Young Patrons of Lincoln Center's Holiday Party @ MiN

From left: YPLC member Saleda Bryant, Ashley NYC, YPLC steering committee member Dawne Marie Grannum
w/ YPLC members, guests and Lincoln Center employees: (From left)Saleda Bryant, Kwesi Blair, Caroline Hamilton, guest, Jason Paez, Ashley, Dawne Marie Grannum, Emily Feinstein, Andrew Kalish
Employees of "MiN" (location of party)

Tonight I was invited to a holiday party in SoHo. It was a warm gathering filled with a lot of holiday spirited professionals and artists, which was hosted by the Young Patrons of Lincoln Center (YPLC). Festive libations, snacks and desserts were served, with merry music and conversation. It was held at the MiN New York location.

Dawne Marie Grannum,a YPLC Steering Committe member, reflects on tonight's event, "A great time was had tonight at the YPLC Holiday party! The event was well attended and the crowd was a nice mix of YPLC members who had been with the organization for years as well as members who had recently joined; in fact I met someone who had just signed up the day before. There was merriment everywhere and we look forward to having more of these social gatherings in the future! Hope you can join us at the next one."

Caroline Hamilton, Manager of Young Patrons of Lincoln Center, tells Ashley and New York, "Last year Lincoln Center celebrated its 50th Anniversary, and YPLC represents a new generation of arts enthusiasts that will support this institution for the next 50 years. Our members are interested in everything from Opera to Hip Hop to Fashion -- and YPLC provides a forum where they can learn about every art form on this campus. Many YPLC members have become leaders at Lincoln Center, fundraising for major galas, underwriting the cost of educational series, and serving on community outreach initiatives in the Lincoln Center neighborhood."

Look man, "For Colored Girls" is NOT about "hating men" as you say, it's about women loving themselves...so get over it!

Ashley w/ "For Colored Girls" actress Janet Jackson in Hollywood
Ashley w/ "For Colored Girls" actress Kerry Washington at a leadership conference at USC in 2006

"For Colored Girls" is a film that powerfully moves people to feel emotions when watching it....and even some time after. For me the film had multiple themes. One theme would be how many women (includng myself) allow the past to dictate their present and shape their future more than it should, and in a negative way. Another theme was that some women make too many excuses for people in their life (partners or family members) who are doing them wrong. The time comes when a woman has to realize that she has to love herself before she can find the love from others that she wants, and even then, some of the people she wants to "save" are the only ones who can save themselves. Abusive relationships are not love, and staying with an abusive person is not helping anyone.

I chose of this title of this blog to be "Look man, "For Colored Girls" is NOT about "hating men" as you say, it's about women loving themselves...so get over it!" because I feel a lot of male critics of this film are misguided. Many men thought it was a "man hating" movie. Actually, I thought it was the opposite: it was about women loving themselves enough to get through life's challenges. The movie was not just about "abusive men", it was also about family, children, getting over the past, abortion, career, etc.

I think this movie was just as brave a movie could be.

UNICEF Snowflake Ball 2011

Katie Proudman, Fistful Of Mercy's Dhani's Harrison, Ashley
w/ Caryl M. Stern (President & CEO of United States Fund for UNICEF
w/ Mia Brandt of UNICEF

Fistful Of Mercy performing
Olivia Harrison recieving the Spirit of Compassion Award

UNICEF held their seventh annual Snowflake Ball in New York City last week at Cipriani's. UNICEF will present the Spirit of Compassion Award to Olivia Harrison for her commitment to child survival.

Helping in need children has always been a passion of mine, having gone through many obstacles myself as a child.

The musical revolutionary pianist ELEW played, his talent is so amazing. Fistful of Mercy also performed. The trio band includes Ben Harper (one of my favorite musicians), Dhani Harrison (whose mother recieved the award of the night)and Joseph Arthur.