My name is… Omar McGee.

The reason you are reading about me is… I have a non-profit organization, Inner City Outreach, that I started while I was at Howard University (HU!!!) to help students pay for their college education. I’m the Founder of the David Bing Academy of Finance.

We are a co-ed public charter high school opening in South Central LA in August 2013. We will be operating on the “paper education” model. We will run on a wireless network, every student will have a computer and/or tablet, and we will incorporate the latest technology in areas to best serve our students. We live in a 21st century world, its time our education system reflect that! We have celebrity support from our spokesperson Oscar winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr, and entertainment mogul, Kevin Liles, both of whom we will be honoring at our fundraising gala in June during BET Awards weekend in LA.  I’m hot because everybody told me I couldn’t do it!!!

Right now I’m working on… opening our school, The David Bing Academy of Finance (DBA). Our mission is to close the financial literacy gap within the minority community through education.  DBA’s goal is to provide a high-quality and extensive college-preparatory educational experience to youth that results in our students succeeding in college, and ultimately in their professional careers. We instill and practice our motto, “The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence.” We will have a Finance Academy which begins in 9th grade with all new students opening a checking and savings account with our Financial Literacy Partner and take finance courses throughout their matriculation at DBA.  Students will be able to contribute to their accounts through their earnings from our student-run businesses and investment banking program. They will not, however, be able to withdraw from the savings account until graduation to use for college. Our student-run businesses include our convenience store and The Kevin Liles Music Studio which will both be open to the community.  Our goal is to teach them financial lessons and the business models of the industries that they are dawn to.  We don’t want to breed rappers and athletes, we want to breed agents, managers, and owners.  I’m not only giving kids an aim; I’m giving them a target!

But if I wasn’t, I’d be… directing films.

One thing I do every day is… pray and give 100% to making my dreams come true.

I can’t stand when people… have a losing attitude… they think about what they can’t do instead of what they can!

But I love it when people… ESPECIALLY a young person, finds his or her calling or realizes their purpose.

The Best piece of advice I ever received was… never be selfish with information… always send the elevator down to pick up other people.

If I had to coin it, my message would be… predicting rain doesn’t count, building an ark does. An attitude is like a flat tire, if you never change it, you will never go anywhere.

My future plans and projects include… My immediate future plans are to launch our viral campaign, The Thought Campaign on May 1st. No one one else knows… AlumniRoundup is getting the exclusive!!!  It is a part of our fundraising campaign, but it is to spark the greater conversation in our country on the power of thought in a way that engages urban America. Stay tuned…a movement is forming, so we wanted to come home to our HBCU family to start it. We need everyone to participate by posting, tweeting, writing about us, and telling others to repost and retweet. It’s a unfortunate truth that black alumni don’t give back as much as our white counterparts. So, let’s shatter that truth!

Big Ups to… I want to give big ups to my team and people who believed in my vision, first I would like to thank Kellie Crawford who was with me when the idea was just on a piece of paper, special shout out to her. Damon Glymph my executive director, Arthur McGee, Dr.Luther Walters, Kori King, the iconic Lou Gossett Jr, music mogul Kevin Liles, Byron Russell, Rodney Jerkins, Pooch Hall, Richard Gant, Mitch Richmond, Mitchell Butler, Jalen Rose, Karen White, Omar Gooding, Terry Norris, Bob Myers, Stephanie Ivy, City National Bank, Southwest Airlines, Pro-Solutions, Wova Lounge, Kareem Cook, Mateen Cleaves, Robaire Smith, and most importantly Teresa McGee!!!

You can find more info at www.davebingacademy.org. Coming from an HBCU, I know we have an AMAZING network. If you are a part of a corporation, small business, organization, or a person  that can help and may be interested in sponsorship, shoot us an email to receive our info/sponsorship packages.  We appreciate the help. It takes a village!
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Real estate mogul and Hollywood Film Director, Omar McGee established the Inner City. His original mission was to provide support to low income and inner city youth in need of financial assistance for post-secondary education. Since its inception in 2000, Inner City Outreach has raised $100,000 and assisted more than 25 students to continue their education at colleges and universities across the nation.

As a native of  the notoriously corrupt and violent Flint, Michigan and a third-year Howard University student, McGee experienced first hand challenges and hurdles that youth face in attaining the college level. “During my junior year at Howard, I had no way of paying my past or current balances; it was one of the worst days of my life,” says McGee, who ultimately had to withdraw from the film program at Howard University. “I knew in my heart that I wanted to continue my education, and not return to the poverty-stricken streets of Flint.”

McGee’s forced exit from college brought him much pain; he swore to do his best to help other youth continue their educational aspirations. Shortly after, he created what is known today as Inner City Outreach and began his grassroots work with inner city youth in Washington, D.C.

Today a successful real estate entrepreneur, McGee owns property around the country, providing housing for low-income families in Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Flint, Michigan. Part of his mission is to offer safe and affordable housing options for families who cannot provide for themselves.As a Los Angeles-based movie director, McGee worked with a range of renowned figures. He began his directorial debut creating commercials for Black Entertainment Television (BET), which later appeared on the hit television show “Mad Sports.” He won further directorial acclaim with his NBA commercials staring basketball superstar Allen Iverson.

In 2006, McGee took Hollywood by storm with his award-winning documentary “Flintown Kids,” in which he depicted the convoluted labyrinth of everyday street life in Flint. He was the 1999 recipient of the prestigious Paul Robeson Film Festival award for best short film. In 2007, he won Best Docudrama at the New York Independent Film Festival.

Just as subjects of his film, McGee struggled to elevate himself above hardened and dangerous Flint streets and relieve daily pressures of life in his community. He has achieved much success in his short life and committed himself to reach back to his community and communities around the country to mentor and support inner city youth. Through Inner City Outreach, he is able to provide a realistic and attainable goal — education.

“At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN?

Psalms 109:8 – May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.”

Below are more examples of the racism that influential elected officials have spewed since President Obama was consider for the candidacy.  Spread out over several years, these comments may seem like isolated incidences; however after scrolling through the compiled list, the toxic and racial charged climate that exist in Washington DC and throughout the country becomes apparent.

*The names of the offenders are linked to the news source.

April 28, 2011 – Marilyn Davenport, an elected member of the Orange County Republican party, apologized for the leaked email, but said she sees no reason to step down from her post. The email depicts Obama as a chimpanzee with two older chimpanzee “parents.”

Dec. 14, 2010 – “The zoo has an African lion and the White House has a lyin’ African – Tea Party Protester

March 18, 2010 “My opinion is that our president is arrogant and angry. The fact is that he is a black man.” – Minnesota State Sen. Mike Parry

Jan. 10, 2010 – “I am wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama – a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’ as he later put it privately,” – Sen. Majority Leader, Harry Reid

July 25, 2009 – Tea Party official Dr. David McKalip, sent out an e-mail with image of Obama as a “witch doctor,” dressed in a loin cloth and with a bone through his nose. Underneath the picture were the words “Obama Care: Coming Soon to a Clinic Near You.”

July 17, 2009 – “Breaking News Playboy just offered Sarah Palin $1 million to pose nude in the January issue. Michelle Obama got the same offer from National Geographic.” – Atwater, Calif. Councilman Gary Frago

March 28, 2009 - Dean Grose, the mayor of Los Alamitos is coming under fire for an e-mail he sent out that depicts the White House lawn planted with watermelons, under the title “No Easter egg hunt this year.”

Oct 17, 2008 – A Republican women’s club in San Bernardino County sent out a recent newsletter with a photo of Barack Obama surrounded by fried chicken, watermelon and ribs.

Oct. 5, 2008 – Bobby May, treasurer of the Buchanan County Republican Party, wrote “Obama will hire the rapper Ludacris to paint the White House black, and divert more foreign aid to Africa so ‘the Obama family there can skim enough to allow them to free their goats and live the American Dream.’ He continued by writing that Obama would replace the 50 stars on the U.S. flag with a star and crescent logo,” an Islamic symbol, and that his policy on drugs would be to “raise taxes to pay for Obama’s inner-city political base.”

More examples »

Community Supported Agricultures. Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer.

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm’s cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from “their” farm – even veggies they’ve never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown
• It’s a simple enough idea, but its impact has been profound. Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. The government does not track CSAs, so there is no official count of how many CSAs there are in the U.S.. LocalHarvest has the most comprehensive directory of CSA farms, with over 4,000 listed in our grassroots database.

The problem of childhood hunger is not simply a moral issue. Child hunger hampers a young person’s ability to learn and becomes more likely to suffer from poverty as an adult. Scientific evidence suggests that hungry children are less likely to become productive citizens.

Facts of Child Hunger in America

• Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under.
• According to the USDA, over 16 million children lived in food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households in 2010.
• 20% or more of the child population in 40 states and D.C. lived in food insecure households in 2009. The District of Columbia (32.3%) and Oregon (29.2%) had the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food.
• In 2009, the top five states with the highest rate of food insecure children under 18 are the District of Columbia, Oregon, Arizona, Arkansas, & Texas. iii
• In 2009, the top five states with the lowest rate of food insecure children under 18 are North Dakota, New Hampshire, Virginia, Maryland, & Massachusetts. iii
• Proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of children. 62 percent of client households with children under the age of 18 reported participating in the National School Lunch Program, but only 14 percent reported having a child participate in a summer feeding program that provides free food when school is out.i
• 54 percent of client households with children under the age of 3 participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).i
• 32 percent of pantries, 42 percent of kitchens, and 18 percent of shelters in the Feeding America network reported “many more children in the summer” being served by their programs.i
• In 2010, 16.4 million or approximately 22 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty.
• Research indicates that hungry children have do more poorly in school and have lower academic achievement because they are not well prepared for school and cannot concentrate.
• In fiscal year 2009, 48 percent of all SNAP participants were children
• During the 2010 federal fiscal year, 20.6 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. Unfortunately, just 2.3 million of these same income-eligible children participated in the Summer Food Service Program that same year.

Click here for more information. And for more information about the No Kid Hungry Program, click here.

1. Keep one set of plates, cups and bowls for the family.
2. keep one set of glassware.
3. one set of eating utensils.
4. keep a max of 5 serving/mixing utensils (spatula, wooden spoon, etc.)
5. One quality knife set.
6. Quality mixer and food processor.
7. I measuring cup.
8. one small shelf of baking, casserole and mixing dishes
9. one quality set of pots.
10. Quality wooden cutting board.

* images via Crate and Barrel.

Warm Chicken Salad with Peppers, Pears & Toasted Pinenuts

Leftover roast chicken, wrapped in foil and re-warmed at 350 (save juices and drippings)
1 bunch of arugula, washed and torn
2 pears, sliced paper thin
4-6 small sweet peppers, slivered
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
2 Tbs. minced rosemary
2 shallots, sliced thin
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
1 Tbs. whole grain mustard
1/2 c. olive oil

Combine chicken, arugula, peppers, pears and pine nuts in a large bowl. Place rosemary, lemon juice, sherry vinegar & mustard in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Continue whisking while slowly drizzling in olive oil until emulsified. Whisk in roast chicken juices/drippings. Add dressing to salad and toss until well combined. Serve at once.

Click here to view the full recipe with all of the images.

I love these beautiful body pillows by AphroChic.com!  Decorate your bedrooms, walls, bathrooms and table tops with everything from their beautiful body and accent pillows, to their ethnic patterned wallpapers, bathroom textiles and table top linens.

AphroChic is the brain child of Jeanine Hays of Philadelphia, PA. A once policy attorney turned Founder and Creative Director of AphroChic.com. Check out here beautiful interior design blog and shop, where you will find a mixture of ethnic heritage and modern style influences in her pillows, wallpapers, table linens and bathroom textiles.

I love apple pies, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful Saturday evening other than baking these cute little apple pies I found online. I found the recipe at one of my favorite blogs Twig and Thistle.  Not only do these make a great home made treat for the family, they are wonderful gifts for friends and family. Nothing says “Thank you” or “I appreciate you” like home made pastries!

Apple Hand Pie Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (a nonstick baking mat).

2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 5-inch cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet.

3. Place about 2 tablespoons of apple pie filling onto one-half of each round. Fold dough over to close. Brush the tops of each pie with egg whites. Using a fork, press edges together to seal shut. Sprinkle tops of pies with sanding sugar.

4. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before placing in boxes. These can be stored in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Follow up: Hours after finding this recipe, I decided to make my own little apple pies.  They came out looking exactly like the above picture, and they looked great. My boys loved them, but me, not so much.  I tasted a hint of apple but definitely more dough than I than apples. Maybe because you cannot fit that many apples into the little half-moons. Either way, I enjoyed making them with my boys but would not make them again.

(1) Try out the Jcrew Belstaff Messenger Bag for work. Ive loved this bag for years. This bag was inspired by vintage British military bags. Great for travel or everyday use, it has plenty of pockets for storing your laptop, iPad, cell phone and all things large and small. Complete with canvas strap, urn-key closure, antiqued brass-finish hardware and interior patch pockets.

(2) Coach Bleecker Legacy Leather Weekend Tote: This bag is perfect for the weekender trip. Just large enough for a few shirts, jeans and underwear, you can take this bag on any plane, train and automobile.

(3) GoRuck Backpacks by Goruck.com. Not just for play, the GoRuck backpacks are simple black bags, comfortable in any and every environment imaginable. And while simplicity in design was paramount, they do not fall short of functionality! Click here to read the full story and detailed explanation of the goruck backpacks here.

Often times when you find yourself occupying small spaces, you become very creative in maximizing space and creating new uses for old things.  A thousand little paper clips spread everywhere in your desktop drawer can easily be cleared up using the top of a butter dish!