Meet Farrah Gray

Who is Farrah Gray? Well according to his official biography

"Dr. Farrah Gray was named as one of the most influential Black men in America by the National Urban League's Urban Influence Magazine. Ebony Magazine recognized him as an entrepreneurial icon, business mogul and best-selling author. Raised in the impoverished South side of Chicago, Dr. Gray defied the odds and became a self-made millionaire by the age of 14. At the age of 21, he received an Honorary Doctorate degree of Humane Letters from Allen University. This was in recognition of his ingenious economic mind and distinguished commitment to the development of values such as leadership, integrity and scholarship. In his rise from poverty to national and international prominence as an entrepreneurial icon and pre-eminent power speaker, Dr. Gray has inspired millions around the world. At the age of 26, he has achieved more than many achieve in a lifetime."

Oh and to top it all off he's young Black man! You see my point is to show you (those of you who are struggling with what you can not do because of the color of your skin or the conditions you were raised in) that you can do anything you put your mind to. Seriously, anything you can dream, you can have it. It's never too late to create history and it does not matter where your story begins. You determine how it will end. Just ask Farrah!

If you want to know more about him
Check out this video




It is my sincere hope that after you watch his interviews it will inspire you to shoot for the stars, challenge you to accomplish more, and give you hope for the future. Happy Black History Month!

And Please let's continue Elevate.

Black History Month

It's that time again. Time to pause and think about the contributions that African Americans/People of Color have offered to the world. Instead of going on and on (like I usually do) about the unsung heroes that "keep the dream alive" I've decided that each week I will feature a young person who is doing just that. I believe the children really are our future and the more we encourage and lift them up it will begin to act as a domino effect in our communities. I believe if we use these media platforms to give them attention and praise for the RIGHT reasons the more they will continue to do the very thing that makes us so proud. Not only that, it will also give their peers an example and an alternative to the lifestyles and reality that so many of us have to deal with every day. Yes it's hard but there is hope and sometimes hope is found in the unlikeliest of places.

In the meantime check out this poem called

"A Black American"
by Smokey Robinson




Let's Elevate?

Open Mic Night!

[update] Sorry guys. The event did not happen on the Feb. 10th due to a conflict with my real life schedule. I will be hosting one very soon. And yes I do realize I put the wrong date on the flyer. (LOL Whoops) What can I say? It was just a bad night for me. To everybody who messaged me wondering what the heck happened, I apologize.

Thanks for your support!
Vertigo

Let's talk

Let's have an open discussion about dealing with deception in our lives. This includes both within relationships and the little white lies told in day to day interactions. I'm positive this topic will strike a nerve with those of us who have encountered it on a larger scale and have seen lies and betrayal destroy our lives in second life and real life as well. Also it will be interesting to talk about whether all lies (those that are said or left unsaid) are created equal.

Join us for an evening that will shed light on all the dark places most people like to keep hidden. Be sure to leave your masks and preconceived notions about social dialogues at home. Can't wait to see you there!


Let's Elevate?


"WE WEAR THE MASK"
BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
recited by Keith Walker

Healing!

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

Luke 4:23

Every day living brings about pain - so we end up with wounds and scars. Some wounds are superficial and some run very deep and take a long time to heal. Typical daily things can cause wounds - losing a love one, losing a job, low self esteem and even loving someone can leave you with scars that need to be healed - but if left unattended can turn into a serious condition. Conditions that can lead to self destructive and self sabotage type behavior. But how do we heal up those wounds? Some turn to drugs or alcohol for a quick relief, others choose to focus on positive measures such as encouragement and strength from friends and my favorite method - PRAYER! Another way to heal a wound is a preventative measure - its hard to predict what will hurt us - but there are some measures that can be taken. Avoiding toxic people and not having unrealistic expectations of others is a way to protect ourselves. Recognizing the need for a healing is sometimes one of the hurdles we have to jump. We live busy , hectic lives that don't leave much time to focus on some matters in our lives - so we ignore the symptoms until we see the blood. We end up so battered, tattered, torn and bruised with unbearable pain. There is an answer - the one true God can heal and mend up every single wound and give you the strength to endure the pain until your healing is complete. Trust God. Give it all to Him every single pain and hurt. Let us encourage each other to seek the healing power of prayer for all our pains.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Isiaih 53:5

Happy New Year!

The new year is here and we are excited! As you know, the start of a new year is perfect for initiating projects or jump starting old ones. We have some ideas lined up for 2011 and we hope that you'll join us as we work towards materializing each and every one of them!

Elevate Poetry Lounge has always been a place that values quality over quantity in regards to the events we've held. Although we still value quality and connecting with people who encourage and inspire us we're ready to take that idea and kick it up a notch! This year is all about taking things to new heights. Get ready for more discussions, open mic nights, and maybe a conference or two. The sky is the limit and we're ready to fly.

Please check back here on the blog as we'll be keeping you updated on the weekly activities and events held in world.

Peace and Prosperity,
Elevate Staff

Inspiration 2011

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.

~Ralph Waldo Emmerson

It's been a while since I've posted but I felt the beginning of the year is an excellent time to start fresh!

I sat here reflecting on the mission of Elevate! and I thought that I'd start a series of blogs over the next few weeks that focus on our tag line - Inspiration! Healing! Love! Truth!.

The new year brings about new joys, new fears, new goals and so many other things we desire for the new year, but to accomplish anything we need to be fueled by INSPIRATION! The INSPIRATION we need is all around us ... in the sheer joy of waking up in the morning ... to either a crisp blue sky or the gloomy grey goodness of God - it's all by His glory. I just want to encourage you this year to seek out your sources for inspiration - find them in the big things and the small things and then never hesitate to act upon your inspiration! Accomplish those goals - even if it's to just love yourself a tiny bit more go ahead and indulge yourself. Inspiration is its own reward... go forth and be INSPIRED!