"Nice White Parents"
A Podcast by Serial Productions and The New York Times

As we gear up for back to school, now is a great time to binge listen to this five-part podcast series that examines the public school system and the systems, parents, and interests that helped shape it. 

"We know American public schools do not guarantee each child an equal education. Two decades of school reform initiatives have not changed that. But when Chana Joffe-Walt, a reporter, looked at inequality in education, she saw that most reforms focused on who schools were failing: Black and brown kids. But what about who the schools are serving? In this five-part series, she turns her attention to what is arguably the most powerful force in our schools: White parents." (New York Times Podcasts)

We all need positive affirmations and motivation in our lives and we want to give young adults in our Real World Program the encouragement to make this a daily practice. 

This month, Real World participants explored self-esteem and self-worth. Each young adult focused on a driving force or motivator that helps them get going get each day. Hearing everyone's heartfelt responses set the tone for the rest of the session and the rest of the summer. 

“Knowing that my 4-month-old daughter is counting on me is all the motivation I need to capitalize on my next 24 hours.” - Jaheim G. 

We are continuing to equip our community with Employment Training and Recruitment, Life Skills for the whole family, and the Real World program for young adults.

A new Life Skills class will start September 14. We will host an interest meeting on Zoom August 31.

The Life Skills class can transform lives. A one-year program for employed adults and their children, Life Skills offers:

• Budgeting 

• Goal Setting  

• Relationship Development 

• Financial Incentives  

• Mentoring and resource referrals 

• Workshops and individual support for adults and their children  

Register at www.stepupministry.org/get-help or call 919-781-0156 

Employment Readiness Training (group classes or one-on-one instruction) is for adults 18-60 and offers:

• Resume support

• Interview Practice 

• Support in overcoming barriers to employment  

• Referrals to StepUp’s network of employers and opportunities  

• Average starting hourly wage $13+ an hour 

Register at www.stepupministry.org/get-help or call 919-781-0156.

Group Life Skills group programs will continue to be offered virtually through the end of 2021.

“It is our goal to safely resume in-person programming,” says Linda Nunnallee, Executive Director. “It was a difficult decision to continue virtual programs for another quarter, but we carefully considered the health of every participant, volunteer and our staff. We look forward to exiting this pandemic together and resuming our group programs as soon as it is safe to gather.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of our donors as we provide Employment and Life Skills training for the entire family,” Nunnallee adds.  

If you have questions about Employment Readiness Training or Step2/Life Skills, please contact Angela Coleman. If you have questions about Children’s Life Skills or Real World Young Adults programs, please contact Colisha C. Stanford.  

Visit our Calendar to see all upcoming events or our Volunteer Page for opportunities to get involved as we transition back to in-person group programs. 

We are excited to announce our new partnership with Trinity Academy! StepUp has been working alongside the school and Jessica Hughey from Vintage Church , and we are pleased that three StepUp children are now members of the Trinity Academy family! Jaida Ivy, Aamir Trapp and Ka’lah Trapp started at their new school on August 17, 2021.  

“I have had the privilege of knowing Jessica Hughey for several years now. We bonded over our love for service and over our love of children. Jessica has always gone over and beyond to support our StepUp children and our mission by making sure they had school supplies, backpacks, pajamas, socks, underwear, and even Christmas gifts!  Most recently, she delivered school work books so that our StepUp children can have some extra support as they navigate going to school virtually. Jessica didn’t stop there. She felt a deeper need in her heart to find a way to support our children and their futures that would serve the past their immediate needs. She approached me with the opportunity for our StepUp children to attend Trinity Academy. My jaw dropped and I stood still as she explained all the educational benefits our StepUp children would receive. I was almost in tears thinking about the wonderful children that we serve here, who only need an opportunity or access to resources. Jessica did not know how everything would turn out, but she was determined to ask the right questions and go as far as she needed to in order to make this happen. It is because of her heart, her drive, and her dedication to our StepUp mission that our families are experiencing great opportunities for educational and social advancement! She did it and she continues to advocate for our families at Trinity Academy. May God bless Jessica and her heart of service. We are so thankful for her support!” – Colisha C. Stanford, Director of Children and Young Adult Programs. 

Trinity Academy uses an innovative Classical curriculum that is “purposely designed to employ methods and materials that naturally align with brain development and aid in brain formation in ways that modern educational methods do not. The irreplaceable outcome of Classical education is a brain that can adapt to virtually anything it encounters.” 

James Ivy Jr., father of Jaida Ivy, said, “This is where God’s grace is leading us and we’re just riding along. When we got the call we thought wow this is an opportunity of a lifetime so we’re just going along.” 

Jaida Ivy (7th Grade) said, “I’m mostly excited about meeting new people and having a fresh start. I love my track team and I’m ready and optimistic about my new beginnings.” 

Aamir Trapp (Kindergarten) is excited to meet his teacher and paint, while Ka’Lah Trapp (1st Grade) can’t wait to go to math class and meet her teacher.  We are ready for this new adventure for all three StepUp participants.

StepUp is grateful to everyone who played a role in making this happen. We cannot wait to see the ways this partnership continues to grow!  

"Wilmington’s Lie" by David Zucchino 

It took the unfathomable pain felt by people of color during the last year, and the ensuing movement to rename buildings and streets in our communities, for a key piece of North Carolina’s history to be revealed to me. 

I am a proud North Carolinian, living here all but four years of my life. But only recently have I learned about the horror of the Wilmington massacre and its impact on Black Americans. I associated Wilmington with the beach, and the film industry, but was ignorant of its past as a prosperous mixed-race community in the years following the Civil War. 

As a UNC graduate who still spends many weekends in Chapel Hill, many prominent names from the November massacre are familiar to me. "Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy," is a compelling account which earned New York times writer David Zucchino a Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction earlier this year.  

I’ve resolved to learn more about of the important history and events that shape institutional racism in our state and country. StepUp invests in training for all of us staff and the volunteers so we can effectively support many cultures and the barriers faced. This education aids our ability to meet families where they are, and develop the skills to build stability. 

It’s also important for us to also seek critical information on our own. What recommendations can you share to help us learn?
- Nancy Bromhal, StepUp Ministry Development Director 
 

“Seek first to understand, than to be understood.”
– Steven Covey

Jessica Hughey is the Director of the Children’s Ministry at Vintage Church North and has made an incredible impact on the StepUp Children’s program! Jessica became involved with StepUp when she saw that many members of her church were interested in volunteering, but needed help seeking opportunities. With the help of her team, her church developed an app that matches church members to service opportunities throughout Raleigh. This is when Jessica became involved with StepUp and spearheaded many service projects and supply collections.  

“It started with a pajama and sock drive, and I then I kept coming back. Even outside of the church, StepUp comes to mind because I love the ministry there and I know there is always a need. StepUp is very well-rounded!” 

We are so grateful for Jessica and Vintage Church for everything they have done for StepUp! 

This month, our Middle Ground participants participated in the Museum at Home: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture creative writing program presented by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Each contestant chose a piece of art from the following options and wrote a poem or essay about it: Walking by Charles Alston, Arty by Nelson Stevens, or Rev. Martin Luther King by Charles Alston. See the submissions below: 

Christian C., 7th Grade 

Rev. Martin Luther King by Charles  

I think piece that I have chosen is show that the author is saying to hold your head up don’t give up. I say this because Martin Luther King never gave up. My favorite piece is walking. I say this piece is my favorite because they are walking as a family, staying by each other side. This artwork relates to my life because I have a quote “Stay up till you come up.” I still haven’t came up but I’m pushing to success one day at a time. “I have a dream.” 

Royality H., 4th Grade 

This artwork is beautiful. It shows how hard people work. This artwork shows justice for Martin Luther King Jr. The person who murdered Martin Luther King Jr. Was wrong because he needed to life a long life. I hope Martin Luther King Jr. Children pass away they are all buried in the same cemetery too.  

I like when he says in his “I had a dream” speech that all children, Black and white will get a chance to play together. It is not wrong for Black and white children to play together and Martin Luther King Jr. Wanted this for everyone. When I think of Martine Luther King Jr. I think of George Floyd because both men were murdered by white men and that wasn’t right. Martin Luther King Jr. Was alive, he would have made justice for George Floyd.  

I hope that Martin Luther King Jr. And George Floyd are dancing in heaven. I am glad they are both away from the pain in this world. Keep their spirit together.  

Samuel G., 4th Grade

My family and I have always celebrated Juneteenth! Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of Black citizens throughout all of the United States. This historic day is important to us all. 

Growing up, I remember my grandparents and my great grandmother talking about civil rights marches and everything they had to endure just to work towards equal rights. I remember them sharing stories about my ancestors who were actually in Texas at the time of the announcement. It gives me chills to think about what that moment must have been like, but more importantly, what that meant for Black individuals from that day forward.

As a small child, my family would celebrate with other Black families, White families, and other families of color by having a cookout or some type celebration to commemorate Juneteenth. It was extremely necessary for me to learn about the importance of Juneteenth as a child, because I was able to grow up with a strong love for my culture, a deep admiration of my heritage, and what it truly meant to be Black in America.

Here at StepUp, we continue to make conscious efforts to educate our StepUp children and young adults about Black History and the importance of Juneteenth. I read the book, Juneteenth For Mazie, by Floyd Cooper EVERY year to my own children and we read it this past week to all of our amazing StepUp children! 

Celebrate Juneteenth today with children, adults, and people of all backgrounds. We cannot abdicate from our responsibility to teach and educate each other about our true history. History is history for us all. Happy Juneteenth! It truly is a holiday to be celebrated!”

- Colisha C Stanford, Director of Children and Young Adult Programs

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We’ve compiled a variety of resources to educate about the history and celebrate the significance of Juneteenth. Check them out here:  

Online Resources

Digital resources to celebrate and teach Juneteenth 

• Juneteenth history and links to other resources 

A Brief History of Juneteenth: Including Resources for Teachers and Home School Parents 

• History of Juneteenth and links to lesson plans for teachers and parents 

Teaching Juneteenth by Learning for Justice  

• Juneteenth resource that acknowledges history and empowers change 

17 Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth 

• Includes books to read, videos to watch, and learning plans 

Atlanta History Center Juneteenth Commemoration 2021 

• Free, virtual programming honoring Juneteenth and recognizing “Black innovation, creativity, and activism.” 

Books to read this Juneteenth 

Penguin Random House Reading List 

125 Black-owned Bookstores 

Other books: 

• Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain 

• On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed 

• Festivals of Freedom by Mitch Kachun 

• Closer to Freedom by Stephanie Camp 

• A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Berry and Kali Gross 

• Juneteenth For Mazie by Floyd Cooper

• We All Belong: A Children’s Book About Diversity, Race, and Empathy by Natalie Goss and Alex Goss 

• All Different Now: Juneteenth, The First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson and E. B. Lewis 

• Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Ducan Tonatiuh 

• It’s OK to be Different: A Children’s Picture Book about Diversity and Kindness by Sharon Purtill and Sujata Saha 

Black Owned Businesses to Support in the Area 

WRAL List of Triangle Area Black-owned Businesses 

Discover Durham List of Black-owned Businesses 

Raleigh Magazine List of Black-owned Businesses 

Juneteenth 2021 in the Triangle 

Raleigh Juneteenth Festival 

Saturday 2-8PM 

Garner Road Community Center (2235 Garner Road Raleigh NC) 

Juneteenth 

Saturday 1-2:30PM 

Sertoma Amphitheatre (801 High House Road Cary, NC) 

Black Gold Magazine: Juneteenth Celebration Kick Off 

Friday 7:30-10:30PM 

The West Room (6405 Westgate Road STE 121 Raleigh NC) 

Capital City Juneteenth Celebration at Dix Park 

Saturday 1-5PM 

693 Palmer Dr Raleigh NC 

Juneteenth Black Business PopUp 

Saturday 10AM-4PM 

Fisher Memorial United Holy Church of America (420 E Piedmont Ave Durham NC) 

Juneteenth Event: Celebrating Black Music Month 

Sunday 3-7:30PM 

North Carolina Museum of Art (2110 Blue Ridge Road Raleigh NC) 

Celebrate Juneteenth at the Museum of History 

Friday 1-4PM 

North Carolina Museum of History (5 E Edenton Street Raleigh NC) 

MORE EVENTS 

The Skin We're In 
A WRAL documentary

We're watching The Skin We’re In, a collection of stories and lived experiences from People of Color in the Triangle about their encounters with racism and microaggressions and the impact of those experiences. Their testimonies are a powerful reminder of the work still to be done in our community and in our own lives.  

We’re also thinking about the implicit bias test that can be helpful in building a more inclusive community: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html. StepUp's staff and volunteers are committed to identifying and interrogating our own implicit biases and creating a more equitable future for all people. 

We are grateful to Martin Marietta for the generous investment in StepUp Ministry! As the presenting sponsor of IMPACT Week, Martin Marietta is helping us share our story with the community and raise the funds to teach life skills and connect adults with jobs. 

 “Our company’s mission is to provide the foundation upon which communities can grow and improve,” says Craig LaTorre, Chief Human Resources Officer at Martin Marietta. “As such, we are incredibly proud to support organizations like StepUp, whose employment and life skills training programs help adults and children grow and build stability for generations to come.”

Meet  Leanne Barnard, one of our volunteer instructors for the Life Skills program!  Leanne’s favorite part of volunteering with StepUp is, “Witnessing the ‘aha moment’ that participants have when everything just starts to click. It is exciting to see people internalize these important concepts. I also enjoy teaching the lesson on forgiveness. Learning to forgive ourselves and those around us is tough but very important for moving forward.” 

Leanne says the past year has tested her, but she is incredibly grateful and motivated by her relationship with God. “I am so thankful for the things that God has done to make me more generous, and how He has helped me to be more giving,” she explains. Leanne has made a lasting impact on our participants and we are grateful to have her guidance as a facilitator. Thank you, Leanne! 

This past month has been another busy one for our youngest participants in Baby and Little Steps! We continued our fun activities through virtual programs, with edible playdoh, make your own sensory bins, and lessons about the changing seasons.  

We also had a wonderful opportunity to partner with WAKE Up and Read, a local nonprofit committed to improve childhood literacy. They provided us with bags of activity books, picture books and other resources tailored to our youngest participants. Read more about WAKE Up and Read here: https://wakeupandread.org/

Kaliah connected with StepUp in March 2021, as she was facing challenges to finding employment due to a history of justice involvement. She had reached a speed bump on her journey called life and needed support. Since then, she has worked diligently to change the narrative her past wrote for her and has used the “sandwich approach” from the Employment Training Workshop to share her story with potential employers.  

Through employment training, she sharpened her resume and interview skills and accessed community resources that have benefitted her family. Just a month after completing employment training, Kaliah landed a job with MVP staffing.  She loves her work schedule, which allows her to be flexible with the schedules of her three children (9, 8, and 4). Kaliah and her children hope to join Step2 Life Skills next. Since Kaliah reached out for support from StepUp, she feels like she can win her race. 

An interview with Melinda Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of BLOOMHERE

I’m excited to introduce the people and the stories behind StepUp. I’ve been chatting with board members, partners, participants and volunteers about their involvement in StepUp and have quickly learned that no matter what capacity it is that people come to StepUp, they walk away transformed. – Chelsea Thomas, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, StepUp Ministry

Melinda: I’m Melinda and I’m the founder and Executive Director of BLOOMHERE. I started BLOOMHERE in June of 2018 and we opened our first house last year in August.

Can you provide more background on your motivation behind starting BLOOMHERE?

Melinda: We provide housing, health care and a community for women survivors of abuse, addiction, trafficking, and it's all at no cost to the residents. So, what we're doing is helping hold space for these women to heal and restore themselves. By giving them rent, dental and mental free, it truly is helpful for someone to holistically heal. And then, while they're in the house, we also have a justice enterprise, which is BLOOMHERE body oils, where the women make body oils and get paid a fair wage at $15 an hour.

What prompted you to come up with the concept for BLOOMHERE?

Melinda: When I turned 38, I discovered that there was some childhood trauma that I had experienced. During that time, I was in Raleigh, and I got to go to the best therapist, I got to go to yoga, I got to buy new clothes, I got to get my hair done, I got to go home every day to a nice house and sleep and do all the things that you need to heal and recover when something traumatic has happened to you. So, I started to really think “How do women that don't have the means heal?” And I really started diving into what Raleigh has to offer women.

That’s an important question to ask– what does it look like for people who don't have access to all those opportunities and what does it looks like for that to change?

Melinda: We have the abundance to provide people the opportunity to heal and thrive, but collectively, I can't do this on my own. I mean, we have incredible donors who have been with us since 2018, we got to hire this year, one of my friends was like, “Oh, I have a townhome that I'll let you rent.” So BLOOMHERE wouldn’t be without the community of all these incredible people. And I think now more than ever with COVID … we’ve got to give people a fighting chance.

How do partnerships with other nonprofits in the community help to support your work?

Melinda: StepUp, Angus Barn and Wake Tech are our three biggest partners that we use… and we have a great volunteer crew. They do so much for us. The biggest nonprofit that we partner with is StepUp, which we love, because StepUp offers so much of the life skills programming, which is what we needed. One of the things we were going to provide was life skills classes, but once we found out about StepUp, I was like, “Oh, why would we do that when someone's been doing it for plus amount of years. Let's go here.” Once talking to Linda, I knew immediately that this would be the program that we'll continue to use for the duration of our program.

Nonprofits have a really unique role in communities where they have opportunities to have differentiated missions, collaborative partnerships and the ability to address the bigger systems at play. What does that look like to you?

Melinda: I feel like for us, we work together by sharing resources and best practices. And by educating our local leaders on what the community needs. We're ground level and we know exactly what's going on. I love to share information, I feel that that's the only way we're going to be able to grow. One of the largest nonprofits in Nashville, Tennessee gave me their whole entire handbook, which literally allowed us to up our game. I was able to help women survive two years beforehand by someone saying, “Hey, we've done this for 20 years, here's the playbook.” If we're all riding the same bus together, the more we help each other move in the same direction, the better off we would be.

What is the biggest lesson BLOOMHERE has learned in the past year?

Melinda: To trust truly, to hold onto our mission and to trust that our community will hold us up. And to not live in a place of fear. The community has our back.

Visit the BLOOMHERE website to learn more: https://www.bloom-here.org/

Thanks to Acorn and Oak Property Management for donating books for our school-aged children that explore themes of leadership, empowerment and confidence. Check out the list below:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by Bryan Mealer and William Kamkwamba

Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

New Kid by Jerry Craft

During National Volunteer Appreciation Week April 18-24, we celebrated volunteers for helping support our mission. Each department at StepUp also recognized a volunteer (not a board member) for outstanding support in the past year. Thanks to the following for their exceptional contributions to StepUp: Danny Cook, Adults Program; Cynthia Cooper, Alumni Program; Vintage Church, Children’s Program; and Caroline Lewis and Amanda Lima of Windrose Management, Development 

Click the link below to watch our volunteer recognition video. Visit our website to learn how you can get involved as a volunteer!

The young adults in our Real World program kicked off Music Month by expressing themselves through song, poetry, and art! We welcomed back E. Jones from Jamla Records/RocNation to judge the music competition and share his insights on being “dedicated to your craft.” Real World was so inspired by E. Jones and he encouraged each of them to submit any music or poetry for critique. We’re excited for E. Jones to return for our Virtual Career Panel in a few weeks!

“I like this!”  - Royality Hill, Children's Program participant

Royality has enjoyed all of the April activities from decorating Easter eggs to talking about empathy to planting a garden. 

This month in the Children's Program, we celebrated Easter with an egg hunt and a basket full of activities thanks to our amazing volunteers. We also focused on nutrition and learned how to grow our own food. StepUp children got to plant herbs and tomatoes with the help of a lesson created by one of our Life Skills alumni!

The Michelle Obama Podcast
Working Women: Valerie Jarrett and the Importance of Mentorship

This month has been full of learning and growing together. At StepUp we deeply value mentorship and walking alongside our community. This episode of Michelle Obama's podcast captures the significant role that mentors play in all of our lives.

We're thinking about mentors who have helped to shape us and our StepUp community.

We celebrated the graduation of one Life Skills participant and two Real World participants on March 26th with a virtual ceremony. We are so proud of the dedication and commitment to the process and to their purpose that these graduates have shown.

"Spend some time with yourself because your purpose is inside of you. You don't have to look far, you don't have to look to other people. You will find your purpose sitting right there inside of you." - Jamar Davis