages development of leadership qualities, community service, self-confidence and positive competitiveness in minority Boys & Girls age 7 to 12. The competition will be a culmination of weeks of training and include a Q&A session, cultural showcase as well as talent and public speaking contest. Children will represent their cultural heritage while competing to win the title of Prince and Princess Malaika. Countries to be represented including Cameroon, DRC, Haiti, Guinea, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
The judging panel is composed of a range of esteemed professionals and leaders including Sally Yearwood, Executive Director of Caribbean Central American Action and Angelique Sina, Global Relationship Manager with the World Bank.
Invited Guests of Honor are Mrs. Yumi Hogan, First Lady of the State of Maryland and H.E Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, African Union Ambassador to the U.S.
Steven J. McAdams, Executive Director of Maryland Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives (GOCI) and Mrs. Jean Nsofor, Wife of the Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S. are scheduled to attend.
The esteemed occasion also features performances, a VIP reception, and is a platform to raise awareness and support for children with Autism in underprivileged communities. Part of the proceeds this year will be donated to the Nehemiah Autism Center in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Director of the Center, Rahel Abayneh, will be presented with the MILDOVE Humanitarian Award for her continued efforts to care for children with Autism, particularly those in under-served communities.
Tickets to Little Malaika International can be purchased online at www.littlemalaika.net
For questions, please e-mail Rachel Susanna at mildove7@gmail.com or call 301-921-6157.
About MILDOVE International
MILDOVE International (or MILDOVE) is a registered 501(c) 3 organization dedicated to empowering children through education and leadership and offer them the opportunity to impact their community, the world and develop soft skills and personal growth. MILDOVE aims to provide support for underserved communities in Africa, especially children with Autism and women.
As Marvel’s Black Panther wows moviegoers and shatters box office records with a fictional tale of cinematic proportions, the real and moving story of Black American Pioneer Reginald F. Lewis premieres on TV, inspiring a new generation of minority youths to dream big, and to keep going no matter what.
For Loida Nicolas Lewis, love never ends. When asked why the Filipino American widow of Reginald F. Lewis enthusiastically shares her husband’s story and legacy 25 years after his death, she simply remarked, “Because I love him. Since the time I proposed to him while we were seated together in the subway: ‘Darling, do you want a big wedding or a small wedding?’ and he replied, ‘A small wedding.’ Suddenly, he realized what just happened. He put his hand on his forehead and said, ‘I have a headache.”‘
This elicited joyful laughter from the audience who gathered at the Harvard Club of New York City for the launching of PIONEERS: Reginald F. Lewis and the Making of a Billion Dollar Empire last February 15, 2018. The documentary, produced by PBS WNET, chronicles the life and legacy of business pioneer, philanthropist and titan Reginald F. Lewis, the first billion dollar dealmaker in America. A Harvard Law School graduate, Lewis rose to prominence as a lawyer, civil rights activist, financier, and leader of the global food company TLC Beatrice International.
The event was attended by top finance and business executives, ambassadors and dignitaries, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. In addition to the premiere screening of the documentary, a short forum on “How to Become the Next Reginald F. Lewis” took place, with Titan Panelist members such as Robert F. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners; Raymond J. McGuire, Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Citigroup, Inc.; Dean C. Kehler, Trimaran Capital Partner (formerly Drexel Burnham Lambert); Cleveland A. Christophe, venture capitalist and former executive of the TLC Group; and Peter Offermann, former executive of Bankers Trust Company. The panel was moderated by award-winning Filipino American broadcast journalist Nina Pineda of Eyewitness News, WABC-TV. About 450 people, including RFL Scholars, RFL Ambassadors, and young entrepreneurs were in attendance.
In her speech, Loida Lewis thanked WNET President Neil Shapiro, and Executive Producer and Director Geraldine Moriba for featuring Mr. Lewis first in their new PIONEERS documentary series. Among others, she also thanked business tycoon Tarrus Richardson, who was inspired by Mr. Lewis’ story when he heard it at 14 years old, and gave the largest contribution to make the documentary possible.
The documentary aired last weekend on WLIW 21 and WNET 13, and will air this Sunday, February 24, 7:00pm on NJTV. Outside the US, it is now available for streaming online on www.thirteen.org/pioneers.
For more information, please visit www.ReginaldFLewis.com, or get updates from Facebook or Instagram via @RFLBillionDollarDeal.
QUICK FACTS About Reginald F. Lewis * 1969: Married Loida Nicolas Lewis, Filipino American immigration lawyer, civic leader and co-author of “How To Get a Green Card”, now on its 12th edition
* Co-founded the first African American Law Firm on Wall Street
* First person to be accepted at Harvard University Law School without applying
* Among the first 5 male African Americans to have a museum named in their honor
* 1987: Negotiated the first billion-dollar offshore leveraged buyout, the largest ever by an American company at that time, which acquired him 64 companies in 31 countries.
PIONEERS: Reginald F. Lewis and the Making of a Billion Dollar Empire will air on Saturday, February 24, 7:00pm on NJTV, and is NOW AVAILABLE for ONLINE STREAMING on www.THIRTEEN.org/pioneers.
Personal development, empowerment, and accountability are the focuses of the new From the Fire: Leadership Academy for Young Men operated by At the Well Conferences, Inc. – a provider of events for teens since 2009. The inaugural two-week boarding program is located on the campus of Princeton University and tailored to minority male students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds that are currently in the ninth, tenth or eleventh grades of high school. From the Fire seeks to cultivate scholars through Leadership Development, Mentoring, and an exceptional Rites of Passage program. From the Fire is currently accepting applications.
The Program Chair is the actor and director Delroy Lindo. He has provided memorable performances in films such as The Cider House Rules, Heist, Clockers, Crooklyn, Malcolm X, and Ransom. Lindo’s passion for the plight of minority boys is leading the actor to take an active role in the program’s development. Lindo states, “My hope is that the experience of From the Fire will give students a boost to take the next steps in whatever goals they have planned for their lives. I want this program to stand as a profoundly encouraging dynamic for our young people.” The keynote speaker is actor, producer, and humanitarian Danny Glover. Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage, and television for more than 25 years.
From the Fire’s curriculum and programming is research-based and designed by a team of educators and leaders with decades of experience in adult and young adult education, social change activism and community development. It is rooted in the spiritual and intellectual traditions forged in the justice struggles of African American and other global minorities. The program’s core beliefs and practices are guided by an indomitable faith in the courage, creativity, and potential of the students. The Leadership Development component will provide transformative education in the form of small group projects, critical reading and writing sessions, a financial aid and scholarship boot camp, dynamic speakers, and interactive leadership workshops.
Mentorship is offered as a form of “deep caring” in order to overcome widespread indifference to these most vulnerable young men. The program will welcome successful male leaders from across the country to serve as mentors for the students. Each participant will be paired with a mentor who receives training and the opportunity to attend the event’s Closing Ceremony at Princeton University. The program desires to develop relationships that flourish into a lifelong bond.
The Rites of Passage component will be a journey of self-discovery that unlocks the hidden resilience of the students as fundamental to their manhood. Included are a host of experiential activities that create and hone life skills. The program will end with a memorable Closing Ceremony and surprise guests.
Tuition and fees are $2,995 for the two week Academy and include boarding at Princeton University, curriculum, meals, and field trips. Full scholarships are available based upon need. Toby Sanders is the Co-founder and Director of Curriculum of From the Fire and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He states, “The young men who will attend From the Fire are the key to their own transformation. We are offering guidance and instruction that encourages these students to see the power within them and others.”
From the Fire will be held July 22-August 3, 2018 at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. The application deadline is March 31, 2018. For more information and to apply, go to www.atthewellconferences.org.
