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Beauty for Freedom (BFF), as an anti-trafficking organization, has always strived to connect communities and champion freedom via our global educational programming for survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth along with our advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns.  Our team has strived for ways to connect our ambassadors and artists to the global community by creating a project which could break the barriers of the insular lives we faced through and beyond the pandemic  while creating the possibility of uniting, connecting, sharing ideas, educating, and embracing our humanity through the arts and music.   BFF launched Breaking Distance as a way to continue connecting with our global community while sharing critical topics affecting our world and inspiring conversations. Topics covered include global health, human trafficking, art, music and mental health and wellness.    According to the International Labor Organization, the latest estimates show that forced labor and forced marriage have increased significantly in the last five years. Fifty million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, according to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. Of these people, 28 million were in forced labor and 22 million were trapped in forced marriage. The number of people in modern slavery has risen significantly in the last five years. 10 million more people were in modern slavery in 2021 compared to 2016 global estimates. Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable. Modern slavery occurs in almost every country worldwide, cutting across ethnic, cultural, and religious lines. More than half (52 percent) of all forced labor and a quarter of all forced marriages can be found in upper-middle-income or high-income countries.BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM (BFF) is a non-profit dedicated to empowering survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth by providing a therapeutic approach supporting recovery through creativity and skills training.Beauty for Freedom engages the industries of Beauty, Art, and Fashion as powerful allies in the fight to end human trafficking through national public campaigns, travel-abroad arts therapy workshops for survivors, mentoring programs, and exhibitions/events. BFF helps students develop their advocacy and activism skills as they empower and support local nonprofits, on-campus youth groups, and local advocacy platforms, as well as nurture their own hopes and dreams for a better world. Sustainable impact happens over time and that is where we feel our bigger mission lives.Creativity has been proven to help survivors rebuild their lives, providing them with stability and putting them on the path to socioeconomic independence. Since 2014, BFF has empowered and supported over 3500 survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth in the United States and globally.https://beautyforfreedom.org/     Follow Beauty for Freedom: Instagram Twitter Facebook   About Joanna Pauline Joanna Pauline is a Filipina, New York City raised, model, actress, and activist living an international lifestyle. Throughout her career, Joanna has traveled to diverse cities and landscapes, exploring and creating as she goes. Riding horses, cooking, and adding new languages to her multilingual skills are her favorite things to do. She’s a speaker and project manager for Beauty For Freedom, an organization dedicated to helping survivors of human trafficking heal through art, while spreading awareness to the public. Dedicated to natural beauty and authenticity, she encourages other women and girls to stay true to themselves, something she believes is crucial in this age of perfectionism and unrealistic beauty imagery spread on social media.   Joanna Pauline Instagram National Human Trafficking Hotline https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en Global Estimates of Slavery https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_855019/lang--en/index.htm Trafficking in Persos Report 2022 https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-trafficking-in-persons-report/      

Breaking Distance Beauty for Freedom (BFF), as an anti-trafficking organization, has always strived to connect communities and champion freedom via our global educational programming for survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth along with our advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns. Throughout the COVID-19 Crisis, our team has been looking for ways to connect our ambassadors and artists to the global community by creating a project which could break the barriers of the insular lives we faced through the pandemic with quarantining and self-isolation while creating the possibility of uniting, connecting, sharing ideas, educating, and embracing our humanity through the arts and music.   BFF launched Breaking Distance as a way to continue connecting with our global community while sharing critical topics affecting our world and inspiring conversations. Topics covered include global health, human trafficking, art, music and mental health and wellness. We want YOU to JOIN the MOVEMENT! Stay tuned for details on our website (www.beautyforfreedom.org) and social media pages  for podcast schedules, email us if you're a visual artist, activist, musician or influencer who would like to get involved at info@beautyforfreedom.org or send us DMs with podcast idea submissions. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD AND CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY! https://beautyforfreedom.org/   Follow Beauty for Freedom: Instagram Twitter Facebook     https://www.change.org/about More about Christina Christina Martin is a Senior Campaigner at Change.org. Every day, she identifies new campaigns to support and works with petition starters to get in touch with their decision-makers. She had the privilege to serve on the Racial Justice Committee that was charged with allocating millions of dollars to racial justice organizations throughout the US. In 2020, Christina was asked to help create a new department at Change.org. She moved to San Francisco and began her work with a small team to start the Scaled Support program, which aimed to provide each person who started a petition with personalized text advice on their campaign. It has now grown to a team of over 20 people, and Christina has returned to the campaigns team to continue her previous work. While she was still in college, she interned for Change.org on a project called Change Politics. This program aimed to provide transparency and connection to those voting in the 2016 election. After completing her degree, she taught English as an Auxiliar de Conversación with the Council on International Educational Exchange. Christina graduated from Susquehanna University with a triple major in Political Science, Public Policy, and Spanish. At Susquehanna, she was the President of the Student Government.   More about Rashawn Rashawn Davis is Racial Justice Fund Manager at Change.org, leading the organization’s commitment to invest millions into the movement for Racial Justice and Black-led organizations.  In 2018, he was appointed by Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka to serve a two-year term as a Commissioner on Newark’s Police Review Board. The board is charged with reviewing, auditing and recommending changes in police practices and policy for New Jersey’s largest city.  He was also named by Insider-NJ as one of New Jersey’s 100 Most Influential Millennials. In 2014, Rashawn became the youngest person in the history of  Newark to be certified and appear on a municipal election ballot at the age of 21. He led an insurgent campaign for a City Council seat representing the 80,000 people of the city’s west ward. He has also previously worked at the Council of State Governments – Justice Center where he helped build the National Clean Slate Clearinghouse; An online resource dedicated to expanding access to record clearance for the more than 70 million Americans with a criminal record. Rashawn graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Government. He earned a master’s degree from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School.   Change.Org Social Media Instagram Facebook      

Breaking Distance Beauty for Freedom (BFF), as an anti-trafficking organization, has always strived to connect communities and champion freedom via our global educational programming for survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth along with our advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns. Throughout the COVID-19 Crisis, our team has been looking for ways to connect our ambassadors and artists to the global community by creating a project which could break the barriers of the insular lives we faced through the pandemic with quarantining and self-isolation while creating the possibility of uniting, connecting, sharing ideas, educating, and embracing our humanity through the arts and music.   BFF launched Breaking Distance as a way to continue connecting with our global community while sharing critical topics affecting our world and inspiring conversations. Topics covered include global health, human trafficking, art, music and mental health and wellness. We want YOU to JOIN the MOVEMENT! Stay tuned for details on our website (www.beautyforfreedom.org) and social media pages  for podcast schedules, email us if you're a visual artist, activist, musician or influencer who would like to get involved at info@beautyforfreedom.org or send us DMs with podcast idea submissions. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD AND CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY! https://beautyforfreedom.org/     Follow Beauty for Freedom: Instagram Twitter Facebook     More About Mrs. Anna Ptak Anna Ptak is currently an international keynote speaker as well as an Overcomer and Policy Consultant in the movement to end Human Trafficking. Anna has conducted speaking tours in both New York and California. Anna’s story has been published internationally in editorials such as Asian Geographic and The Examiner. Anna was recently featured on the national talk show The Doctors and Univision’s Primer Impacto. In 2015, Anna showcased her ethical fashion collection during NYFW with garments made by Overcomers of sex trafficking in Nepal. Anna guest lectured at the University of Malta on Child Trafficking Law and has trained numerous governmental agencies and law enforcement on human trafficking. Anna lobbied for anti-human trafficking bills at the Virginia General Assembly and assisted in arguing, drafting bills concerning Human Trafficking including the Safe Harbor Law in NC. Anna also served as the guest speaker for many organizations such as for The National Center on Sexual Exploitation and Shared Hope International. Anna has assisted in writing both national and international policy. Anna has a large focus on establishing the link between pornography and sex trafficking. In her spare time, Anna loves spending time with her husband, and their sweet daughter, Zara, and adorable pups, Liam and Ava.   Instagram Facebook Page  

Breaking Distance Beauty for Freedom (BFF), as an anti-trafficking organization, has always strived to connect communities and champion freedom via our global educational programming for survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth along with our advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns. Throughout the COVID-19 Crisis, our team has been looking for ways to connect our ambassadors and artists to the global community by creating a project which could break the barriers of the insular lives we faced through the pandemic with quarantining and self-isolation while creating the possibility of uniting, connecting, sharing ideas, educating, and embracing our humanity through the arts and music.   BFF launched Breaking Distance as a way to continue connecting with our global community while sharing critical topics affecting our world and inspiring conversations. Topics covered include global health, human trafficking, art, music and mental health and wellness. We want YOU to JOIN the MOVEMENT! Stay tuned for details on our website (www.beautyforfreedom.org) and social media pages  for podcast schedules, email us if you're a visual artist, activist, musician or influencer who would like to get involved at info@beautyforfreedom.org or send us DMs with podcast idea submissions. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD AND CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY! https://beautyforfreedom.org/     Follow Beauty for Freedom: Instagram Twitter Facebook   About Savhera: https://savhera.com/ Our aim is to provide customers with premium essential oil products that contribute to wellness, justice, and sustainability at home and around the world.   Every essential oil purchase you make is a celebration of new beginnings and restored joy, and contributes to dignified employment for the brave survivors of sexual exploitation in India and the United States that comprise our team.   OUR MISSION To deliver premium essential oils to values-driven consumers while combatting sex trafficking by providing dignified employment to survivors of sexual exploitation.   OUR VISION Global leadership in premium essential oils that cultivate dignity and renewal.   OUR VALUES Dignity, integrity, and excellence--these core values anchor what we do and how we do it. Our book of meditations helps us reflect on all our other values (like fun and joy!) daily. Follow Savhera: Instagram    

In our 5th Episode in our Breaking Distance series "On Race, Art and Everything In-Between", a collection of conversations focusing on investigating the systemic racism plaguing our world today. We are creating a space to uplift diverse communities while spotlighting people of color changing and shaping our world through philanthropy, the arts and activism. This episode features London Based Artist, Journalist and Filmmaker Darnell Christie. We approach being Black in media and what that experience feels like, his upbringing in London, what inspires him to create, his Vlog series “Black in Colombia” and his podcast “Darnell Responds”.              More About Darnell   Darnell Christie is a freelance multimedia journalist focusing on international development issues and a filmmaker with a passion for understanding people’s perspectives and telling their stories.     Follow Darnell on Social Media:       https://www.instagram.com/darnell_christie/   https://twitter.com/darnellchristie   https://www.facebook.com/thedarnellchristie       Watch "Black in Colombia"     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC04Z55Zj3gCPWr5dFmQY4Iw       Listen to "Darnell Responds"     https://www.buzzsprout.com/883435                     LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:   https://beautyforfreedom.org/BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENTArt Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.      

In our 4th Episode in our Breaking Distance series "On Race, Art and Everything In-Between", a collection of conversations focusing on investigating the systemic racism plaguing our world today. We are creating a space to uplift diverse communities while spotlighting people of color changing and shaping our world through philanthropy, the arts and activism. This episode features Lisa Dent, the Executive Director of Artspace New Haven, a visionary and dynamic non-profit organization championing emerging artists and building new audiences for contemporary art. Lisa speaks about her experiences as a curator, Executive Director, gallery owner and woman of color in the art world and the challenges she's faced along with the triumph and hope.             More About Lisa  Lisa Dent’s curatorial roles in national museums and galleries, along with a multi-disciplinary nonprofit arts background, make her uniquely qualified to lead Artspace.  Previously, Dent was the Artistic Director for Converge45, a nonprofit organization that provides a curatorial platform for the visual arts in Portland, Oregon.  Prior to joining Converge45, Dent was Director of Resources & Award Programs at Creative Capital (2012-2017), leading the national nonprofit’s financial and advisory services programs and supporting artists towards the full realization of their projects.  As Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio, Dent attracted resources for and organized exhibitions including Stephanie Syjuco: Pattern Migration, Currents: Latifa Echakhch and Supply & Demand.  Earlier, she was a Helena Rubenstein Fellow at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and held curatorial staff positions at the New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She was director of the Friedrich Petzel Gallery in New York, and for several years owned and managed Lisa Dent Gallery in San Francisco (2004-2009), where she presented the work of emerging and mid-career international artists. Dent received her B.F.A. in History of Art from Howard University, and received her M.F.A. from New York University.         Support Artspace New Haven     https://artspacenewhaven.org/   https://www.instagram.com/artspacenh/                       LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:   https://beautyforfreedom.org/BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENTArt Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.      

Our Breaking Distance team had the honor of interviewing Bil Donovan, one of today's most accomplished and revered fashion illustrators. He is a respected educator and author and has traveled the world as a global artist and spokesperson for companies like Christian Dior. Bil speaks about his passion for creating and how it all started, his love of educating, fostering and nurturing the next generation of artists and his activism and newest protest artwork series #LiberatorToo, honoring Black Lives.            More About Bil Bil Donovan is one of today's most accomplished and revered fashion illustrators. He was appointed the first artist-in-resident for Christian Dior in 2009, a position he continues to serve in today. Donovan utilizes an innate sense of selectivity to communicate the essence of glamour, luxury and style with an abstract sensibility reflecting his fine art background.   As an artist, author, educator and spokesperson Bil is a true champion of the art form. From the editorial, advertising and animation markets, his clients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vogue, Bergdorf Goodman, St. Regis Hotel, The New York Times, Harper Collins, New York magazine, Mandarin Oriental, the CFDA, L’Occitaine, Vanity Fair, Neiman Marcus and Saks.   Donovan shares the process of fashion illustration as an Associate Adjunct Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He continues to  conduct master classes and shared his technique through demonstrations in Australia, China, London, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York. Bil is the author of Advanced Fashion Drawing/Lifestyle Illustration, Lawrence King Publishing.   His painting of the House of Dior’s Couture timeline adorns the Christian Dior Suite and his paintings are also visible in the Presidential Suite and the lobby. Vogue and the Metropolitan Museum of Art commissioned Donovan as the sole artist to illustrate fashion illustrations of iconic designs for a limited edition book for inclusion in the permanent collection of the Costume Institutes Library and visible in the recent exhibit, “Masterworks”: Unpacking fashion, 2017.   Bil Donovan has recently been recognized as one of the most accomplished fashion Illustrators of the late twentieth century, History of Illustration, Bloombury Publication 2019. http://www.bildonovanlimited.com/   Social Media   https://www.instagram.com/bildonovan/       LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:https://beautyforfreedom.org/BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENTArt Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.      

Our Breaking Distance team had the honor of featuring an amazing organization and program on the show last week, Margaret's Place (A program of the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation), discussing how school programming and youth have been pivoting throughout the global pandemic and we had an opportunity to learn more about the programs provided for youth in New York, Los Angeles and Cincinnati. Safe At Home provides healing services to youth who have been traumatized by exposure to violence including domestic violence, child abuse, teen dating abuse, and sexual assault in order to empower them to live healthy lives free of violence.                    Their mission is to educate to end the cycle of domestic violence and save lives. And as a program of Safe at Home, Margaret’s Place is a multifaceted school-based program created with the understanding that protective factors can decrease or mitigate the harm associated with exposure to violence and complex trauma. The program has several master’s level counselors to help children to strengthen their resilience, let them know that they are not alone, and underscore that the violence they have suffered is not their fault– all while providing a safe place in the school. We were  joined by Jennifer Herbert, the Associate Vice President of Programs at Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation. Jennifer has over 15 years of clinical experience as an art therapist and trainer in New York City, working with children, families, and communities affected by trauma, violence, and homelessness. In her current role at the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation, she addresses the cumulative effects of isolation and complex trauma, with an emphasis on prevention and intervention, and works to build and cultivate relationships with participants of the program as well as various community partners. and David Sewsankar, an Alumni Intern of IS 143. David joined the Safe At Home team in 2016 as an Alumni Intern. In that role, he has shaped and led the organization’s Perspectives With Equal Respect (P*WER) curriculum, a workshop facilitated by young men for young men that explores the role of gender and stereotypes in gender-based violence. He also facilitates groups, creates new workshops, and mentors current middle- and high-school students in Margaret’s Place programs.     https://joetorre.org/         Social Media https://www.instagram.com/safeathomefoundation/   https://www.instagram.com/margarets_place/                     LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:https://beautyforfreedom.org/BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENTArt Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.    

Our Beauty for Freedom, Breaking Distance Podcast Team sat down with Beauty for Freedom Ambassador, Global Artist , Humanitarian and Multi-faceted Musician Scarlett de la Torre for a candid discussion about how her music has led her down a path of sound healing, her work during the COVID Crisis, activism around the fight to end sex trafficking globally and support for the civil uprising around Black Lives Matter.             More About Scarlett Scarlett de la Torre is an international musician, DJ, sound meditation practitioner, and founder of AHA Sound Sanctuary. Scarlett’s alchemical journey with sound began as a global force in electronic music, sharing her sound as a DJ for two decades with the world’s finest dance floors and festivals with the likes of Crosstown Rebels, Sasha, Digweed, and Danny Tenaglia. As a musician and producer, she has performed around the world with legends such as Nile Rodgers at Montreux Jazz Festival; and produced runway soundtracks for fashion greats such as Matthew Williamson at the Royal Opera House for London Fashion Week, and has also performed live for the best international party institutions like Abracadabra at Scorpios Mykonos where she was resident performer.  She discovered Sound Medicine through humanitarian service with Beauty for Freedom in Kolkata, where she provided sound meditation as a form of therapy to transmute trauma for trafficked survivors, with profound results. She continued to study sound science and shamanic practices to deepen her knowledge of sound, and obtained Sound Practitioner training with Alexandre Tannous at Woom Center in New York City. She conducted the opening sound ceremony for IAMAI exhibit in THE MAN at Burning Man 2018, and has been selected as Sound Practitioner for Richard Branson’s events at Necker Island . She loves using her talents to bring awareness to environmental causes such as Ultramarine and Planet Home, and also was invited as a guest speaker and performer for the Regenerative Futures Summit led by Daniel Pinchbeck. She is currently based in California where she is headmistress of Music and Sound Alchemy at the AHA Sound Sanctuary - an online learning platform for music, to activate your mystical musical gifts as you learn the art & science of sound to heal and manifest.      https://www.ahasoundsanctuary.com/    https://www.instagram.com/scarlett.delatorre/                      LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:https://beautyforfreedom.org/BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENTArt Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward. 

Our Beauty for Freedom, Breaking Distance Podcast Team sat down for a candid discussion about the history of San Francisco Pride, Queer Culture, Activism and the Influence of The Arts and Music with Artist, “Credit in the Straight World” Film Director, and “Nervous Breakdowns” Band Founder Keala Ramos, a Nonprofit Industrial Complex Rabble-Rouser and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy a Transgender Activist, Advocate and the Executive Director of the Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center’s (a.k.a. “House of GG”) mission is to create programs, services, and resources that positively impact the lives, history, and visibility of Transgender, gender-questioning, and gender-nonconforming people. They do this through programs that promote healing justice, resilience, and organizing among our communities, particularly by and for transgender women of color, to remove barriers that inhibit our survival.            More About Keala Ramos     Keala Ramos is a Hawaiian artist/filmmaker/musician born and raised on the island of O’ahu. He moved to San Francisco to further his education in art and music, but he also ended up studying filmmaking and finding his creative and queer identity. He then moved to New York City to continue his creative exploration, and he has called Queens home for the last 13 years. https://nervousbreakdowns.com/             More About Ana "Smitty" Smith       Ana "Smitty" Smith is a 50-year old Peruvian-American butch lesbian whose political activism began at the age of 23 when they voted to unionize at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF). Like other union activists at SFAF, Smitty was fired, but they have continued to make change from within at other San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit organizations, such as removing an ineffective AIDS organization Executive Director, increasing Latino student enrollment at a Mission District music school, and advocating for the hiring of a Black consultant to lead a barely-Black nonprofit in discussing diversity. Smitty was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and lived in Peru from 2014-2016, where they also marched alongside the Peruvian LGBT community in their struggle for equal rights. https://houseofgg.org/       More About Miss Major Griffin-Gracy       Miss Major is a black trans elder who is the subject of the 2015 documentary film “Major!” by filmmakers Annalise Ophelian and Storm Miguel Florez. This film details her lifelong activism and participation in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, a key moment in the modern LGBT civil rights movement. The film premiered in San Francisco and has been screened at various film festivals around the world. The Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center’s (a.k.a. “House of GG”) mission is to create programs, services, and resources that positively impact the lives, history, and visibility of Transgender, gender-questioning, and gender-nonconforming people. We do this through programs that promote healing justice, resilience, and organizing among our communities, particularly by and for transgender women of color, to remove barriers that inhibit our survival.   The brain-child of world-renowned Trans revolutionary Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, we are the first educational and historical center solely dedicated to Transgender and gender nonconforming people in the USA.   As a survivor of the historic Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969, Miss Major helped to pioneer the TLGBQ liberation movement. She continues that work five decades later.   Miss Major’s legacy project is House of GG – a permanent home in Arkansas where Transgender people can come, feel safe, and be part of a growing network of Southern Trans people who are working for social justice. https://houseofgg.org/      Please use the following link to donate toward Miss Major’s healing: http://fundly.com/missmajor.                 LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.

Our Beauty for Freedom, Breaking Distance Podcast Team sat down with SASHA Center Founder and CEO, Kalimah Johnson, LMSW to discuss trauma-informed care for African-American survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence. Kalimah has transformed what trauma-informed care for African-American survivors of sexual violence looks like and has been a trailblazer in her field creating the The Sasha Center Model:Black Women's Triangulation of Rape, a paper outlining the need for Culturally Specific Services for African-American Self-Identified Sexual Assault Survivors and the needs organizations like SASHA have around Policies and Funding.             About Founder Kalimah Johnson, LMSW           Kalimah Johnson, LMSW is the Executive Director and Founder of the SASHA Center (Sexual Assault Services for Holistic Healing and Awareness), and is a consultant to the Women of Color Network’s-ABC Consortium. She was previously an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Marygrove College in Detroit, MI. Recently, she completed a Certification in Professional Athlete Development from the Wharton School of Executive Education-University of Pennsylvania.  She is also the Lead Consultant on Relationship Management and Safety with an emphasis on Domestic and Sexual Violence with the NBA. She has also created programming, workshops and trainings for the NFL, NHL, NCAA, E-Sports and for colleges and universities across the country on sexual assault.  She is also in the newly released HBO Film Documentary “I Am Evidence” produced by Mariska Hargitay about the rape kit crisis in the United States.      "Our job here is to take the shame and the guilt away," she says.   Johnson-an adjunct professor at Marygrove College and sexual assault awareness consultant to the National Basketball Association-opened the SASHA Center in 2010 after working 15 years in the Detroit Police Department's victim assistance program.         SASHA Center Social Media: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/sashacenter/?hl=en   TWITTER   https://twitter.com/sashacenter1?lang=en   DONATE TO SASHA Center TODAY! http://sashacenter.org/       SUPPORT THE GOFUNDME PAGE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sashacenter     LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.      

Breaking Distance continues our special series addressing the police brutality and widespread systemic racism representing historical and current sources of trauma in communities of color. We decided to go back to our communities of artists and thought leaders and have started a special #BreakingDistance Podcast series discussing Race Relations, political activism and the role of the arts and communication in healing; the second episode in this series  features singer, songwriter and activist Lisa Ramey. This is our response to our current civil rights crisis, the collective trauma caused by inequality and violence, and processing our emotions throughout.                 Evolution is the ongoing process of change. If we want to consciously and intentionally change our social systems, we need to talk together about it. The more inclusive, wise and productive our conversations are, the more powerful and positive the changes will be. - The Role of Conversation in Evolution (The Co-Intelligence Institute)             More About Lisa: Lisa Ramey is an alum of NBC’s The Voice Season 16 and has been an active performer and singer since the age of 9. She’s also a global activist having recently worked with The World Health Organization and Global Citizen to raise awareness for the COVID Crisis and staying healthy via a debut performance of her album “Surrender” on the home page of Twitch and being included alongside artists like John Legend, Camilla Cabello and Common as part of the Global Citizen “Together at Home” concert series, with dozens more performances and concerts planned through the fall.  Lisa Ramey was and remains a supporter of Senator Kamala Harris. Lisa was asked to introduce the Senator at a major event in NYC in September 2019 and was subsequently invited to all of the Senator’s NYC events. https://solo.to/lisarameymusic Purchase “Surrender” at https://open.spotify.com/album/1gCP2VMekM7zCDLWEKfgpz                   LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.

Our Breaking Distance Team had an opportunity to share an evening with the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking, an organization that has been a beacon of light and hope to many and an organization whose Coalition Members Paying It Forward Foundation have served as a mentor to our organization Beauty for Freedom for years. Our BD team spoke with  Ingrid Johnson, NJCAHT Board Member and Co-Chair of the NJCAHT Healthcare Committee, Wincey Terry-Bryant Founder of Nanababies, Winceyco, and Co-Chair of the NJCAHT Arts Committee and Gina Cavallo NJCAHT Boardmember, Consultant, Speaker, Advocate and Survivor of Human Trafficking. These incredible women inspired us with their passion for freedom and their generous hearts for supporting victims and survivors. We would like to use this podcast as a way to honor the NJCAHT and all they represent. Please join us in supporting their expansion by voting for a rebrand which could health them grow. Support their work to help survivors with your vote today and everyday until June 11th, 2020:  https://thinkso.com/giveabrand  Help give this nonprofit a $50k rebrand via “Give a Brand”.       More about NJCAHT: The New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking was formed in 2011 and is made up of over 180 diverse groups in the state, which include nonprofits, faith-based organizations, government agencies, academics, law enforcement, and direct service providers.    The NJCAHT works to serve as the hub of community efforts statewide to increase coordination and visibility of NJ’s commitment to end human trafficking. https://www.njhumantrafficking.org/   RESOURCES https://www.njhumantrafficking.org/covid19                     LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.        

It's been such an emotional and confusing time for our communities and Beauty for Freedom wanted to address the police brutality and widespread systemic racism representing historical and current sources of trauma in communities of color. We decided to go back to our communities of artists and thought leaders and have started a special #BreakingDistance Podcast series discussing Race Relations, political activism and the role of the arts and communication in healing; the first episode features Miguel Carter-Fisher,  Professor at Virginia State University and Artist (Narrative Painter). This is our response to our current civil rights crisis, the collective trauma caused by inequality and violence, and processing our emotions throughout.         Evolution is the ongoing process of change. If we want to consciously and intentionally change our social systems, we need to talk together about it. The more inclusive, wise and productive our conversations are, the more powerful and positive the changes will be. - The Role of Conversation in Evolution (The Co-Intelligence Institute)                 More About Miguel Miguel Carter-Fisher is currently based in his hometown, Richmond, Virginia. His interest in the arts began as a child and was nurtured by his father, the late painter Bill Fisher. At 18 he moved to Connecticut, where he studied both painting and philosophy at the University of Hartford. After graduating, Miguel moved to Brooklyn to attend the New York Academy of Art. There he studied traditional drawing, painting, and composition techniques. After graduate school, he worked at Soho Art Materials, where he educated artists, collectors, and galleries on diverse methods and materials of painting. Since returning to Richmond in 2014, Miguel has taught at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Milk River Arts, Bon Air Juvenile Corrections Center through Art 180, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently an assistant professor and studio arts coordinator at Virginia State University. Miguel’s work has been exhibited at various galleries in New York, Virginia, DC, Massachusetts, Washington, and abroad.     Please support Miguel's work at https://www.miguelcf.com/       Miguel Carter-Fisher Solo Show Eric Schindler Gallery, Richmond, VA Sometime in October or November depending on the development of the coronavirus.     https://www.ericschindlergallery.com/           Socials ---  Instagram --- https://www.instagram.com/miguelCFstudio/ Facebook --- https://www.facebook.com/miguel.carterfisher             Resources Register to Vote Online https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote         Defunding the Police. What Does this Mean? Fast Company Article https://www.fastcompany.com/90511824/is-it-time-to-defund-the-police         Track Progress of Legislation FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEGISLATION ADDRESSING POLICE VIOLENCE https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision https://8cantwait.org/           Center for Policing Equity—The Science of Justice: Race, Justice, and Police Use of Force https://policingequity.org/what-we-do/research/the-science-of-justice-race-arrests-and-police-use-of-force           This detailed report delves into police administrative data to show disparities in the use of force. You can watch the director of the Center, Phillip Atiba Goff, deliver a TED talk on fighting racism and improving policing here.  https://www.ted.com/talks/dr_phillip_atiba_goff_how_we_can_make_racism_a_solvable_problem_and_improve_policing         NAACP Campaign to End Racial Profiling https://www.naacp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/RP-One-Pager-7-2-12-Draft.pdf         NAACP Racial Profiling Curriculum Guide Categorized By Topic https://www.naacp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Racial-Profiling-Curriculum-Guide-TOPIC.pdf         The recommended reforms in this report, which are intended to create accountability and build better relationships between law enforcement and communities of color, stem from President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. You can read the Task Force’s 2015 report  https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf https://policingequity.org/what-we-do/research/the-science-of-justice-race-arrests-and-police-use-of-force       Color of Change—Sign a Petition to End Violent Policing Against Black People https://act.colorofchange.org/signup/state-emergency-black-people-are-dying               LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.  

Our Breaking Distance Team sat down with Art Therapist Dawn Ippoliti LCAT, ATR-BC for Mental Health Awareness Month. We had an opportunity to delve into her practice as an art therapist and speak about mental health issues people are dealing with, particularly in regards to quarantine and the lock-down. Dawn is a licensed, board certified, art therapist and registered with the American Art Therapy Association. For almost twenty years Dawn has worked in a variety of clinical settings and institutions both in California and New York, providing art therapy and mental health services to children and families in crisis. Currently, she works as the program supervisor for New York University Art Therapy in the Schools Program providing supervision and trainings to school art therapists and their graduate level interns. https://www.art-therapy.com/           More About Art Therapy and Dawn’s Approach Art therapy is a unique form of therapy that integrates the creative process for emotional health and healing. Many of the people I see are looking for alternatives to traditional talk therapy. Using art can be extremely beneficial to the therapeutic process as it can help illuminate your internal world. When you engage in discussion and the creative process together, both the left and right hemispheres of the brain are stimulated promoting the whole brain to function simultaneously. Our focus is more about the process of creating and finding a place you feel safe to freely explore. However creating art is always your choice and if you prefer verbal means of expression, I will always welcome the direction you choose. I offer a supportive and nurturing environment with practical feedback to help my clients effectively address the challenges they face. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve behaviors or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life.   I know it is a difficult decision to start therapy and often times people can even feel conflicted about whether or not they are ready, or the time is right. I acknowledge your courage for beginning the process and taking action to move in a new direction. I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals. ARTICLES AND RESOURCES COVID Crisis and Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2020/supporting-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.shtml https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/covid-19-coronavirus https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2020/05/professors-must-support-mental-health-trainees-during-covid-19-crisis https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/mental-health-coronavirus/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2020/05/19/the-other-covid-19-crisis-declining-mental-health/#39f354ab3d65 https://www.mountsinai.org/care/behavioral-health   https://jewishboard.org/   https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/child-adolescent-psychiatry/clinical-services     https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/crisis-emergency-services-mobile-crisis-teams.page         CRISIS SUPPORT:   To request a mobile crisis team in NYC, call NYC Well at (888) NYC-WELL (888-692-9355     https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 1-800-273-8255   Text HOME to 741741 for free, 24/7 crisis counseling https://www.crisistextline.org/topics/suicide/?msclkid=0a3213d1a8ca1fa199234d1c6f9dbe41#how-to-get-help-if-youre-thinking-about-ending-your-life-1       National Domestic Violence Hotline     1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).     https://www.thehotline.org/help/     Other helpful resources for parents and young people:     You can find similar guidelines in English, Spanish, Chinese, Amharic, Korean, French, and Vietnamese at https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource      Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/pep20-01-01-006_508_0.pdf   How to Talk to Teens About the New Coronavirus:        https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-talk-to-teens-about-the-new-coronavirus-2020031419192       Talking to Kids and Teens About Coronavirus (by age-group):     https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-parenting-smarter-kids/202003/how-talk-kids-and-teens-about-the-coronavirus     Stress and Coping: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html       Caring for Children in a Disaster: https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/helping-children-cope.html     Supporting Kids and Teens through the Pandemic:       https://www.mghclaycenter.org/hot-topics/7-ways-to-support-kids-and-teens-through-the-coronavirus-pandemic/     How Teenagers Can Protect Their Mental Health During Coronavirus:     https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/how-teenagers-can-protect-their-mental-health-during-coronavirus-covid-19                             LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.    

Breaking Distance – Mental Health Awareness Episode – A Candid Discussion with Loan Chabanol and Sabah Cheraiet         Our Breaking Distance team connected with Global Artists and Passionate Buddhists Loan Chabanol and Sabah Cheraiet for a candid discussion in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and featuring topics such as Ego, Compassion for Self, Spirituality and Creating during the Pandemic. Topics all relevant to the human condition and connecting us all. Ego is who you tell yourself you are. ... Buddhist scholars agree that the ego is a mental construct we need to navigate the world. While in the Buddhist context you may more often run into the phrase “the sense of separate self,” its core meaning is very similar to the Western concept of ego. Self-compassion is extending compassion to one's self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering. Kristin Neff has defined self-compassion as being composed of three main components – self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. (Sources Wikipedia and selfawareness.blog)               More About Sabah:           Sabah Cheraiet was born in Paris, March 1965, in a family of six children. At 22, she met one of the greatest Buddhist masters of our time and travelled the world with him for more than 10 years. Her spiritual path is at the heart of her life and she is very committed to the Tibetan cause. Her love for painting and writing took root during her adolescence. At the age of 10, she marvelled at a jewellery box she was given, on which was painted “the blue-eyed woman”, from Modigliani. She started admiring the painter, and became certain she had met him in a past life. Today she lives in Montmartre, a few steps away from where he once resided. As an autodidact, she has been drawing and painting but never showed her work to anyone. But her secret garden slowly got uncovered: she  started to reveal her canvases to her friends, who encouraged her to show them more. Her meeting with Stéphane Corréard (curator) was a turning point for her. Convinced that she has “a thread to pull”, he encouraged her to exhibit. She painted more than 100 canvases in less than 2 years. Very quickly she got an opportunity to hold an exhibition in a house Rainer Maria Rilke used to spend time in, near Munich. The show was a real success.     One of her paintings was selected and exhibited at the Grand Palais in Paris, in November 2015.   https://www.instagram.com/sabah_drolkar/                         More About Loan:       Loan Chabanol  --- Actress, Author, Painter, Director and Activist           Loan was born in Paris, France, and is of Vietnamese, German, and Italian descent. She grew up in the south of France where she was discovered during the prestigious Elite modelling contest. She has graced the covers of fashion magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire, Jalouse, and Glamour. Her versatile and ambiguous look got her to become an ambassador for L OREAL professional and soon after she a career in TV commercials, Loan pursued acting at Lee Strasberg Institute in New York.  Her first feature role was in John Turturro's comedy, "Fading Gigolo", in which she acted alongside Woody Allen and John Turturro. Soon after, Loan was cast in "Third Person", a romantic drama written and directed by Paul Haggis. Then, she played "Buster Keaton" in a short artistic film by James Franco. Loan starred in her first lead in "The Transporter Refuelled", produced by Luc Besson.  Her early years were spent in intensive art classes with artist Bernard Bistes in Midi-Pyrenees, France. Inspired by old cartoons and children’s illustrations, Loan's early work was focused on eccentric characters and their struggle and desire to communicate.  After meeting with Monica Watkins, creator of the non-profit The Foundation for Art in Motion, Loan's work was featured in the "Art Meets Fashion" exhibition in New York in September, 2013. Linked to the show, her first book "Real E.t" depicts the quest of a sensitive character and his difficulties to communicate with the world throughout the challenges of Life.  In 2015, she created BORN IN BLUE, an art exhibit depicting the rise of sea creatures in a host of mediums. These creatures were shown alongside an animated film the artist illustrated and directed surround- ed by a virtual “ Ocean based “environment at The Lightbox in New York City.    The film was voluntarily created in a 2 D format to give the impression of what Loan calls the “ handcrafted vision “.  Her following body of work, NAMSIS & BLACK NAMSIS opened at SHOW Gallery in Los Angeles in 2018. Using a new medium of collages, Loan expressed the depths of meditation that transforms into a singular form that ultimately leads to: "The mind is everything. What you think, you become."  After visiting Haiti in 2016, Loan has been working closely with APJ 's ( Artists For Peace and Justice) . She share a collaboration with Picsart to help rise awareness to the young generation by creat- ing an artistic connection between them and the charity's work.  Since her movie debut, Loan has been a close friend of CHANEL’s house and have attended many of their events and fashion shows. She is a part of their Beauty US Chanel community as well and keep collocating on creative project.   In 2019, she then donated art work and participated to WERISE Art festival & Phase ONE silent auction to help support Mental health for youth and Cancer research in Los Angeles.  Her passion for cartoons and children’s stories led her to finalise “ Blueboo”, a children’s book she has been working on for the last 8 years. The story depicts the journey of a blue monster living in the Brown Woods meeting with the last caterpillar left in the forest.  The book is successfully selling and is available online at www.booksoup.com. After making it through he first round, Loan will be submitting “ Blueboo” to the “Through her lens” Tribeca Film Festival ( 2020 ) short film program. ( CHANEL FILM PROGRAM ).   http://www.loanchabanol.com/                   BLUEBOO IS NOW AVAILABLE at Bookshop https://www.booksoup.com/product/blueboo-loan-chabanol                           LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.            

This is a very special series for Breaking Distance in Honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and Memorial Day featuring Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins, Decorated Vietnam Veteran (Purple Heart and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters), Activist and Retired Educator, to all of our fallen heroes, their families, all of our active military and veterans. We thank you for your service, your sacrifice and the freedoms you afford us all. We are grateful! "In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." – Martin Luther King, Jr.               This candid discussion with Dr. Watkins is near and dear to our hearts as he is the father of our co-host Monica Watkins. They share an important conversation about the experience of African-American members of the military throughout the years and, subsequently, the treatment of many veterans coming home from Vietnam.                More About Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins   Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins received his Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 1995. Previously, he received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas Southern University in 1975 and his Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from Prairie View A&M University in 1965.     Dr. Watkins is a decorated Army Veteran who served in Vietnam as an Officer Aviator. His helicopter was shot down during the Tet Offensive and he was missing in action for a brief time. He received the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters. While in the military, he received extensive training and responsibility in training program development and validation along with curriculum design and development. Dr. Watkins has been a research technician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a professional sales representative, business owner, university and public schools administrator and for over 20 years a prison administrator. The Executive Director of the Texas Prison System recruited Dr. Watkins in 1984 to re-design the correctional officer’s training program to make it comply with a federal court order. Dr. Watkins retired February 2005 from his last position at The Texas Department of Corrections as the Senior Warden of the Holliday Transfer Facility, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division with an annual budget of 9.3 million dollars. Dr. Watkins and his wife operate a training and management consulting firm. He serves on numerous board and councils and truly believes his motto “A life of service is the life that counts!”                     LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:         https://beautyforfreedom.org/               BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT             Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.        

Our Breaking Distance team sat down with Global Artist, Writer, Singer, Songwriter, and Producer Jasmïn for a candid discussion about how she started creating, her passion for writing and becoming her own woman and artist. This Parisian artist credits her Buddhist background with inspiring her writing and music to delve deeper into her thoughts and feelings. There is a vulnerability and sincerity that permeates every aspect of her compositions. Jasmïn performs three songs from her last two EPs “Bloom” her most recent release and “Dive” her release from 2018.              More About Jasmïn:   Jasmïn is a French singer-songwriter and producer based in Paris. Coming from a Hip-hop and Soul background, she also has pop-rock and electronic music influences that make her sound eclectic and versatile. https://ditto.fm/jasminbloom   Jasmïn was raised in Paris by Buddhist parents and got to travel a lot growing up, hence the international sound and her lyrics being in English. Her dad used to be a saxophone player, causing her to always been surrounded by music as a child; especially RnB which has clearly shaped her music.   When it came to making the EP 'Dive', Jasmïn wanted to be herself and do the music she likes, managing to make the EP feel very authentic.   Both ‘Dive’ and her latest EP ‘Bloom’ have been mixed by Grammy Award-winning Dave Pensado, who has worked with legendary musicians such as Beyoncé and Michael Jackson! Jasmïn‘s songs are mostly self-produced in her bedroom but for this new EP she collaborated with producers that helped her take her sound further.         PURCHASE JASMIN'S ALNBUM "BLOOM" AT:   https://ditto.fm/jasminbloom         LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM AT:   https://beautyforfreedom.org/         BEAUTY FOR FREEDOM MISSION STATEMENT       Art Therapy. Education. Empowerment. This is how we help survivors of human trafficking. We support recovery through creativity and skills training. We nurture our youth by removing potential stigmas surrounding self-expression, legitimizing their ideas, hopes, and dreams. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we realize it’s our time to step up. Using the platform we’ve built to usher in change in the lives of people across the globe, we hope to help the world heal in this time of crisis. Here’s to paying it forward.  

Our Breaking Distance Team sat down with the Founder and Creative Director of The BMS, Brian Michael Stanziale. (words via The Chic Website) Brian Stanziale doesn’t get starstruck. After having lived in Chicago, New York, then back to Chicago, after styling, designing, and even opening a clothing store, he’s seen enough and done enough to know not to get too excited over a celebrity sighting. And while he may not get excited over seeing an A-lister walk down the street, we are certainly excited about his latest venture into the world of home décor: one-of-a-kind embellished books.         The search for the coffee table book can be very tricky, like finding that perfect pair of jeans or choosing a paint color that you can live with for years to come. It takes a certain panache, an undeniable curative eye, and good helping of style. Luckily, Stanziale pieces bring all those to the table and an extra dose of glitz and glamour.   Situated up north in Edgewater, is a tastefully decorated apartment in which Brian Stanziale creates his books, THE BMS. Their covers range, as does what is inside the book. What they do have in common as an artisanal quality that’s just as much unique as it is eye-catching. His pieces are bold and beautiful, chic and artisanal. They’re the perfect conversation starter that gives your home décor an added edge. From Iman to aliens, Stanziale’s books range in content and in character. How can you go wrong with David Bowie dripping in gold?       After graduation from Valley Forge Military Academy, Brian Stanziale sought refuge in the welcoming and dynamic arms of the art and fashion community. Intent on working in the industry, Brian tracked down one of Chicago’s top fashion stylists Patric Chauvez and compelled him to hire him for the next three years, Brian acted as his fashion photo stylist at The Chicago Tribune. After sneaking into New York Fashion Week with Chicago Tribune passes, Brian became enamored with the NY Fashion scene and upon his return to Chicago, packed everything and moved to NYC. Time spent in NYC proved beneficial; Brina was being commissioned to create on-of-a-kind pieces for a few notable people such as Genevieve Jones, Rihanna, Shawna Stone and more.  Riding his success, Brian opened a freestanding concept store in NY’s trendy SoHo district. More than just a boutique, “Sloane” was a fully immersive lifestyle experience. Brian’s  collections were coveted by celebs and tastemakers such as Kate Hudson, Julia Restoin Roitfield, and Sofia Coppola featured within the editorial pages of Vogue, Dossier and Content Mode.  Next, Brian co-launched and designed a ready-to-wear label “Alex Kramer” which debuted exclusively at Barney’s New York and was worn by Oprah Winfrey, Olivia Wilde and Gweneth Paltrow and featured in W, Elle, O Magazine, WWD, Instyle and more.    the bms.    Search, but you won’t find anything like the bms.      Truly a bold and provocative collection of home art, the bms. brings new meaning to the concept of using your home as your canvas.  The Chicago based studio creates pieces that encourage you to look at everyday objects for a second time, challenging you to find a new appreciation for the beauty in your surroundings.  books, by the bms. are hand tacked coffee table books that are certain to be the anchor of any chic room.  art, by the bms. are hand tacked oil on canvas painting that are striking to say the least.  stuff, by the bms. shows you that your stuff can be just as exciting and distracting as your screens.       brian m. stanziale       Artist/Designer Brian Stanziale is based in Chicago with roots in New York.  Brian’s design aesthetic has been described in Vogue to have “…a laid back swank…” an appellation worn with pride.  After having created the one of a kind concept shop Sloane NYC in Soho, Brian went on to design a luxury womenswear collection carried in Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Ave, Intermix and more.  Bringing his unique fashion approach to home décor, Brian started the bms. in 2014.  In almost no time, his pieces have been sought out by some of the most discerning clients from around the globe.       www.the-bms.com     SOCIALS:     https://www.instagram.com/the_bms/     https://www.facebook.com/bmsnyc/      

Our Breaking Distance Team has a really candid and sincere conversation with global musician and humanitarian Paul Beaubrun about Haitian culture and life growing up in Haiti, his newest album "Rasanbleman - Red Moon", creative energy, music and activism. We even discuss human trafficking and sexual violence throughout the world and, particularly, in Haiti. Paul blesses our team with a musical performance and showcase that took our breath away! You will not want to miss this very special episode!         More About "Rasanbleman":   Album link - https://ropeadope.lnk.to/Rasanbleman           Video links   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GXuLFVPkNv8   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=an7Xc8BK2kE     More About Paul:   https://www.paulbeaubrun.com/     A scion of Haitian musical royalty, Paul has spent his life living to the beat. Son of the Grammy nominated band Boukman Eksperyans, his earliest memories are of rhythm and sound.  Moving to New York as a youth he was inspired by his heritage to begin crafting a sound all his own. Constantly aware of his roots, the struggle of an immigrant and the drive of New York life, Paul began to create a path where music, activism and history meet.    A unique and transfixing sound he calls 'Roots/Blues', Paul weaves his impeccable guitar skills, rich, vocals, musical ingenuity and cultural history together; all while performing a smooth melange of both English, French and Creole (the native tongue of his Haitian roots).   Paul has played alongside some of the world's best artists including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, Arcade Fire, Jackson Browne and Bob Weir.  Worldwide performances include venues such as The Beacon Theater and Radio City Music Hall in NYC, Massey Hall in Toronto, The Ryman Theatre in Nashville, The House of Blues in Chicago, The Montreal Jazz Festival, Festival Internationale Nuits d'Afrique in Montreal, Le Trianon in Paris, The Paleo Festival in Switzerland, No Siesta Fiesta in Norway.  These continued accomplishments make him one of the few artists coming out of Haiti to garner worldwide success.   Paul has joined forces with Artists for Peace and Justice, and become an integral part of their organization.   He is currently working in collaboration with Jackson Browne, and several other artists including Jon Russell (the Head and the Heart), Jonathan Wilson, Habib Koite, Jenny Lewis and Raul Rodriguez on an upcoming album for APJ.  He also continues to be an active member and perform at their many events in the USA and Canada.  This allows Paul to do what he loves; play music while also furthering awareness of Haitian art, culture and promoting the incredible talent of Haiti's youth.   Paul’s album titled 'Vilnerab', released in 2015, soared directly to #1 on itunes in the World Music category, receiving rave reviews. In 2016, he was nominated for a Dora Award by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts for ‘Outstanding Sound Design/Composition’ in the production of Espwa/Espoir.   In May of 2018 on Ropeadope Records, Paul released an english/creole album, ‘Ayibobo’ , continuing his evolution of sound into Rock/Roots/Blues music.   On April 17th, 2020, Paul released his third album entitled ‘Rasanbleman’.  Recorded live at the Cine Institute in Haiti, this album offers listeners a chance to enjoy the raw and emotive energy of uncut and raw power that Paul brings to his sounds.