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A native of Grenada, Mississippi Johnnie Walker is the Founder of NABFEME; the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment, Inc. Walker holds the distinction of being named the first female Sr. Vice President of Promotion for the Island Def Jam Music Group and the only female to ever hold that position for the company. In 2009 Walker was saluted as one of New York’s 21 Leaders of the 21st Century by Women’s eNews and in 2006 she received Delta Sigma Theta’s highest honor given to professionals in the arts, The Osceola Award. 2005 marked the year Walker was honored by Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rainbow/PUSH with the distinguished Woman of Conscience Award. The recipient of countless honors, Walker was named Radio & Records Urban Promotion Executive of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
In an effort to make the road less traveled become a smoother journey for those following in her footsteps, Johnnie Walker, a longtime advocate of formal mentoring, founded NABFEME, the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment, Inc. NABFEME is a nonprofit professional organization with a mission to raise the profile and increase the awareness of the contributions made by women of color in music and entertainment
JOHNNIE WALKER
FOUNDER OF NABFEME
Yolanda Whitaker aka Yo Yo Founder and Executive Director, is a Grammy-nominated American rapper and actor whose music has advocated female empowerment and is leading a mission to help educate youths within the community about dance, music, and learning how to compose and perform powerful messages in rap music.
YoYo has been an influential figure in helping to transform the mindsets and break the negative stereotypes within the community by arming youth with the tools necessary to achieve their goals, believe in themselves, and surpass the expected stereotypes foisted onto their neighborhoods.
She is also the founder and spokesperson for the Intelligent Black Women’s Coalition (IBWC), a call to arms to women everywhere committed to the education and survival of young black women. Its central aim is to challenge sexism within rap and to provide a space for the voice of female rappers. She has promoted the efforts of the IBWC in her music and continually encourages other women rappers to do the same.
YO YO AKA YOLANDA WHITAKER
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
YOYO HIP HOP SCHOOL
Dr. Becki Cohn-Vargas is the Director of Not In Our School (NIOS). She has spoken on the subject of how to combat bullying at conferences, schools, and universities across the United States. Becki's new book,“Identity Safe Classrooms: Places to Belong and Learn,” co-authored with Dr. Dorothy Steele was published by Corwin Press. Prior to working at The WorkingGroup, she spent over 35 years in public education in California. She was a preschool director in Healdsburg, teacher and principal in the Oakland Unified School District, Elementary Curriculum Director for the Palo Alto Unified School District and Superintendent of the Luther Burbank School District. While serving in Palo Alto in 2003, Becki initiated Not In Our School: Palo Alto, one of the first NIOS initiatives featured on KQED public television. Since that time, this yearly K-12 district-wide effort to combat bullying, harassment, homophobia, and racism has served as a model for the national NIOS program. Currently, as the NIOS Director she develops standards-based bullying prevention curriculum and has worked with over 150 NIOS efforts at schools and colleges across the UniteStates. She has been hosted at the White House twice where she briefed President Obama’s education staff. Her efforts have included partnerships with the PTA, NEA, Facing History, and the United Sikhs.
DR. BECKI COHN VARGAS
DIRECTOR OF NOT IN OUR SCHOOL
BUSINESS WOMEN & ORGANIZATIONS
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