The Smith Center Spotlight – TeQuila Shabazz and the BRIJ to Community Success
31 Aug 17 |
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I am so excited to launch our new ongoing project “Smith Center Spotlight” by featuring a strong, beautiful and dynamic sister that has not only been an inspiration to me but a definite champion whose passion and hard work in the Black Community and even across the nation is beyond compare!
Having founded the The BRIJ Embassy for Black America, “a collective of ‘Citizens’ that have pledged to invest a monthly dollar amount to help support our efforts and the efforts of others rebuilding around excellence in our communities”. TeQuila Sahaya Shabazz has worked endlessly to help create an environment for the healthy promotion of Black Owned Business and the redistribution of dollars and other forms of investment in the Black Community. The Facebook group BEBA (short for BE Black Academy) has served as a foundation for reporting the distribution of Black Dollars, Volunteering, Service and Support in the Black Community having reported $99,096.890 in for the first quarter (January-March 2017) alone!
Ms. Shabazz (also affectionately known as “The General“) has also created the BRIJ 1st Friday Meet-Up & Build Master Session a monthly networking and reporting session designed to help like minded Practitioners in building and maintaining connections with other professionals and organizations, barter resources and of course facilitate in the continuing redistribution of the Black Dollar in the community. This event has been held at the BopBiz Center, a new multi-functioning meeting and shared office space located on the south side of Chicago.
I chose TeQuila Shabazz because she has been a constant shining light in the community, selfless and dedicated, who does not seek applause from the masses but just wants to see a goal of a liberated Black Society that is independent and prosperous in an otherwise oppressive system. I have also been a dedicated BEBA Practioner and encourage others to be more mindful of who they support and where their dollars go in the Black Community and most importantly she delivers RESULTS! This monthly 1st Friday meet-up is proof of that! She is also a fierce and loving Mother, a strong and honest adviser, an inspirational supporter of the Smith Center for Community Advancement and a good and genuine friend.
So not only do I ask you to join me in saluting Ms. Shabazz “The General” but I also encourage you to engage your curiosity and activism and find out what’s going with the BRIJ Embassy, BEBA and the BopBiz Center. She is truly fighting the good fight and putting #wordsintoaction
— Andre C Russell, CEO, The Smith Center for Community Advancement
**If you would like to nominate someone to be featured in The Smith Center Spotlight please send a message here along with their name, profession, contact information and a short explanation on why you think they should be featured. Each feature is at the discretion of the Smith Center for Community Advancement and will be based on positive displays of service to the community**
