Racquetball and The Family

So, I played racquetball with my family today and it was a blast! We all got hit with the ball so many times and they kept laughing at me because I couldn't hit the ball at first! I kept swinging at the thing and missing! All in all it was a great time. We just got a gym membership and it is definitely worth it! I can’t wait to use the dance room and get some workout routines in! Yes!

Love, Britt Britt

Miss Black Ohio 2011 at the Dada Rafiki Event

Miss Black Ohio USA Pageant - II

2011 Christmas with Queens

University of Cincinnati vs. Connecticut Women’s Basketball

I just want to congratulate my Lady Bearcats on a GREAT game! Today was my first time ever attending a game at the UC and they played really hard and gave it their all. I really enjoyed myself watching the ladies play today as I sat in the stands cheering them on with my manager, Terron Austin from Radio One, Jade West, Jeri, and Nikita with 101.1 The Wiz, my sister Kaira Walton, and our co-manager Demarcus Banks! Jade kept hiding beneath cotton candy! Being in the crowd and watching the dance and cheer leading teams gave me a flash back of my glory days when I was on the dance team at Winton Woods High School! Even hearing the band play those fights songs made me want to jump on the court with my black and red pom-poms and join the routine! Oh the days! 101.1 The Wiz gave away a bike to a very excited young boy who was literally jumping with joy! Afterwards I got to take a quick snap shot with the wonderful UC Cheer leading Team. During the meet and greet with a few ladies of the UC Women’s Basketball Team, Jeanice, Tiffany, and B, we had the opportunity to autograph posters together! With that said, all that is left to say is ooooh! Oooooh! OOOH! UC! Go Bearcats!

"The Me I See" Self-Esteem Workshop with the Girls Scouts of Greater Cincinnati

Hello everyone! Today I had the pleasure of facilitating the self-esteem workshop for the girl scouts called, “The Me I See”! Let me tell you I had a blast! The girls seemed to really enjoy themselves as well! I began by asking them what they thought self esteem was. A few answers I got were, “It’s the way other people see you,” or “Oh! I know! It’s how you feel about yourself,” or “Ummm, I don’t know.” We then explored the definition of self-esteem and its significance in our day-to-day lives.  We played a game called The Four Corners. In this game, the words, “yes,” “mostly yes,”  “no,” and “mostly no,” are placed in four corners of a room. The girls then had to run to a corner after being asked a series of yes or no questions. There were questions like, “Are cats better than dogs,” “Are boys are smarter than girls,” and “Are popular girls happier than unpopular girls?” We then watched a video showing how advertising companies “fix” a model to make her look perfect, literally. The video showed how the companies use photo shop to edit the way someone looks to make them “fit” into this perception of beauty. After watching the video, many of the girls just sat in awe because they had no clue that people would do such a thing. Many of them said that they liked the way the model looked before they changed her. We also did an activity where we wrote positive things on a plastic cup and made a great pyramid of positive words, using the cups, symbolizing how encouragement and positive things can build someone’s self-esteem. We then wrote negative things on a piece of paper and threw them at our pyramid destroying all the positive things. This symbolized how saying negative things can destroy someone’s self-esteem. One of the activities the girls seemed to enjoy the most was called the Identity Activity. There was a sticker placed on everyone’s forehead that had a phrase. There were phrases such as laugh at me, try to avoid me, feel sorry for me, and many more. Whatever the phrase said on the girl’s head was how she was treated throughout the entire activity! The girl’s had to figure out what their sticker said without being told! There we many other things we did together as well. They designed paper bags, wrote encouraging notes to each other, and even had to be interviewed about their talents and strengths. We then closed with each girl earning her participation certification, her badge, her very own appreciation journal, and even a piece of candy! On many of the evaluation forms, the girls said they liked the experience and that there was nothing that they would change about it. They also said that they felt this workshop was very important and that it needed to be continued for other girls to experience. Many of them said they would change by encouraging other people and sticking up for someone when they hear “put-downs”. There was one comment that stood out to me. When an anonymous girl was asked, “Would you add any other activities to this workshop” on her evaluation form she responded, “Snack time!” My sister, Kaira Walton, and I laughed out loud! After everything, the girls said their goodbyes and even made some new friends! Until next time,

Sincerely,

Brittainy Walton

Miss Black Ohio USA 2011

NPHC Greek Stroll-Off at University of Cincinnati

Hey guys! I had an amazing time with the legendary African American Fraternities and Sororities at the University of Cincinnati. It was a great time seeing old friends, meeting new people and just having fun! Everyone did a fantastic job on their strolls as well as supporting the cause for the event, which was the March of Dimes! The March of Dimes is an international fundraising program that supports full-term healthily pregnancies and the health of babies. It was great that everyone was able to come together and support a good cause. Thanks again Naquia!

Red Dress Event! Feb 4th!

GO RED FOR WOMEN!

Next week we will be holding our Red Dress Affair at the Mixx Ultra Lounge in Downtown Cincinnati! This function is a fundraising benefit for the American Heart Association. Flyer Follows

Come down and Support!

Women of Excellence

Tomorrow will be an exciting day on the University of Cincinnati Campus! The first installment of the Women of Excellence Program will be starting at 10am ( flyer attached). Come is you can, and if you can't there will be many other opportunities to catch another one! Event happens in Cincinnati every third Saturday of the month and in Columbus on OSU campus every first Saturday.

Hope to see you there!

Martin Luther King Weekend 2011

As I sit here, I struggle to find the words to describe how beautiful and rare this weekend truly was for me. This past Saturday, January 15^th, I was a fortunate witness to the journey that African Americans have progressed upon from the time of our ancestors to present day. During the African Culture Fest held at the Cincinnati Museum Center, a celebration of the heritage and cherished culture of African Americans took place through artistic expression! There were works such as “The Balancing Act”, by Velma J. Morris, “Dancing2” by Jimi Jones, and “Into the Fellowship” by Melvin Grier, and countless others that spectacularly captured the special moments in African American culture that make us distinctly unique and extraordinary. Not only were there visual arts but also tables stretching of limitless and colorful jewelry that adorned the garments and linens they rested upon. There were exquisite dishes with an African American flare, and spoken word! Oh thank God for the poetry that just surged from the spirits of the poets that so selflessly and graciously gave of themselves during the Dada Rafiki: Poetry, Passion, and Power. The women that shared where absolutely phenomenal women whose hearts and poetry were just as rich and beautiful as they were. There was Sharon Draper, Gifted, Faith Daniels, JaHipster, and the woman responsible for bringing us in the intimate setting of the Reakirt Auditorium, to exist in togetherness, was Annie Ruth and many more. I was also blessed with the pleasant opportunity to meet the some of the great Tuskegee Airmen. There were not only blacks that day, but people of all colors and backgrounds and ethnicities participating together in unity and enjoying their fellow man.

            Today, Monday, 1/17/2011, will be a day forever etched in the memory of my heart. I have never been so privileged and honored to have been even a spectator of all that I witnessed. The King Legacy Awards Breakfast was held today in the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. It is widely known he had a dream, that one-day people would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. There were many wonderful and amazingly talented people in attendance. There were people like freedom rider Betty Daniels Rosemond, Senator Eric Kearney, profound speaker Courtis Fuller and many others that God Himself has personally given me the privilege of encountering today. I believe Dr. King would be proud. I believe he would look upon us and his heart would smile, for we have come a might long way and we are still progressing forward. It was such an honor to even be in the same building, much less the presence of all of that wisdom and perseverance and determination, and follow through and that “I Have a Dream”, and “I Will Succeed” spirit that Jesus wrapped up in those beautiful souls that ever so diligently paved the way for people like me and you. There were many encouraging words and words of wisdom spoken today such as words having complete and absolute power to shape the world around you. Jesus brought us into existence by words, He even flipped the world upside down through words, great movements of history were brought about by words, and there is power in words.

If you don’t take anything else from this blog, take this: the power of words change the world. There is great influence through words and great people have come from using words wisely as well has having great mentors. Since my platform is youth empowerment through mentorship, the arts, and global awareness, and January is National Mentor month, I urge you to get a mentor if you don’t already have one, if you need someone to mentor, start today. You may be a mentor and not even know it, but someone somewhere is watching you. Be the impact in someone’s life. Be the light of God and the example of all that a man or a woman should be. Great people like Dr. King had mentors to guide them and set a magnificent example. So I ask you, who is mentoring you? Mentoring is what matters because you may very well be someone’s dream. The crown that I have been given and the sash that I wear are only materials. Significance, standard, and purpose are brought about to these materials through the lives young and the old. The thing that inspires me is the youth, the dreamers and achievers such as the young and very talented vocalists Mckenzie Mack, and Isaiah Reaves. The high school honorees Iva Durand III, William M. Merritt, and Margarette Tarver and all of those that made today possible. I thank God for being with me and guiding me on this journey. I thank God for Terron Austin, a wonderful and dear friend whom I hold close to my heart, and for DeMarcus Banks. I thank God for all you. From my heart to yours, thank you, and may God bless you abundantly. 

A Day at the Union Terminal Museum

This past Saturday, Miss Black Ohio attended the Dada Rafiki African American Art event. The Dada Rafiki exhibit showcased an array of art work created by local artist. The event was home for just under 100 vendors of different arts and crafts, and had many programs that highlighted the artistic talent of many native Cincinnatians.


Miss Black Ohio, Brittainy Walton, enjoyed herself by looking through the art, greeting guests, and taking photos with those who wanted a one on one talk with her. She also gave an impromptu performance of "Love Letter", an original piece. There were many memorable moments that Miss Black Ohio had, including but not limited to an encounter with the Tuskegee Airmen whom were delighted and proud to meet and talk with Brittainy, meeting with Miss Annie Ruth (the event coordinator and artist), and getting special recognition for attendance to the spoken word presentation by Ms. Sharon Draper.

Photos of the event will follow (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Black-Ohio-USA-Pageant-and-Scholarship-Foundation/117739471576066), But if you are interested in having a chance to meet with Miss Black Ohio, have her come to one of your event, or if you just want more information on the pageant, contact the MBO staff at the following email : info@missblackohio.org.