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Soul Steppers keep pace with themselves on regular walks

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — When you see a member of the L.A. Soul Steppers stepping through the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza get out of the way. The Soul Steppers are a walking club of about 70-plus members. The free club for senior citizens meets once a month for a two-mile walk around the mall.

Published

5 years ago

September 17, 2019

Oakland Post

L.A. Soul Steppers (Photo by: wavenewspapers.com)

By Kristina Dixon

BALDWIN HILLS — When you see a member of the L.A. Soul Steppers stepping through the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza get out of the way.

The Soul Steppers are a walking club of about 70-plus members. The free club for senior citizens meets once a month for a two-mile walk around the mall.

The group has been in existence for three years now. Members start their meeting by greeting each other, their coach, drinking water, tying their laces tight and stretching in order to prevent injury and ensure an effective workout.

Once all members are ready, founder and owner of Ultimate Transformations Training Coach Erich Nall, better known as “Coach E.” instructs everyone to come together in formation and leads the walk.

Chests held high and 10 toes down, they begin to walk their route. They begin at the upper level of the shopping plaza and make their way down. Some walk for two loops, others three loops. Everyone is encouraged to go at their own pace but to keep going.

Nall is friendly, informative and cares for his team.

“Four years ago, I partnered with AARP to develop a program that gets the community out and focuses on exercise and wellness. I developed and designed a program where we talk flexibility, stretching and proper mechanics for walking. Now we’re doing the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and we average about a 60-70 person turnout every month.

Nall says the group gathers at 6 a.m. The members stretch their muscles and warm up before starting the walk and there is no walking standard.

“Some people come out and walk and are novices and haven’t walked in their entire lives,” he said. “Then we have our experienced walkers. So what we normally do is a six-loop walk, which is approximately two miles. Two and a half loops is approximately one mile.

“What we try to do is to get everyone to do at least two or three loops in order to get the one-mile distance in, but mostly everyone walks the six loops.

“The community loves this,” Nall added. “We moved from one exercise day a month to two and now they are requesting to do more. So hopefully over the time we can expand it to maybe I meet with them once a week to have four workouts a month.

“I am incorporating exercise, strength training, isometrics and weight lifting and showing them how to do it, during this time frame and then they’re doing it on their own while they’re away from me.”

Long-term member Madeline Wilson said, “Getting up early in the morning and getting some exercise is a great way to start the day.”

She keeps coming back because of the exercises and the inspiration that Nall gives her.

“He talks about healthy lifestyles, not just exercising but eating, getting rest and being conscious.”

Maxine Young said: “I love all the tips that Coach E. gives us. I’ve always been a walker but I learn things about diet, ways to warm up and cool down. The whole package is interesting.

“It’s a challenge to me to come out and I can be very competitive anyway,” she added. “So I push myself to do a little bit more than when I just walk around.”

One of the few male participants is Carl Simmons.

“I play basketball but I don’t play as much as I used to,” he said. “So when I come out here and walk it gets my day going, gets my blood going and coach’s information on nutrition is very informative and helpful to me.

“I like coming out and the comradery, the friendships you develop and most of all the exercises you get. I’m trying to lose some weight and it’s working.”

Loretta Walker said, “This club reminds me of what I should be doing and it keeps me on track because I know I have to be there in two weeks.’ So in between time I’m thinking I need to continue to exercise, I need to continue to do what he’s told me to do. So it really encourages me.

“And I also enjoy the people that are here. We find we have so much in common,” she added.

On a recent Tuesday, Rachel Stone and Joyce Howard of AARP hosted a healthy breakfast and workshop on the five pillars of health.

“The Five Pillars of Brain Health was developed by the Global Council on Brain Health which is run by AARP as the national organization,” Stone said. “It brings together scientists and brain researchers who put together this curriculum to give people easy ways to integrate brain healthy behaviors into their everyday life.

“This was really a natural fit with L.A. Soul Steppers,” she added. “I think so many people think of exercise as purely physical but as we saw today, it’s social and great for the brain. Any activity where you’re engaging with your community, getting your heart pumping, circulation going is brain healthy behavior.”

Howard has been volunteer for a year with AARP.

She said, “It’s a family. We get together twice a month. We exercise and we encourage one another to keep moving. As a family, we walk together, we talk together and we socialize. It’s more of a social exercise type of a group and we’re only here for one hour, so it’s perfect. I love the program.”

Members did breathing exercises and asked and answered questions on how many steps they should be walking a day and how many hours of rest they should be getting at night. Members also discuss different health apps they can download to stay on track of their fitness journey.

The club wears a different color t-shirt every year. Past years have included black and aqua. This year’s color is green.

Antoine Cook, California associate state director for AARP, said “Soul Steppers is a very important group for AARP because it really does encourage people to be more active as we get older. We become less active so we encourage people to at least walk.

“This group is important to me because it’s become a strong part of what I do. I get to see people get active and change their lifestyles to become more healthy and also to develop a community around walking and being active.

“It’s really cool for me to check in with people every two weeks, … talk with Coach E. and his wife Yvette and I work with colleagues in Pasadena to do our programming. It’s really a great way to keep involved in the community and to get people involved in things that they should take advantage of everyday, like walking. I’m really excited about the group and where we’re going in the future.”

This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.