President's Pick of the Month - Food for Life Supreme

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine called me raving about this restaurant, Food for Life Supreme and said that I had to try it. So I decided to check it out.

As soon as I entered the restaurant, I noticed the bright décor and welcoming attitude of the staff. The menu at Food for Life Supreme includes breakfast, lunch and dinner items prepared with organic ingredients that are made to be healthy. This restaurant definitely proves that you don’t have to compromise taste for healthy eating. The wings were superb, the vegetables were wonderful and the fried fish was so good I don’t want to talk about it! Other menu items that caught my eye were the salmon bacon, the carrot fries, the homemade wheat bread and the alkaline water. After enjoying my lunch, I wanted to know how I had missed this little gem in the West End community, so I did a little research.

Here’s what I found … Food for Life Supreme is a part of an educational system started by a group of concerned parents and community members in Kansas City. This group wanted a real life component in the learning process for their kids. They created a school that allowed their students to learn how to run a restaurant in an actual restaurant. Students attend the school in Kansas City and are allowed to choose one of the 10 Food for Life Restaurants to work in around the country. Everyone on staff is either a volunteer or a full time student. So this explains why my waiter looked so young. There is also something special about the Atlanta restaurant- all of the décor from the floor to the ceiling was designed and created by students of the university. How cool is that??

Food for Life Supreme has been serving healthy food in the West End for the past five years and I can’t believe I’ve missed it all this time. If you’re looking for a place to “be seen” or “mix and mingle”, this is not where you want to go. But if you’re looking for great tasting, healthy food in a casual atmosphere, you should check it out because it’s definitely on my faves list!

Food for Life Supreme
880 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW
Atlanta, GA 30314
http://www.foodforlifesupreme.com/
404-880-9759

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Are you Ready for the 2010 NUL Conference in DC?

Otis Threatt (L) and William Bryant (R) with Urban
Influence publisher at the NUL conference in Chicago

This year, National Urban League (NUL) celebrates 100 years and will host its annual Conference in DC, July 28-31. We’re so excited and can’t wait to make the trip to such a powerful district to mingle and learn with some of the most powerful and influential people. Since its inception in 1910, the National Urban League has been steadfast in its commitment to empowering communities and changing lives.

William Bryant, former AULYP president, has been to numerous NUL conferences and agreed to share his experience with us.

As a fund development professional, attending the NUL conference has enhanced my network and allowed me to garnish more than $50K in sponsorship from companies and people I have met at past conferences. The parties are unbelievable, from D-NICE on the 1s and 2s to hanging out with EnVogue, MC Lyte and DJ Kid Capri. Also, meeting people like Jeff Johnson, Hill Harper and Melody Hopson has been very impactful. Getting to hear President Obama last year was the highlight of the conference.

Networking with fellow young professionals (YPs) from across the country is the true meaning of the conference. Knowing that your counterparts are doing the same thing in a different city and are members of the same movement is phenomenal. Once you attend one conference you are hooked for life!

Lastly, as a former President of AULYP in 2005 and 2006, it was very exciting to witness in 2005 our chapter named National YP Chapter of the Year; former PPD Chair Andrew Siwo receive the National Heineken Rising Star Award; founding AULYP member Thomas Morse named Southern Region Member of the Year and National Member of the Year; and founding AULYP member and past AULYP president Ebony Howell elected Southern Region President of NULYP. As president, I was so overwhelmed with all the accolades we received. It all happened in DC. Therefore, we are looking for a repeat in DC this year.

Your registration is an investment in your future.

~William Bryant

View the pre-registration book here. Also, e-mail Kendra Shipmon at president@aulyp.com to receive information on group travel with AULYP. The registration rate for young professionals before July 14 is $385. Read more ...

31 Days of Jazz

The anticipated Atlanta Jazz Festival is returning to Atlanta next month as part of the “31 Days of Jazz” series May 29-30. “31 Days of Jazz” kicks off May 1 and spans throughout the month, featuring events at some of Atlanta’s amazing restaurants and venues, including Rare, Sun Dial, Rialto Center, Churchill Grounds and many others.

View the “31 Days of Jazz” calendar through this link http://atlantafestivals.com/?page_id=71. Once there, click on the logos to view events scheduled.

Also, we heard that Corinne Bailey Rae will perform Tuesday, May 11 at Center Stage as part of the series.

Rival Entertainment & The 2010 Atlanta Jazz Festival present Corinne Bailey Rae

Center Stage 5/11/2010 7pm

An intimate evening with Corinne Bailey Rae. $29.50
http://www.ticketmaster.com/

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Ludacris the Philanthropist

One of the many things we love over here at AULYP is philanthropy. We’ve been observing Chris Bridges’ (AKA Ludacris) philanthropic work for quite some time and like what we see. Following the buzz about his work with the 2010 Census and the CDC’s HIV/AIDS awareness campaign targeting the African-American community, we recently learned that he’s giving away a substantial amount of money this week on V-103’s "Frank and Wanda Morning Show" just because.

Luda stays on the move by providing monetary support and donating time in the Atlanta community and beyond. If you haven't heard much about The Ludacris Foundation's work, let us provide an overview. The foundation has donated $500,000 to support grassroots organizations and invested more than 2,500 hours in service to youth across the nation, according to The Ludacris Foundation's facts.

So where is Luda right now? He’s currently in NOLA encouraging residents to complete their 2010 Census form and to mail it back. Next, he's on his way to New York, DC and Atlanta to promote the same message. Great example of community empowerment! Read more ...

President's Pick of the Month - Pearl Restaurant & Lounge

Hello! My monthly post is here to give you a peek into an exciting little gem in our great city each month. It could be a hot new restaurant, a fabulous event, or just something different to try. Either way, I hope my “Pick of the Month” will help you have a new experience in the A. So I thought I’d start with an old favorite on Peters Street, Pearl Restaurant & Lounge. Please don’t confuse it with Pearl Bistro in Southwest Atlanta. Great restaurant, but not the focus today.

If you love seafood, you’re going to thank me for putting you on to this one. It's the sit down restaurant connected to Baltimore Seafood. Lots of people know about Baltimore for their catfish fingers, shrimp, or crab legs, but if you know Baltimore, you know that it’s only a take-out restaurant. The great thing about Pearl is that you can get the same great seafood in a nice atmosphere with great drinks. So the question is what should you eat? I have tons of faves, but let me just give you something to get you started. The catfish fingers are a must try, but if you’re trying to stay away from the fried stuff then I would suggest any of the vegetables. The green beans are fantastic! But I’m a green bean lover from way back. For those nights when you want to be extra healthy, go with a salmon salad. You won’t be disappointed.

There are a couple of other great things about Pearl. First, it stays open late. It’s open ‘til midnight during the week and 2 a.m. on the weekend. Next, they have a great drink menu. Third, and my personal favorite, is the patio. It’s got a great atmosphere with the cushy chairs, fireplace, and bar. All in all a great lounge spot with great food.

So, if you’ve been to Pearl, I say take another visit for old times sake. If you’ve never been, try it, love it, and share it!

Pearl Restaurant & Lounge
253 Peters Street SW
Atlanta, GA 30313

Until next time,
Kendra Read more ...

Our Visit to CDC's "i know" Launch

Robert Bailey II, Dr. Donna Hubbard McCree, Marvelyn Brown, Lyfe Jennings, Jeff Johnson, Jeremih

Marvelyn Brown, Jeremih, Kevin Reeves, Jeff Johnson, Dr. Donna Hubbard McCree

Earlier this month, AULYP visited the launch of the CDC’s new initiative, i know, that provides HIV awareness and prevention tools to young African-Americans and encourages dialogue about the issue. We went behind the scenes and interviewed Jeff Johnson, award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator and Dr. Donna Hubbard McCree, team lead and behavioral scientist in CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

The Kaiser Family Foundation found in a recent survey that the concern about HIV among African-Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 is declining. That's troubling seeing that African-Americans face the most severe rates of HIV and AIDS in the nation. While Blacks make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, they represent nearly half of the 56,000 new HIV infections that occur each year and half of the more than 14,000 AIDS deaths each year.

We spoke directly to Johnson and Dr. McCree to find out why this may be happening and how we as young professionals can help.


According to Dr. McCree, the burdens of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in African-American communities are higher than other communities. Poverty, higher incarceration rates, stigmas and lack of access to care are some of the factors that are contributing to the HIV/AIDS problem in African- Americans. There are economic burdens, stigmas and discrimination issues.

According to Jeff Johnson, “We have to get over whether we have been personally affected by HIV/AIDS, we are all affected by this and a lot of people are blase about it." He also added that people aren’t really shocked by HIV/AIDS anymore because the face of HIV/AIDS is no longer sick. But whether or not the face is still the same, the impact is still the same.

When asked what we as young professionals can do, Dr. McCree said “We know the science. We need your voice.” African-Americans tend to be silent about the issue. Research indicates that the simple act of talking about HIV can help change the course of the epidemic – by reducing stigma, increasing knowledge about HIV prevention, and motivating life-saving behaviors.

Become a part of the solution. Break the silence, begin conversation or take part in existing conversations. For more information on the entire Act Against Aids campaign, visit http://www.actagainstaids.org/ or http://nineandahalfminutes.org/.

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Greetings!

Greetings! AULYP is so excited to relaunch its blog, Urban Talk. With a new logo and interesting topics lined up for the year, we want you to enjoy your experience on each visit. Urban Talk is designed to keep you informed and seeks to provide topics that help you stay balanced. We’re planning to provide insight into social activities, issues of the day and other topics affecting YPs.

Our president, Kendra Shipmon, is debuting her new blog post President’s Pick of the Month.

Do us a favor! Subscribe to our page. Post comments with your opinions. We love interesting conversation.

Thank you for visiting our blog!
~AULYP Read more ...