Black Girl Magic at Nationals!
Donation protected
Thank you ahead of time to those who actually read the whole story. You are truly appreciated.
If you know me, you know how near and dear I have held stepping to myself. It has been partially responsible for the rebirth of my personality. It helped become more outgoing, confident, trusting, empathetic, passionate and dedicated. I have been stepping since 2012, and as I have transitioned out of the spotlight from being Public Relations officer, captain and just regular dedicated member of the step team called Oragnized CHAOS (SUNY Albany) I, along with a very close friend of mine, Erica Elston have been gifted and blessed to coach middle school girls who we have come to love and look after as our own. Erica has even known some if not all of these girls since they were at least in 2nd grade, and has also been practically stepping her whole life as well as being a member of Precizun step team at SUNY Albany. So it truly is a special opportunity to be coaching girls who we both have the same drive that we did all those years ago. The feeling is a magic.
Erica, and I coach a step team called Chimalsi Step Team that represents Albany Community Charter Middle School located in the south end of Albany, NY. They have been around for a quite a few years. Chimalsi in Kiswahili means, Young and Proud, and that’s exactly what my middle school steppers are. They are young and proud black girls that show perseverance, optimism, motivation, and excellence in every aspect of their lives. It is one thing to look at people stepping and saying “Hey that looks cool!”, but it’s another thing to actually come to grips with the fact that it was meant to be in your DNA. There’s nothing like that feeling when you are about to step on stage, and have your audience in awe with what you are about to do. Remember yourself in middle school? The world was your oyester, but your immediate oceans weren’t stretched out that far yet. So for these middle schoolers, step is their every day life. It is all they know and all that they have come to love. They bust their butts day in and day out not because they want recognition, but because they actually love what they do, and are always looking for the opportunity to shine bright!
They went to Nationals in Atlanta before in 2016 and placed an amazing 4th place of all the teams that went! Trust me, 4th place at a National step league competition is not an accomplishment that should ever go over looked. We qualified last year, but at the end of the day we had to remember that expenses aren’t easy all the time especially when you need money for flights, hotel, food, and very vitals things that you would need when traveling to another state, let alone a city like Atlanta! We are looking for as much assistance as we can because these ladies were heart broken last year when we were unable to go. Nationals this year are in June. They deserve this, they want this, but most of all as steppers who embody every part of the art and craft....they NEED this. Let Black Girl Magic shine in ATL all the way from Albany!
If you know me, you know how near and dear I have held stepping to myself. It has been partially responsible for the rebirth of my personality. It helped become more outgoing, confident, trusting, empathetic, passionate and dedicated. I have been stepping since 2012, and as I have transitioned out of the spotlight from being Public Relations officer, captain and just regular dedicated member of the step team called Oragnized CHAOS (SUNY Albany) I, along with a very close friend of mine, Erica Elston have been gifted and blessed to coach middle school girls who we have come to love and look after as our own. Erica has even known some if not all of these girls since they were at least in 2nd grade, and has also been practically stepping her whole life as well as being a member of Precizun step team at SUNY Albany. So it truly is a special opportunity to be coaching girls who we both have the same drive that we did all those years ago. The feeling is a magic.
Erica, and I coach a step team called Chimalsi Step Team that represents Albany Community Charter Middle School located in the south end of Albany, NY. They have been around for a quite a few years. Chimalsi in Kiswahili means, Young and Proud, and that’s exactly what my middle school steppers are. They are young and proud black girls that show perseverance, optimism, motivation, and excellence in every aspect of their lives. It is one thing to look at people stepping and saying “Hey that looks cool!”, but it’s another thing to actually come to grips with the fact that it was meant to be in your DNA. There’s nothing like that feeling when you are about to step on stage, and have your audience in awe with what you are about to do. Remember yourself in middle school? The world was your oyester, but your immediate oceans weren’t stretched out that far yet. So for these middle schoolers, step is their every day life. It is all they know and all that they have come to love. They bust their butts day in and day out not because they want recognition, but because they actually love what they do, and are always looking for the opportunity to shine bright!
They went to Nationals in Atlanta before in 2016 and placed an amazing 4th place of all the teams that went! Trust me, 4th place at a National step league competition is not an accomplishment that should ever go over looked. We qualified last year, but at the end of the day we had to remember that expenses aren’t easy all the time especially when you need money for flights, hotel, food, and very vitals things that you would need when traveling to another state, let alone a city like Atlanta! We are looking for as much assistance as we can because these ladies were heart broken last year when we were unable to go. Nationals this year are in June. They deserve this, they want this, but most of all as steppers who embody every part of the art and craft....they NEED this. Let Black Girl Magic shine in ATL all the way from Albany!
Fundraising team: Chimalsi Step Team (2)
Kyle Chittum
Organizer
Albany, NY
Samone Baptiste
Team member
