Pink & Purple Event brings awareness to Breast Cancer & Domestic Abuse



President of the African American Breast Cancer Alliance, Reona Berry, presents to attendees.



On Friday, October 22, AWC held its annual Pink & Purple event. Breast cancer and domestic abuse/violence are important topics that affect women and families and that’s why we provide the opportunity for a culturally-sensitive and open group discussion for African women. 

Our Speakers, Reona Berry, 20-year breast cancer survivor and president of the African American Breast Cancer Alliance (AABCA), and Kelly, a domestic abuse volunteer with Alexandra House, an emergency shelter for battered women and children, came prepared with good information and handouts to share. A big thank you to both ladies!

We are thankful for all who attended--your presence helped us hold our end of the bargain to provide an engaged audience for our speakers and partners who take the time away from their busy schedules to share valuable information with our group. We always want to be appreciative and respectful of their time and talents.

At the end of the meeting, one of the ladies said, “Every time I think I know all there is to know about these topics (breast cancer and domestic abuse/violence) I learn something new.” That usually rings true at every AWC meeting where we provide information. Even when the information is not entirely new, at least we get reminded of how important it is to be aware of these things and to know what to do or how to help when the need arises.

Here are a few pointers from the event:

1. Take charge of your health and well-being.
2. You can try to ignore cancer but it can’t ignore you—educated yourself and do your self-exam.
3. We women need to know that it is okay to seek help and accept support from others when needed.
4. The more you know the better you are.
5. Domestic violence crisis hotline provides an avenue to talk and ask questions without judging; they also provide legal advocacy and safety planning.
6. Domestic abuse is more than physical abuse—hitting (verbal, emotional, etc.)
7. In some cases, men are the victims.
8. Be proactive-- know what a healthy relationship looks like.
9. Pay attention and get involved at some level even when you’re not the one in need of help. Others need your support.
10. Build a network of people you can trust and rely on—be there for them and allow them to be there for you too.

All Dolled Up at the 2010 African Awards

Which camera? Ama, Lydia, Rita, Ayan, Felicia

It is always exciting to see AWC members and friends out and about in the community. When we run into each other, we can't help but take an AWC Moment to catch-up on life events. The Mshale African Awards was no different. The ladies clean up real nice...don't you think?

Ayan and Felicia

Rita, Melissa (MAWA) and Ama

Rita and Celebrity News Anchor Robin Robinson

First Member-exclusive Event

Members (Wokie, Beatrice, Ama, Liz and Julia) enjoy a relaxed, cozy and fun time together.

After five years of “getting the word out,” engaging hundreds of women from over 20 different countries, and testing the waters to see what works and what doesn't, AWC launched a campaign to sign up a total of 25 paid members by December 2010.

At a little over 50 percent of its campaign goal, AWC had its first member-exclusive event on Friday, September 17. The event was held at AWC President's home. “This is like hitting the start button again,” Rita said. “The first AWC meeting began right here in this room, February 2004, and it feels good to begin a new chapter in the same space.” As always, not every member could make it due to schedule conflicts.

The meeting was meant to discuss business, as in where AWC has been and where it is headed. We were hoping to get valuable input from the members on the direction of the organization and future programming. Needless to say that business talk did not progress as planned. The relaxed and cozy home atmosphere made it difficult to want to discuss business especially after a long workday. After trying unsuccessfully to discuss serious matters, we gave up and did what we do best—socialize and have fun. We had a wonderful time.

Throughout all the chatter and laughter, we managed to review our member handbook, which includes guidelines and facts about AWC among other things. One important point of dicussion was the move from spending a lot of time and energy on organizing events to focusing on member benefits and needs. Things will start to look and feel different for AWC members and friends in the coming months and we plan to make the transition as smooth as possible while still providing unique opportunities for growth and networking.

We are excited about bringing together a talented group of women who are willing to commit to working together to take AWC to a higher level of leadership, and in the process become ambassadors for AWC mission and vision!

Beatrice and Felicia. What's a get-to-gether without good food?

Before we go...Liz, Ama, Rita, Beatrice, Mimi and the kids got in too!

August Meeting was All About Friendships

If you had to choose 10 characteristics that you would like a true friend to have, what would they be?


That is exactly what attendees had to do at AWC August meeting. They were given a list of 30 characteristics to choose from, and it was not easy to do. “Some are somewhat similar so it makes it difficult,” someone complained.

Here’s an example: would you choose “sense of humor” and/or “fun to be with?” Both are good characteristics to have but they are really not the same—got it? Well, we had an interesting and fun time doing this activity.

Not one of us in at the meeting was a native of Minnesota therefore we all had had experiences loosing close friendships as a result of our move. We also talked about keeping long term friendships alive, even those ones in distant lands. Some of us even had surprising reconnections with friends we thought were lost forever. We discussed the different layers of friendships, all of which we appreciate and cherish —some close, some not-so-close. Many of us had developed new and unexpected friendships that we never imagined possible.

A 2006 research study from Duke University and the University of Arizona showed that Americans have almost one-third fewer confidants than they did in the 1980s, and that “ties are more family-based.” Another statistic showed that there are now twice as many people who report not having close friends to share their problems with.

Fortunately, today we have a variety to convenient ways to keep our friendship bonds intact. We can phone, text, email, and use social networking tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and the like, to stay connected. However, don’t forget that nothing beats face-to-face connections so meet in-person as often as possible.

Building and maintaining friendships can be fulfilling but can also get complicated. Having a healthy number and layers of friendships is definitely a great way to go.
Action Item:
Make your list of 10 characteristics you would like in a friend but remember to also check yourself and make sure that you too are striving to be all of those things to your friends.

July Meeting at Global Market - Leadership through Board Service

We talked about leadership enhancement through board service. Some of the reasons people join boards include looking for a meaning way to give back, opportunities to use professional expertise, enhance leadership potential, networking, etc.


Rita Apaloo, President of AWC, led the discussion—she has assisted with board governance for several years, currently sits on advisory boards of seven different small businesses and facilitates a community involvement leadership program for minority business leaders that includes board leadership training.


To kick off the meeting, attendees paired up to review sample financial statements of an unknown business. The instruction was to relate or share anything at all that they notice about the reports. Let's just say that the list was not a long one. When asked for feedback on the assignment, the ladies said things like “I was confused; I wasn't sure what to do; I went blank, etc.” The purpose of the activity was to give them a flavor of what goes on in a board room and discuss the importance of knowing how to interpret financial reports as a board of director.


Once we got that out of the way, we got back to business as usual—having fun, connecting, learning and having a wonderful conversation.


We did have a small hurdle—we met in the common meeting area of the Global Market and the noise level was a bit high and presented a holding conversation problem. Lesson learned.


While participants learned the many benefits of serving on boards, the take away was that you can feel comfortable in the driver seat (making the decision to serve) once you understand your motivation, do your research, ask the critical questions and take all the time you need to ensure it is the right fit for you. Board service should leave you feeling good and rewarded, not overwhelmed and anxious.


Participants received information about resources around the Twin Cities where they can receive board training and additional information on serving on boards.

Certified Life Coach Janayah Bagurusi Presents at AWC Meeting

 “You are whole and great as you are. However you may want something more; to take it to that next level. A life coach will have a conversation with you about what it is that you want, ask the critical questions, hold you accountable and help you move forward at your own pace.” – Janayah Bagurusi

The threat of stormy weather and warnings of flash floods did not shut down our June monthly meeting. Our presenter, Janayah Bagurusi, arrived before our 6:00 p.m. start time, and several people braved the pouring rain and lightning to connect and participate in the important discussion of personal and professional life coaching.

Life can be a puzzle. We have all the pieces available to us but until we can put the pieces together correctly, it is difficult to see the (big) picture and follow our dreams. So it was only fitting to start our meeting with this idea of putting “the pieces” together. Working together on the puzzle also allowed us to exercise our team-building skills—and we did it in record time!

With Janayah’s help, we learned what coaching is and is not, completed a life-areas-ranking worksheet, and received a handout of 101 Reasons for Getting a Coach for business or career, dealing with life issues and personal success. We also had the wonderful opportunity to witness a live coaching session with a volunteer audience member. Finally, we concluded with a lively discussion and heard from people who had had coaching experience and those who were new to it asked some great questions.

Thank you to all who braved the weather to attend. The goal of AWC is to provide our members and friends with interesting and relevant information and experiences. Your attendance, especially in such weather, was assuring to our team and has inspired us to do more. A big thank you to our presenter Janayah Bagurusi, who did a fabulous job!

As always, we had a good time, connected and/or reconnected with others and learned something new. To inquire about consultation or if you have questions about coaching, Janayah can be reached at coaching@bagurusi.com or 651-226-0587.

President and Publisher of Mshale Newspaper, Tom Gitaa, Pays a Visit

When you have Tom Gitaa, a community leader who is also a leading community newspaper publisher as a speaker, what do you do for an icebreaker activity? Current events trivia of course!

The ladies in attendance are on top of their game when it comes to current events. They were highly aware and knowledgeable of topics including the BP oil spill, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military policy, the local nurses’ association talks and potential strike, Minnesota failing schools, American Idol, the 2010 World Cup, etc. We had lots of fun discussing the news. Tom did weigh in somewhat but not very much. However, we could tell that he was impressed and enjoyed our perspectives and insights.

Tom shared his story about coming to the US as a student, getting involved in community and eventually starting a newsletter, which turned into what is now Mshale – The African Community Newspaper. He is the president and publisher of Mshale, which has been in existence since 1995. It is based in Minneapolis and serves the upper Midwest of the United States, reporting primarily on the activities of the African immigrant community. Tom founded the paper while still in college. The paper is considered an authority on the African immigrant community in the Midwest and held in high esteem around the United States within the ethnic media publishing industry.

On the surface, it sounded like he stumbled onto the paths of publishing and leadership. “I became a community leader by default,” Tom said. That’s because he is a sought after commentator and opinion leader on issues pertaining to Africa and the African Immigrant community in the US. However, if you listen closely to his interests and life experiences, you will see how everything he has been involved with and worked towards all played a role in molding his leadership.

As a community leader and publisher, Tom says that he and his team are very intentional when it comes to working respectfully and equally with all African communities and building trusting relationships. “Give now and get later,” is how Tom describes volunteer work. He is the president of the board of directors for Books for Africa, the largest shipper of donated books to Africa. He also sits in the board of directors of the Minnesota International Center (MIC), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. MIC is affiliated to the World Affairs Councils of America.


“My volunteer experiences have been very rewarding, exposed me to many opportunities and connected me to amazing individuals,” Tom said. His advice is to get involved even when it feels scary and uncertain because each person brings something to the table (otherwise they won’t allow you to participate) and take the time to get to know the people you come in contact with.


It would have been so wrong, I mean so very wrong, to let Tom get away without giving him a hard time. So we alluded to the fact that he talked about his children and other family members but did not mention a companion. He said that his lovely wife passed away a few years ago and he has been too busy and occupied for a romantic relationship. Then came the bombshell question, “Are you technically saying that you are available?” Tom reluctantly said yes. There you go—single ladies.


In closing, Tom extended an invitation to members and friends of AWC to attend Mshale’s 2nd Annual African Awards Gala, which will be held on September 18, 2010 at the Downtown Hilton in Minneapolis, MN. Tom has provided a special AWC discount. Contact us for the code to get your discount ticket.


A great time was had by all!