Mic Check 1-Two!’s 3rd Annual Prom Drive
It’s that time again! See below for prom drive locations and details on upcoming prom drives! To donate dresses/suits or monetary contributions, please send an email to: creatingdialogue@gmail.com with “Prom Drive 2014” in the subject line.
Drop- off location #1
Overbrook High School
5998 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA
CONTACT: Dorthea Thomas
We are still in need of drop off locations for gowns and suits. If you know of anyone who would like to offer their business as a location and/or if you would like to help pick up dresses from individual donors please let us know!
VIDEO: 50th anniversary: March On Washington

Mic Check 1-Two!’s Lana Adams was in Washington D.C. on Saturday, August 24, 2013 covering the 50th anniversary of the historic March On Washington. Click below to view the coverage which includes exclusive interviews with event organizers, television host, A.J. Calloway, the sixth grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and more!
EVENT: BOLD, BROWN & BEAUTIFUL

Come out to support this great event!
THIS IS A FREE EVENT – PLEASE JUST RSVP to ashley@writelaughdream.com.
This is an evening to explore the stories of brown women not only in the African-American community but across the board. With the recent airing of “Dark Girls” on OWN TV, it’s evident
many women, light, dark and in between still struggle with self esteem. But there is victory in our journey as women.
Join us as we view an extended clip of the documentary followed by a panel
discussion featuring:
Lenny Daniels (Director, Actress)
Stephanie “Rhythm” Keene (UN & Co. apparel)
Darcel Laurie (Makeup by Dar/Beauty Advisor)
Shaleah L. Sutton (President, UNIQUELY YOU SUMMIT, INC)
Moderated by Ashley Coleman of WriteLaughDream.com.
Vendors will include: Duafe Holistic Hair Care, Motives by Lala, Shanina Dionna (Art &Photography)
RSVP with your name to ashley@writelaughdream.com.
Tuesday, August 20
6-8 PM
Blues Babe Foundation
2233 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19132
SPECIAL SCREENING: FRUITVALE STATION

***OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ***
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
In conjunction with Landmark Theaters, Blues Babe Foundation, and Councilman David Oh’s Black Film Advisory Committee, Tabb Management & FRIENDS will host a special screening of Fruitvale Station on Monday, July 22 at 6:35pm followed by a brief, in-theater panel discussion with some of the Delaware Valley’s most prominent and dedicated community activists:
Michael Coard – Attorney
Conrad Moore – Anti-Oppression Lecturer
Wanda Darden – Program Coordinator
The purpose of the panel is to urge the community to rally together at this critical socio-historic moment around issues the movie raises. The brief discussion will include Fruitvale Station’s implications, impact and opportunity as a springboard for community partnerships and positive change.
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In the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2009 on the platform of the Fruitvale BART Station, Grant was lying down, handcuffed and unarmed at the time of the shooting. Grant’s case sparked outrage in the community and raised questions of police brutality and racial profiling.
PROM SEASON: RECAP
Now that Prom Season is officially over and our Prom Dress Drive 2013 tour has come to an end, we want to thank all of you that helped donate, sponsor, and encourage us through such a busy and exciting time. We were able to help over 20 families and teens cut down on the expensive prom costs so that this night could truly be memorable! Special thanks to all of our hair salons and make-up artists who donated their services as well!
See some of the photos & student testimonials below! Click the images for full slide show!
PROM DRIVE TOUR 2013 – STOPS 1 AND 2
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW THE PHOTOS FROM THE FIRST TWO STOPS ON OUR PROM DRIVE 2013 TOUR. OUR FIRST STOP WAS DARBY, PA AND THEN WE WERE OFF TO NORTH PHILADELPHIA.
-NEXT STOP, SATURDAY MAY 4, 2013 FROM 1-4PM WE WILL BE IN WILMINGTON DELAWARE AT CLARENCE FRAIM BOYS & GIRLS CLUB. DO YOU KNOW A TEEN IN NEED OF FORMAL WEAR FOR PROM? SEND THEM OVER!! CHECK OUT SOME OF THE LOVELY DRESSES WE HAVE BELOW! CLICK THE PHOTOS FOR MORE IMAGES FROM THE DRIVES!
MIC CHECK 1-TWO! 2nd ANNUAL PROM DRIVE
WE ARE COLLECTING DONATIONS FOR OUR PROM DRIVE!
SEE DETAILS BELOW ON HOW TO DONATE/RECEIVE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR’S DRIVE!
DONATION DROP BOX LOCATIONS:
DELAWARE COUNTY PA
– Darby Borough Community Center ; 1020 Ridge ave. Darby, PA 19023 (starting 11am daily)
– All Together Lovely Hair Salon; 670 Church Ln. Yeadon, PA
PHILADELPHIA
– United Communities Southeast Philadelphia; Front & Ellsworth
– Van-Bett Boutique; 1233 E. Luzerne st, Philadelphia PA 19124
DELAWARE
– Clarence Fraim Boys & Girls Club; 669 s. Union st. Wilmington, DE
– Department of Human Development & Family Studies; 111 Alison Hall West Newark, DE 19716
PICK UP: contact us at creatingdialogue [a] gmail.com
We upgraded!
For the 2013 Prom Drive we have partnered with the non-profit Rising Sons and community org Dreaming Beyond.
Help us create an opportunity for young women and men from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to have a memorable prom experience by giving them access to free gently-worn formal wear.
SUITS
FORMAL DRESSES
SHOES
ACCESSORIES
2013 Prom Drive
Darby Borough Community Center : APRIL 14th 1pm- 4pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center APRIL 19th 6pm-9pm
Clarence Fraim Boys and Girls Club MAY 4th 1pm-4pm
The REACT Co. is supporting the 2013 Prom Drive by donation a portion of their proceeds from their upcoming LIVE Music Series .
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR’S PROM DRESS DRIVE BELOW:
MISLED: EPISODE 1 PREMIERES: TUESDAY, MARCH 26
ARE YOU READY???
MISLED: EPISODE 1 PREMIERES: MARCH 26, 2013 AT 12PM
On Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 12:00 noon the first episode of Misled will be live on http://www.miccheck1two.com. The first episode will focus on colorism within the African American community.
Get excited! This show has been a long time coming and we are so excited to share with you all!
We are going to discuss where this notion of colorism came from and how it has affected the psyches of so many.
Episode 1 of Misled features interviews with Dr. Yaba Blay (CNN’S Black In America/ Founder: One Drop Project), West Philadelphia Rapper, Chill Moody, Temple University professor of Africana Studies, Dr. Antwanisha Alameen-Shavers, and a panel of youth who share their own personal experiences in colorism.
We can’t wait to educate our people and we hope that this show will open eyes and open gates to conversation and change. Stay tuned!!!
2013 Prom Drive
DONATION DROP BOX LOCATIONS:
DELAWARE COUNTY PA
– Darby Borough Hall; 821 Summit St. Darby, PA 19023 (1pm-4pm)
– All Together Lovely Hair Salon; 670 Church Ln. Yeadon, PA
PHILADELPHIA
– United Communities Southeast Philadelphia; Front & Ellsworth
– Van-Bett Boutique; 1233 E. Luzerne st, Philadelphia PA 19124
DELAWARE
– Clarence Fraim Boys & Girls Club; 669 s. Union st. Wilmington, DE
– Department of Human Development & Family Studies; 111 Alison Hall West Newark, DE 19716
PICK UP: contact us at creatingdialogue [a] gmail.com
We upgraded!
For the 2013 Prom Drive we have partnered with the non-profit Rising Sons and community org Dreaming Beyond.
Help us create an opportunity for young women and men from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to have a memorable prom experience by giving them access to free gently-worn formal wear.
SUITS
FORMAL DRESSES
SHOES
ACCESSORIES
2013 Prom Drive
Darby Borough Community Center : APRIL 14th 1pm- 4pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center APRIL 19th 6pm-9pm
Clarence Fraim Boys and Girls Club MAY 4th 1pm-4pm
The REACT Co. is supporting the 2013 Prom Drive by donation a portion of their proceeds from their upcoming LIVE Music Series .
NATIONAL WOMEN & GIRLS HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY
This Saturday March 9, 2013, Mic Check 1-Two! will be out supporting Philadelphia Fight at their event in honor of National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
The event is named “We Matter” in an effort to convey to women and girls that they matter the most and to emphasize the importance of knowing their status’ in order to keep themselves safe.
Philadelphia Fight will be hosting a day of incentivized testing and wellness activities on Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 12:00 to 5:00 at John F. St. Community Center (1100 Poplar).
Come out, get tested, and bring a friend! There will group discussions
and prizes just for coming out & getting tested! One lucky winner will walk home with a new television!
Join us in supporting this great event!
PHOTOS: 2012 INTER-COMMUNAL GIVEBACK FEAST & CONCERT
On December 21, 2012, Mic Check 1-Two! collaborated with Sporty Marketing LLC, and The Circle Ent. to bring The INTER-COMMUNAL GIVEBACK FEAST & CONCERT to the community of North Philadelphia. The event was held at the Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center and featured many local Philly artists to entertain the community as they selected from gently-used clothing and canned goods to take home for FREE!
We were thrilled to be able to host this event and help so many families in the North Philadelphia community. Our next Giveback event will move to a new community! Stay tuned to find out which community we will be serving next!
Thank you for your continued support of Mic Check 1-Two! Click the pictures below to view photos from The 2012 Intercommunal Giveback Feast & Concert.
Misled: A New Webseries from Mic Check 1-Two!
We are pleased to announce “Misled” a new webseries hosted by Lana Adams and Keona Gabbadon.
Misled is a show dedicated to informing the uninformed and the misinformed. We are living in a time where negativity sells and positive images are not always easily accessible or attractive. Our aim is to bring positive images into the media. Misled will focus on common misconceptions and stereotypes about African-Americans by exposing the truth behind them and offering solutions and alternatives to broaden perspectives and perceptions.
To find out more about the first episode of Misled, click here.
Checkin’ In – Year ONE in Review: Lana
I have been sitting here at the computer for at least twenty minutes before I could begin this post. A review of Mic Check 1-Two!’s first year in operation sounded like a rather daunting task considering all that we’ve been blessed to do this year. I have to give thanks to God for making ALL things possible!
As Latiaynna mentioned in her personal review, we had only started out to host one panel discussion. We were fed up with how black women were being portrayed in the media and we wanted to gather people together to TALK about it– not tweet about, or text about it, but to TALK about it. Sounds simple enough, right? My testimony is proof that when God is up to something, it’s best that you just sit back and stay out of His way.
We began planning our first panel discussion: The Portrayal of the African American Woman in the Entertainment Industry, in August of 2011. It was also during this time that my grandfather and best friend became gravely ill. His condition worsened between fall and the end of the year and he passed away on November 30, 2011. His funeral was one day before our event. This was a very difficult time for me because although I wanted to be with family and continue grieving, I didn’t want to let anyone down that had helped us with or had been looking forward to our event. I had planned on rescheduling the event but my family encouraged me not to do so. They knew that my grandfather would never want me to postpone anything on his account. He was a man of great character and believed that helping people and remaining humble were key principles. With that, we decided to go forward and get ready for the event.
Our event was a success! People were energized and support was coming to us in every direction. We received countless emails and comments from different people in anticipation of our next event.
Although establishing a community organization was not our original intent, Latiaynna and I were excited about what God had in store for us so we accepted the blessing, and the challenge and began planning.
We began planning a Prom Dress Drive for young girls which quickly turned into TWO prom dress drives and a Royal Prom Treatment contest for a lucky girl. We received so much support for our Prom Dress Drives including donated space from the Good Folks at : American Dreaming Magazine and videography from Lucky Brand Productions.
DONATE Online: 2ND ANNUAL INTERCOMMUNAL GIVEBACK Feast & Concert

DONATE TO THE 2ND ANNUAL INTERCOMMUNAL GIVEBACK!
The organizers (R. Lambert, L.Tabb, P. Fullard, & L. Adams) of The InterCommunal Giveback Feast & Concert needs YOUR help to purchase food, print materials, and equipment for a community feast and clothing drive that they are bringing to the Allegheny-West community. The InterCommunal Giveback Feast & Concert is an annual year-end free event that travels each year to different under-served Philadelphia communities, offering a hot meal, gently-used clothing, non-perishable food items, and an evening of entertainment for community members.
Don’t have any used clothes to donate? Fresh out of canned food to give? That’s okay! You can make a tax-deductible donation to our 2012 Intercommunal Giveback Event by clicking the link below!
Your donation will help to make this event special for all of our guests by providing them with food and resources for healthy living.
Thank You for your continued support of Mic Check 1-Two!
**DONATE NOW!**
New Donation Dropbox Locations Added
Thank you! We asked people to suggest additional Donation Dropbox locations and they did! We doubled the locations that we began with, talk about impact.
Here are the final Donation Dropbox locations by neighborhood/section of the city:
West Philadelphia | Wynnefield
Boys Latin School – 5501 Cedar ave.
John C. Anderson Cultural Center – 5301 Overbrook ave.
Perfect Smile Dental – 37 s. 52nd st.
Settlement Music School – 4910 Wynnefield ave.
Katie Jackson Homes (PHA) – 400 n. 50th st.
The Hair Business unisex salon – 1803 N. 54th street (54th & Montgomery) – West Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia
Paschalville Library – 70th & Woodland ave.
Center City | Rittenhouse
Greenfield Elementary School – 22nd & Chestnut
North Philadelphia
Youthbuild Philly 1231 n. Broad st. (O.I.C. Building) 3rd Floor
Logan | Olney
Providence of Grace Church – 1950 w. Rockland st.
Perfect Smile Dental – 5737 n. Broad st.
The Laundry Cafe – One Olney Plaza, Front & Olney
FYI
Some Pennsylvania polling places have changed since the last election. Check to see if yours was one of them:
https://www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us/Pages/PollingPlaceInfo.aspx
VOTERS: LOOK FOR DONATION DROP BOXES ON ELECTION DAY
Philadelphia voters and community members look for Donation Drop Boxes for canned good and clothing collection at select polling places and small businesses.
THE MANel: MALE PERSPECTIVES ON LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS HIGHLIGHT REEL
On March 2, 2012, Mic Check 1-Two! held a panel discussion: The MANel: Male Perspectives on Love & Relationships. The panel consisted of African American men from various backgrounds with different relationship statuses. View the highlight reel from The MANel and leave your comments and questions below! Check out the highlights from the discussion below!
PHOTOS: Standing Your Ground or Standing Around: The Trayvon Martin Murder & What We can Do About Violence, Injustice, and Race Relations In America
On Saturday, March 31, 2012, Mic Check 1-Two partnered with Senator Anthony Williams and TheColorCurve.com to host Standing Your Ground or Standing Around: The Trayvon Martin Murder & What We can Do About Violence, Injustice, and Race Relations In America
The discussion was held at Saint Joseph’s University
Check out the photos from this event below:

Panelists: (left to right) Senator Anthony Williams,Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, Constituent Service Rep., Curtis Wilkerson, Asst. D.A. Kevin Harden Jr., Professor Maria Kefalas, State Representative Louise Williams Bishop
Prom Dress Drive Video Highlights
On MARCH 10, 2012, Mic Check 1-Two! held a Prom Dress Drive for young girls in their senior year of high school who weren’t financially able to buy a prom dress. We wanted to make sure these ladies knew that they were queens and deserved to be treated accordingly!
Check out the highlight video below from our Prom Dress Drive and view the information about our next drive below the cut.
OUR NEXT Prom Dress Drive is SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2012 (12-3pm) at The Dreaming Building, 618 N. Front St., Philadelphia, PA 19123
IF YOU KNOW A YOUNG GIRL THAT MAY BE IN NEED OF A PROM DRESS, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO CREATINGDIALOGUE@GMAIL.COM TO REGISTER HER FOR THE PROM DRESS DRIVE.
PLEASE INCLUDE: HER NAME, SCHOOL, DRESS SIZE AND CONTACT INFORMATION (please specify the best way to reach her in this email)
PHOTOS: MIC CHECK 1-TWO!’S PROM DRESS DRIVE

On Saturday. March 10, 2012, Mic Check 1-Two! held a prom dress drive for young women in their senior year of high school who were not financially able to afford a prom dress. We wanted to make sure these young, deserving women would be able to participate in one of the most exciting days of their youth and had a chance to feel like the royalty they are.
We have so many dresses left that we decided to help even more girls by holding another drive on APRIL 21, 2012 FROM 12PM-3PM AT “THE DREAMING BUILDING”, 618 N. FRONT ST, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19123. If you know a young girl in need of a prom dress, please send an email to creatingdialogue@gmail.com with her name, school and her contact information. If you have dresses, shoes, or accessories that you would like to donate, send us an email and we’ll arrange a pick-up! Thank You!
Click here to view photos from The Prom Dress Drive!
We have also selected another deserving, young queen as our winner for our ROYAL PROM TREATMENT contest. This young woman will have her prom dress custom-made, AND her hair, and make-up done for her prom. Stay tuned for the documentary featuring our winner, Michelle Harris from Frankford high school. She is a beautiful young lady with a touching story and a wonderful spirit.
PHOTOS: THE MANel: MALE PERSPECTIVES ON LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE MANel: MALE PERSPECTIVES ON LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS BELOW