Invest in the Future of 20 New Youth Leaders!

"Our uniqueness, our individuality, and our life experience molds us into fascinating beings. I hope we can embrace that. I pray we may all challenge ourselves to delve into the deepest resources of our hearts to cultivate an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, tolerance, and compassion. We are all in this life together." — Linda Thompson

Summer has come and gone, but as we transition into this new season, One Common Unity has so many things to be grateful for — and YOU are one of them! Thank you for your support as we continue in our mission to promote peace and unity. In wake of these vexing times, we are thankful for you and we are grateful for our amazing youth who daily share their light, positivity and community values. Just as Linda Thompson said above, we all are in this life together and therefore, we need each other to catalyze true change. With that being said, we want to give you a few updates on the work we are doing to revolutionize our communities and ultimately, the world!

On October 1st, we will be hosting our second annual Peace Ride! The Peace Ride is an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors, get some exercise, meet great people, and support our award-winning youth development programs. We are pedaling for peace and we are inviting you to get on your bike and pedal with us! For more information about the Peace Ride and to register, please visit http://ocupeaceride.com. Can’t make it? If you are not able to ride yourself, you can still support and sponsor one of our many riders!

We are super excited to announce we had four retreats this summer with over 50 youth participants! Beginning with our first-ever Fly By Light alumni retreat, where the first Fly By Light participants from our award-winning film reunited for the first time in five years, to our other restorative retreats in Maryland and West Virginia, we are still in awe of how our youth have transformed socially, emotionally, and spiritually from their immersion in nature.

In August, we led the Empowering Males of Color Leadership Retreat, sponsored by District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and in partnership with the Leading Men Fellowship, CHEC Bellman, and Eastern Men of Excellence. Filled with conversations on social justice, social-emotional learning, and equity, the Leadership Project allowed for youth to share their personal stories of trial, success, growth, and development while connecting with and learning from others.

Our final retreat was in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, where our young people discussed and shared ways to revolutionize their lives, their neighborhoods, and the global community.

Once again, we are thankful for your love and support! Please stay updated on our latest news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Links:

• Visit One Common Unity's website
• "Like" us on Facebook
• Follow us on Instagram

“In our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction.” — Audre Lorde

Everyday, our youth never cease to amaze us and everyday, we are grateful to serve them. Moreover, our youth are promoting unity, peace, and non-violence, even in wake of contentious political times. Now that summer is officially here, we are excited to share with you our progress, events, and future endeavors at One Common Unity.

Recently, One Common Unity Board Members met with Senator Cory Booker to discuss ways to integrate more social-emotional learning into schools around the country. We thank his Chief of Staff, Matt Klapper and his team for helping us to set up this meeting. We are super excited to be having Senator Booker join us as a keynote speaker in the near future at our Gala!

On Thursday, June 15th, One Common Unity hosted our “Fly By Light Summer Youth Showcase” at the Gala Hispanic Theatre. The event was a success, with a jam-packed and sold-out audience of 250+ people. Our youth put on a fantastic performance, showcasing their creativity through poetry, dance and music. Our headliners included D.C.’s finest, Huda Asfour and Princess Best. To see highlights and photos from the Summer Showcase, please visit One Common Unity's Facebook page. While we were gearing up for the Showcase, One Common Unity was also featured in The Huffington Post! You can read the article here.

Also, we are continuing our bi-weekly, all-city Youth Open Mic Program at BloomBars. The open mics continue to be a hit amongst our youth, as they are constantly participating and sharing their art. You can check out some photos from the BloomBars’ open mics below.

We are also super excited for our upcoming event, “Beats Pray Love: Live DJ Flow for One Common Unity” on Saturday, July 15th! The event will include a powerful, beats-driven yoga practice by master teacher Mimi Rieger and DJ StraySolo at The Loft at Lululemon Georgetown. 100% of the proceeds of this class will go to One Common Unity. If you are in the D.C. area and would like to attend, ticket information is here.

Our “Fly By Light” film was recently accepted into the 2017 Peekskill Film Festival, which will be held from July 27-30 in Hudson, New York! Founded in 2015, the Peekskill Film Festival (PFF) screens a first-rate mix of features, shorts, documentaries, animation, and more. As well as screening the best and brightest in indie film, the PFF hosts workshops with Emmy-Award winning artists and filmmakers, parties, panel discussions, and an entire day dedicated to student film and animation.

Finally, we are gearing up for our Fly By Light alumni retreat, where previous Fly By Light participants will be reunited for the first time in five years. Our staff and program facilitators are excited to see how much progress we have made with our programs. We want to give you all a HUGE thank you for constantly contributing, supporting and believing in the vision and mission of One Common Unity! Stay tuned for more updates as we keep spreading light and positivity in all that we do!

Links:

• Search for us on Google
• Follow us on Facebook
• Follow us on Instagram