Special Edition: Black History Month
STORYTELLER SPOTLIGHTS
We’re highlighting Black individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made an impact in our community and beyond! They are powerful storytellers in many different ways, and we hope that you enjoy getting to know their voices a bit more - and support them if you can.
Up and Coming:
Virtual Performance Reading of Black Annie and the Pastor written & directed by Tony Robinson on Sunday, February 27, at 4 PM PST, admission by contribution. Visit Towne Street LA for more info.
HERstory: Virtual conversation with Margaret Wilkerson and her biography of playwright Lorraine Hansberry, along with Lynell George, Journalist and Author of Angel City Press - A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky on novelist Octavia E. Butler. Sunday, March 27 at 4 PM PST, admission by contribution. Visit Towne Street LA for more info.
Meet Urban Decadence, Catering Services
Lela Osborn, she/her; Jannita Lands-Orman, she/her;
Sada Lands, she/her; Stephanie Lands, she/her
They provided catering for our students, families, and actors at Biggest Show in 2021!
What personal identities are important to you?
To varying degrees for each of us, Christian Black women are the identities that are most important. Each of these identities have intersected and shaped our experiences throughout our lives.
What made you want to start Urban Decadence?
The best way to sum that story up would be an excerpt from Chef Lela’s bio: “Chef and Owner Lela Osborn had an appreciation for great cooking from an early age, thanks to her grandmother Ernestine, but found her passion for cooking while attending culinary school. When approached by her aunt Nena with a dream of starting their own event planning & catering company, Lela decided to enroll in culinary school in order to be properly trained. This decision was further inspired by her daughter Stephanie who happened to be taking a culinary arts class in high school. Although it began as a means to improve her skills to support the business, Lela truly knew she’d found her calling while attending Kitchen Academy (Le Cordon Bleu).
Her grandmother was a chef, so it only made sense that cooking was in her blood. Nela Catering was still in its infancy when, sadly, Lela’s aunt became ill and passed away. However, Lela was determined to honor her late aunt and pursue their dream. She completed her training, graduating with high honors, and began taking small catering jobs soon after. Lela’s zeal for the culinary arts convinced her sister Sada to also enroll, and from there, Urban Decadence was born.” In starting this business, we saw that we had an opportunity to not only work as a family, but be an example to other aspiring Black women entrepreneurs to pursue their passion and enjoy the journey while doing so.
What do you love about your job?
One of our favorite things about catering is our client’s reactions to taking that first bite of food. We love seeing people come back for seconds and thirds, or hearing about what dish they loved most.
In a similar vein, we get a lot of joy out of our cooking club (something we are trying to bring back safely in the midst of the pandemic). Lela in particular loves teaching people basic culinary techniques and giving them the confidence to free themselves from recipes and have fun in the kitchen. The cooking club has been around longer than UD has, so to bring the two together when we could was wonderful.
And of course the opportunity to work together. Stephanie and Lela have worked together in ministry, Lela and Sada have done catering jobs together prior to the inception of UD, and Stephanie and Jannita have worked together at two separate companies in their full time work. So being able to finally work together as a family doing something each of us loves on our own terms has been the icing on the cake.
In what ways is food special to you?
Food was the way our grandmother took care of her family. Food is what would bring our family together. Food not only sustains our bodies but can nourish our spirits. It is such a vital way to show love to others, to connect with others. It’s a basic need, and an indulgence at the same time.
How do you use food to tell a story?
The story we hope to tell with food is one of comfort. Our culinary philosophy is to take comfort foods and elevate them. We want them to be reminiscent of foods that connect to our childhoods; refined, but not inaccessible. So, the story is your own. Whatever memories and nostalgia our food brings up for you is the story we want to tell.
We noticed this is a family business. How do food and family come together in your work?
This business was started with family, and we always wanted to run it with family. Many of our menu items are inspired by family members. Things like our Grandma Ernestine’s baked chicken or our mom’s potato salad were a must for our menu. We even have a family group text with other family members that is just threads of pictures of food we’ve made each day. We’re constantly inspiring and being inspired by family, given and chosen, and finding ways to incorporate that into our catering.
Anything else you’d like to share with us?
As a small business, we really appreciate the opportunity to work with organizations like Young Storytellers. It’s very important to us that we give back as much as we can no matter how small we are. We strive to not only provide a quality product but to be a quality organization in all we do. A huge part of that means understanding and being intentional about the impact we leave in our communities. From the events we take, to the businesses we partner with, we try to make sure that the impact, big or small, aligns with what we value in some way: faith, family, and food. Success to us doesn’t just mean gaining popularity and making a ton of money. Those things are fine, but what matters most is the quality of our business whether it be in the kitchen or behind the scenes. Our legacy of being a business known for quality food and character is out top priority. Thank you for giving Urban Decadence the opportunity to showcase that by catering The Biggest Show and featuring us here!
Meet Jaimyon Parker, he/him
Actor, Towne Street Theatre
He’s acted in several Big Shows!
What personal identities are important to you?
I don't know that any personal identities are un-important. I mean that to say that how someone identifies themself is something that should be important to us all, in the fact that they have the freedom and space to do just that, without judgement. Whether or not we might agree is of no consequence and should have no bearing on anyone's ability to define themselves... Did that answer your question?
What first brought you to YS?
I always love working with youth and I love performing, creating, writing, and storytelling, so to be able to participate in something I love with such amazingly talented, creative, and brave young people, I couldn't help but to jump on board.
What made you want to be an actor?
I always loved the stories in films, television, and books but had never really considered acting as a profession until I ended up in an acting class of all places and was up practicing cold reading. The class was laughing like crazy, and I knew I had found my purpose. For me, it's not just making people laugh, but telling a story that affects people emotionally, that's what I love to do.
What’s been the most surprising part about acting?
The work! When you see a film in the theatre or watch a play on stage, it looks effortless. I would get so lost in watching the show that I never considered how much work goes into a performance. When I began my artistic journey, that was the most surprising and rewarding part. Discovering all the work I would have to put in to be able to give the type of performances I wanted to give, and then the absolutely indescribable joy when all that work pays off.
How did you get involved with Towne Street Theatre?
I auditioned for one of their 10 minute play festivals and was cast! They offered me a creative home here at Towne Street after the run was over.
What's a story that you've been a part of that stands out to you?
I don't know that I can choose just one... there's 1969, written by Barbara White Morgan, that I did with Towne Street about a Black civil rights fighter... IRIS, a play that I performed in, but also wrote and produced, about a young woman's journey through hell... and there was also the play about Nat Turner, written by Paula Neiman, that I was blessed to be a part of... there are so many others as well.
Check out Jaimyon's IMBD page here!
Find out more about Towne Street LA, LA’s premiere African-American Theatre Company, here!
Meet DeShawn Wynn, she/her
Chief Meeting Architect, Wynning Touch Event Design
Supported our Biggest Show 2021 Planning!
What personal identities are important to you?
I love the quote, I am my ancestors wildest dreams. I strive daily to walk through life with the confidence of knowing that I have a God given purpose, that is rooted in the struggle and triumph of the amazing people who make up the African diaspora.
What made you want to get involved with Young Storytellers and our Biggest Show?
I was introduced to Young Storytellers by my friend and fellow event planner, Elicia Magana. I was a part of her planning staff for the 2019 Biggest Show. I absolutely loved the concept!! To see the excitement on the kids faces, as they were being treated like VIPs, was so much fun. Everyone that I worked with that night was so friendly and genuine. Everyone had the same goal in mind…. make this the absolute best night for the storytellers. Elicia relocated and was unable to continue working with the Biggest Show. She asked if I would be interested in taking her place, and I jumped at the opportunity!!!!
What made you start Wynning Touch?
I had been working in the hospitality industry for several years, but I had grown tired of the non-profit model of doing the same event, the same way, in a different year. I wanted to help my clients design events that were strategically planned to meet specific goals. The days of cookie cutter events needed to come to an end for me.
What do you love about event design?
I love being creative. Normally when people think of design, they think of the aesthetic. But I love the ability to get creative with the content and program design. The ability to sit with my client and brainstorm about who is going to be in the room, and how to design an event that will meet the needs of everyone, is what fuels my hustle. That is the challenge I love!!!
What’s the most surprising part about your job?
I sometimes take for granted that what I do is a gift. I have learned that not everyone loves Excel spreadsheets, and event timelines the way that I do! Who would have thunk it!!! 😊
Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I am honored that Young Storytellers chose my company to feature for Black History Month. At the start of my business, I noticed that there were not a lot of faces that looked like mine participating in our industry networking organizations. I made it a goal, to be a prominent example of a Black women, navigating majority white spaces with excellence. I feel that it is my duty to teach, mentor, and open doors for the next generation.
Meet Dr. Kai Mathews, she/her
Project Director, UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools
Partnered with us for the Conditions for Learning Workshop!
What personal identities are important to you and how do you bring your full self to the work you do?
As a black woman I try to show up and advocate for myself and others who have been historically marginalized by being authentic, having compassion to guide my interactions, and having confidence in ability.
What made you want to be a professor?
I come from a long line of educators. Education is in my blood. Creating learning spaces kids and adults can show up whole, in the full potential and dignity of their humanity is what I was put on this earth to do. There was no deciding.
Can you share a bit about your professional focus?
Though I currently focus on diversifying the teacher pipeline for California, my passion and main focus is on pedagogical practice and liberatory education. Essentially how can adults design schools and classrooms that foster and promote what Betina Love calls "Thriving Skills": how can we co-create spaces that cultivate belonging, agency, wisdom, and creativity? That's my focus.
What do you hope people walk away from the Creating Conditions for Learning workshop?
I want people to walk away from this workshop knowing that they can be the co-designers of the spaces they walk into and the experiences they have. Learning is a natural part of life and that we only need to provide the right conditions for learning to happen.
Check out UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools here!
Meet Dr. Stanley L. Johnson, Jr., he/him
Project Director, UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools
Partnered with us for the Conditions for Learning Workshop!
What personal identities are important to you and how do you bring your full self to the work you do?
I am a person of deep faith and integrity and I attempt to live by my convictions-- that one should treat others the way in which one would like to be treated. I am unapologetic about my faith and it an identity that I bring with me into every space that I encounter and blessed to serve in.
What made you want to be a professor?
I developed a love of learning very early from my mother and always knew that I would become end up in the field of educational in some respect. First and foremost I am a teacher and fundamentally believe that is a calling. As an academic researcher, I am attracted to what is possible when one pursues the rigorous intellectual challenge of learning and engaging with the habits of mind. I believe that the fundamental role of an educator, then, is to create environments where students feel safe and encourage them to take risks.
Can you share a bit about your professional focus?
For academic research, I critically examine effective secondary English teachers who implement culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogical and instructional practices in their classrooms to close literacy gaps and address their students' academic, social, and emotional needs. I am particularly interested in how Advanced Placement English teachers facilitate high levels of engagement for their high achieving boys of color (and especially African American males) by ensuring that they have access and exposure to language and literacies of power.
What do you hope people walk away from the Creating Conditions for Learning workshop?
I hope that participants will walk away with the dispositions (knowledge, skills, and mindsets) that recognizes that all students bring with them a plethora of assets and it is our job to tap into this and use what they bring to help inform our pedagogical and instructional (storytelling in this context) practices.
Check out UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools here!
