Year 1 presenters
Celebration of diversity
Ulric Johnson, Ph.D.
Dean of Students, Springfield College – Boston Campus
Founder and Director, Teens Against Gang Violence
Dr. Ulric Johnson has an international reputation in the field of gang prevention and urban sociology. He is the founding director of Teens Against Gang Violence and is an award winning instructor at the Harvard Ed School where he teaches a module on violence prevention and peaceable schools. Dr. Johnson is also a founding board member of the Center for Peaceable Schools at Lesley University, and has a private practice in counseling psychology. Currently he serves as the Dean of the School of Human Services for Springfield College, Boston Campus.
Ulric is a long time presenter at GYLI workshops and has presented in the Midwest, meeting with school heads and diversity coordinators about how to structure just and caring communities of learners in a multicultural context. He is a Trinidadian-American married to Kim and is the father of two children, Kim and Kern.
Antoinette Johnson
Teens Against Gang Violence
Antoinette is a graduate of the Teens Against Gang Violence (TAGV) program founded by Dr. Ulric Johnson. As one of the original members, her title in the group is OG (original gangster). TAGV stresses that they are not anti-gang, as a gang is defined as a group of people working or associated together, but they are anti-gang violence. TAGV is a volunteer, youth led community-based program located in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It provides violence prevention, education, and intervention services to youth service providers, youth, and family. Their vision is to eliminate violence in all its forms, such as racism, guns, sexism, crime, homophobia, drugs and fighting, by developing our neighborhoods into healthier communities that strive for peace and justice. The program is comprised of youth, ages 8 to 20+, and their families from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, who primarily reside in the urban neighborhoods of the city of Boston. All members receive training as trainers and educators. Antoinette has been a member of TAGV since 1994 when she joined at age 13.
Community through drum and dance
Kojo Bey
Director, Sounds of Afrika
I have been blessed with the role of continuing the legacy of healing through African drums and dance. SOUNDS OF AFRIKA is a family based troupe and boasts 3 generations of drummers with my father, Abishai, myself and my sons. I co-founded the troupe with my Parents 10 years ago as a way to give back to the communities that I grew up in New York and Connecticut. Within 2 years of existence, the troupe was invited to venues across the U.S., the Caribbean and West Africa.
Not only did I have a foundation in drumming from my father as a youth, but I was a co-founder of Nevada’s first African dance and drum troupe, CODAME in 1993. Performing and teaching in Las Vegas, NV was my first experience with the healing powers of the drum.
I am also the Executive Director of OBey Foundation, a non profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to the African cultural enrichment and overall well being of citizens throughout the Diaspora. Our major initiatives have been Drum Call, an African drum & dance program as a healing therapy for youth at risk. We have taught over 6,000 participants the art of African drum and dancing. OBey Theatre Group, African American classic theatrical productions. GESP-Ghana Educational Sponsorship Program. We have adopted 2 villages in Ghana, West Africa and am in the process of building a healing center in one of the villages, Brenu Village. Salaga: Traveling exhibit of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Route from Ghana, West Afrika. I recently completed a research project on the various slave routes throughout Ghana and collected artifacts and photos for the traveling exhibit. This was a life changing experience for me and has added to the impacting programming of the organization. A.S.E. Program-Adolescents Striving for Excellence, a Rites of Passage program.
I currently work full time performing as Musical Director of SOUNDS OF AFRIKA, instructing Drum Call classes, and performing my duties as Executive Director of OBey Foundation.
My role in life is an “opener of the way.” I am an eternal student and am dedicated to exposing people to empowering tools for healing. The foundation from which we teach is based on the Nguzo Saba, which means seven principles in Kiswahili. We also use these principles to convey the concept of Rites of Passage to audiences all over. Rites of Passage refer to the rituals and activities that one or group goes through to move from one level of development to the next. We subscribe to the concept of the Jeli or Griot, West African Storyteller, in order to convey our lessons. The Jeli is a very important position in the African community since most of the history is passed on orally.
Gilo Kwesi M. Logan
Founder and Executive Director, S.O.U.L Creations
Gilo Kwesi Moussa Logan, proud father of two sons, is a native of Evanston, Illinois. He is a graduate of Evanston Township High School (ETHS), where he played basketball and football. After graduating from ETHS, Logan attended Southern Illinois University where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business and Administration, with an emphasis in Marketing.
Upon graduation, Logan set out on an 18-month solo journey (through the South Pacific and Southeast Asia) to the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Returning to the USA, he enrolled in graduate school at National-Louis University,
where he earned a Master’s of Arts Degree in Teaching, with an emphasis in Elementary Education and Cultural Studies.
During the course of his graduate program, Logan worked in a variety of teaching capacities in different multi-cultural schools. This included being a teacher’s aide in a Special Education classroom; a counselor and teacher of social skills; and a substitute teacher for kindergarten
through eighth grades. Eventually he became a fifth and sixth grade Social Studies/Language Arts teacher at the George B. Armstrong School of International Studies with students from over 30 different countries. Logan has also served as co-director of both a recreational summer camp
as well as a youth leadership camp where he was in charge of 130 first through tenth graders.
During this same period, Logan was a member of Kappa Delta Pi (an International Honor Society in Education), a recipient of the World of Poetry’s Golden Poet Award, served as a volunteer at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History (working with the Maori Meeting House), and became a certified Family Life Educator and a certified Physical Fitness Leader.
From September of 1994 to November of 1997, Logan traveled abroad with Chaaze Roberts, Soul Creation’s General Manager, revisiting countries from his previous trip adding Laos, India, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast. In addition, he has traveled to Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and throughout more than 35 states in the USA.
Upon returning from his overseas journey, Logan served seven years as an instructor at the International Academy of Design and Technology where he taught courses in College Math, Critical Thinking, Interpersonal Communications/Human Relations, and oversaw the African Studies Program that he himself designed. He was also a History and Science teacher at ETHS’s evening school Special Education program. Currently, Logan is an instructor at Northeastern Illinois University where he teaches a course in Pan-African studies. His main area of concentration is the work of S.O.U.L. Creations of which he is Founder and Executive Director.
Gilo reflected,
“Traveling the world, I have come to see that many people want to change the world, but I often ask myself, how many of us are willing to change ourselves?”
Chaaze' P. Roberts
Support Director, S.O.U.L. Creations
Chaaze’ P. Roberts was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Growing up, he lived in places such as Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Detroit; New Orleans (where he began high school); and finally Clarendon Hills, Illinois. He is a graduate of Hinsdale Central High School where he participated in band, football, and track. After high school, Roberts attended the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana). By 1989, he had earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Psychology, as well as a Master’s of Art degree in Labor and Industrial Relations emphasizing in Human Resources.
Upon graduation from college, Roberts began a corporate career as a Human Resources Specialist for Amoco Corporation in Chicago. In the summer of 1991, he left Amoco to search for other career and life options. The following year, Roberts worked for various companies using his Human Resources expertise in a consulting capacity. It was during this time period that he decided he was going to travel the world.
From September 1994 to November 1997, Roberts accomplished his goal of traveling abroad with Logan. The journey took him throughout the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and West Africa including the countries of the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, India, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mali. In addition he has traveled to Jamaica, Bahamas, and througout more than 15 states in America.
Since his return to the States, Roberts has become a certified physical fitness leader for youth. He has worked as co-director for a recreational summer camp in Evanston where he was in charge of 80 first through eighth grade children. He also served as the West African drumming instructor and artistic director for a leadership summer camp on Chicago’s west side. Roberts was also employed at Evanston Township High School as a tutor/counselor in the Caribbean Academic Program. In addition he was teacher's aid in African studies and a co-instructor of Asian Studies in their evening high school. He is also a K-12 certified substitute teacher. Currently, the primary focus of Robert’s life is serving the community through the work of S.O.U.L. Creations, of which he is General Manager.
Year 2 presenters
Larry Littlebird
President and Program Director, Hamaatsa
Larry Littlebird, co-founder of Hamaatsa, is a Pueblo Indian from Laguna/Santo Domingo Pueblos in New Mexico. Larry Littlebird celebrates an indigenous holistic way of life. Over the past 35 years, Larry has worked extensively as a corporate trainer and executive coach, education specialist and national speaker perpetuating the living oral tradition of his Pueblo Indian culture. Larry personally trains and equips people in the areas of generative leadership development, teambuilding, communications, holistic health and community building. His inspired programs have had a profound impact on many lives working with individuals, business organizations, management teams, foundations, schools and community groups. His experiential learning curriculum model, Learning to Listen©, has been implemented across the nation in classrooms, boardrooms, university auditoriums, theaters in D.C. to San Francisco and around lodge fires where people gather. Providing spiritual guidance and sharing tribal traditions, Larry facilitates remedial results through his work with healing and grief circles, wilderness solos and mountain pilgrimages. Through Littlebird’s methods, his clients are able to realize a cathartic process within their own lives, families, business relationships and communities.
As a filmmaker, writer and performing artist, Larry is one of the first American Indians to produce, write and direct films for and about Native people in the United States. He played the lead role in the feature motion picture, House Made of Dawn, based on N. Scott Momaday’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel which was recently archived by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and declared a watershed moment in the history of Native filmmaking.
Larry is also the founder of White Dawn House, the spiritual house to be built at Hamaatsa. Larry and a cadre of traditional elders are re-establishing this original house given to the ancient Pueblo people by the Creator. Larry believes that tribal traditions, spiritual values and Native leadership are key and vital for healing this land. His long range vision for Hamaatsa, indigenous learning center and land stewardship projects, is to empower Native people to regain stewardship of original indigenous lands beyond present reservation borders in which to revitalize cultural identity and to rebuild healthy vibrant productive communities.
Larry is the author of Hunting Sacred—Everything Listens: A Pueblo Indian Man’s Oral Tradition Legacy, which introduces readers to a timeless story of living in correct relationship with all life and is Littlebird’s personal legacy of story, song and art from his rich oral tradition.
Year 3 presenters
Mario Piedra Marin
Director of the Continuing Education Program, EARTH University
Last edited by Nick Swider on Apr 3, 2010 - 11:44 AM
Celebration of diversity
Ulric Johnson, Ph.D.
Dean of Students, Springfield College – Boston Campus
Founder and Director, Teens Against Gang Violence
Dr. Ulric Johnson has an international reputation in the field of gang prevention and urban sociology. He is the founding director of Teens Against Gang Violence and is an award winning instructor at the Harvard Ed School where he teaches a module on violence prevention and peaceable schools. Dr. Johnson is also a founding board member of the Center for Peaceable Schools at Lesley University, and has a private practice in counseling psychology. Currently he serves as the Dean of the School of Human Services for Springfield College, Boston Campus.
Ulric is a long time presenter at GYLI workshops and has presented in the Midwest, meeting with school heads and diversity coordinators about how to structure just and caring communities of learners in a multicultural context. He is a Trinidadian-American married to Kim and is the father of two children, Kim and Kern.
Antoinette Johnson
Teens Against Gang Violence
Antoinette is a graduate of the Teens Against Gang Violence (TAGV) program founded by Dr. Ulric Johnson. As one of the original members, her title in the group is OG (original gangster). TAGV stresses that they are not anti-gang, as a gang is defined as a group of people working or associated together, but they are anti-gang violence. TAGV is a volunteer, youth led community-based program located in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It provides violence prevention, education, and intervention services to youth service providers, youth, and family. Their vision is to eliminate violence in all its forms, such as racism, guns, sexism, crime, homophobia, drugs and fighting, by developing our neighborhoods into healthier communities that strive for peace and justice. The program is comprised of youth, ages 8 to 20+, and their families from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, who primarily reside in the urban neighborhoods of the city of Boston. All members receive training as trainers and educators. Antoinette has been a member of TAGV since 1994 when she joined at age 13.
Community through drum and dance
Kojo Bey
Director, Sounds of Afrika
I have been blessed with the role of continuing the legacy of healing through African drums and dance. SOUNDS OF AFRIKA is a family based troupe and boasts 3 generations of drummers with my father, Abishai, myself and my sons. I co-founded the troupe with my Parents 10 years ago as a way to give back to the communities that I grew up in New York and Connecticut. Within 2 years of existence, the troupe was invited to venues across the U.S., the Caribbean and West Africa.
Not only did I have a foundation in drumming from my father as a youth, but I was a co-founder of Nevada’s first African dance and drum troupe, CODAME in 1993. Performing and teaching in Las Vegas, NV was my first experience with the healing powers of the drum.
I am also the Executive Director of OBey Foundation, a non profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to the African cultural enrichment and overall well being of citizens throughout the Diaspora. Our major initiatives have been Drum Call, an African drum & dance program as a healing therapy for youth at risk. We have taught over 6,000 participants the art of African drum and dancing. OBey Theatre Group, African American classic theatrical productions. GESP-Ghana Educational Sponsorship Program. We have adopted 2 villages in Ghana, West Africa and am in the process of building a healing center in one of the villages, Brenu Village. Salaga: Traveling exhibit of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Route from Ghana, West Afrika. I recently completed a research project on the various slave routes throughout Ghana and collected artifacts and photos for the traveling exhibit. This was a life changing experience for me and has added to the impacting programming of the organization. A.S.E. Program-Adolescents Striving for Excellence, a Rites of Passage program.
I currently work full time performing as Musical Director of SOUNDS OF AFRIKA, instructing Drum Call classes, and performing my duties as Executive Director of OBey Foundation.
My role in life is an “opener of the way.” I am an eternal student and am dedicated to exposing people to empowering tools for healing. The foundation from which we teach is based on the Nguzo Saba, which means seven principles in Kiswahili. We also use these principles to convey the concept of Rites of Passage to audiences all over. Rites of Passage refer to the rituals and activities that one or group goes through to move from one level of development to the next. We subscribe to the concept of the Jeli or Griot, West African Storyteller, in order to convey our lessons. The Jeli is a very important position in the African community since most of the history is passed on orally.
Gilo Kwesi M. Logan
Founder and Executive Director, S.O.U.L Creations
Gilo Kwesi Moussa Logan, proud father of two sons, is a native of Evanston, Illinois. He is a graduate of Evanston Township High School (ETHS), where he played basketball and football. After graduating from ETHS, Logan attended Southern Illinois University where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business and Administration, with an emphasis in Marketing.
Upon graduation, Logan set out on an 18-month solo journey (through the South Pacific and Southeast Asia) to the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Returning to the USA, he enrolled in graduate school at National-Louis University,
where he earned a Master’s of Arts Degree in Teaching, with an emphasis in Elementary Education and Cultural Studies.
During the course of his graduate program, Logan worked in a variety of teaching capacities in different multi-cultural schools. This included being a teacher’s aide in a Special Education classroom; a counselor and teacher of social skills; and a substitute teacher for kindergarten
through eighth grades. Eventually he became a fifth and sixth grade Social Studies/Language Arts teacher at the George B. Armstrong School of International Studies with students from over 30 different countries. Logan has also served as co-director of both a recreational summer camp
as well as a youth leadership camp where he was in charge of 130 first through tenth graders.
During this same period, Logan was a member of Kappa Delta Pi (an International Honor Society in Education), a recipient of the World of Poetry’s Golden Poet Award, served as a volunteer at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History (working with the Maori Meeting House), and became a certified Family Life Educator and a certified Physical Fitness Leader.
From September of 1994 to November of 1997, Logan traveled abroad with Chaaze Roberts, Soul Creation’s General Manager, revisiting countries from his previous trip adding Laos, India, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast. In addition, he has traveled to Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and throughout more than 35 states in the USA.
Upon returning from his overseas journey, Logan served seven years as an instructor at the International Academy of Design and Technology where he taught courses in College Math, Critical Thinking, Interpersonal Communications/Human Relations, and oversaw the African Studies Program that he himself designed. He was also a History and Science teacher at ETHS’s evening school Special Education program. Currently, Logan is an instructor at Northeastern Illinois University where he teaches a course in Pan-African studies. His main area of concentration is the work of S.O.U.L. Creations of which he is Founder and Executive Director.
Gilo reflected,
“Traveling the world, I have come to see that many people want to change the world, but I often ask myself, how many of us are willing to change ourselves?”
Chaaze' P. Roberts
Support Director, S.O.U.L. Creations
Chaaze’ P. Roberts was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Growing up, he lived in places such as Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Detroit; New Orleans (where he began high school); and finally Clarendon Hills, Illinois. He is a graduate of Hinsdale Central High School where he participated in band, football, and track. After high school, Roberts attended the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana). By 1989, he had earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Psychology, as well as a Master’s of Art degree in Labor and Industrial Relations emphasizing in Human Resources.
Upon graduation from college, Roberts began a corporate career as a Human Resources Specialist for Amoco Corporation in Chicago. In the summer of 1991, he left Amoco to search for other career and life options. The following year, Roberts worked for various companies using his Human Resources expertise in a consulting capacity. It was during this time period that he decided he was going to travel the world.
From September 1994 to November 1997, Roberts accomplished his goal of traveling abroad with Logan. The journey took him throughout the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and West Africa including the countries of the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, India, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mali. In addition he has traveled to Jamaica, Bahamas, and througout more than 15 states in America.
Since his return to the States, Roberts has become a certified physical fitness leader for youth. He has worked as co-director for a recreational summer camp in Evanston where he was in charge of 80 first through eighth grade children. He also served as the West African drumming instructor and artistic director for a leadership summer camp on Chicago’s west side. Roberts was also employed at Evanston Township High School as a tutor/counselor in the Caribbean Academic Program. In addition he was teacher's aid in African studies and a co-instructor of Asian Studies in their evening high school. He is also a K-12 certified substitute teacher. Currently, the primary focus of Robert’s life is serving the community through the work of S.O.U.L. Creations, of which he is General Manager.
Year 2 presenters
Larry Littlebird
President and Program Director, Hamaatsa
Larry Littlebird, co-founder of Hamaatsa, is a Pueblo Indian from Laguna/Santo Domingo Pueblos in New Mexico. Larry Littlebird celebrates an indigenous holistic way of life. Over the past 35 years, Larry has worked extensively as a corporate trainer and executive coach, education specialist and national speaker perpetuating the living oral tradition of his Pueblo Indian culture. Larry personally trains and equips people in the areas of generative leadership development, teambuilding, communications, holistic health and community building. His inspired programs have had a profound impact on many lives working with individuals, business organizations, management teams, foundations, schools and community groups. His experiential learning curriculum model, Learning to Listen©, has been implemented across the nation in classrooms, boardrooms, university auditoriums, theaters in D.C. to San Francisco and around lodge fires where people gather. Providing spiritual guidance and sharing tribal traditions, Larry facilitates remedial results through his work with healing and grief circles, wilderness solos and mountain pilgrimages. Through Littlebird’s methods, his clients are able to realize a cathartic process within their own lives, families, business relationships and communities.
As a filmmaker, writer and performing artist, Larry is one of the first American Indians to produce, write and direct films for and about Native people in the United States. He played the lead role in the feature motion picture, House Made of Dawn, based on N. Scott Momaday’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel which was recently archived by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and declared a watershed moment in the history of Native filmmaking.
Larry is also the founder of White Dawn House, the spiritual house to be built at Hamaatsa. Larry and a cadre of traditional elders are re-establishing this original house given to the ancient Pueblo people by the Creator. Larry believes that tribal traditions, spiritual values and Native leadership are key and vital for healing this land. His long range vision for Hamaatsa, indigenous learning center and land stewardship projects, is to empower Native people to regain stewardship of original indigenous lands beyond present reservation borders in which to revitalize cultural identity and to rebuild healthy vibrant productive communities.
Larry is the author of Hunting Sacred—Everything Listens: A Pueblo Indian Man’s Oral Tradition Legacy, which introduces readers to a timeless story of living in correct relationship with all life and is Littlebird’s personal legacy of story, song and art from his rich oral tradition.
Year 3 presenters
Mario Piedra Marin
Director of the Continuing Education Program, EARTH University
Last edited by Nick Swider on Apr 3, 2010 - 11:44 AM