Brighter Days made for a Stellar Night

10,000 thank yous to everyone who came out to support "Brighter Days", the official launch party for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship Fund. In addition to generating over two thousand dollars through on-site and online donations, the event allowed us to celebrate life in the way Rashawn was known to: dancing the night away at Luke & Leroy!

A special thanks to L&L owner/operator Dino, who was kind enough to pay us a visit and wish us well in our fundraising.

The RBMS banner. Standing at 78" tall and designed by yours truly, this banner greeted everyone who attended Sunday's event. It heralds the RMBS motto "Fostering diversity, creating change", and will surely be seen again.

It wouldn't be a "7" Sunday without these recognizable L&L icons: host Nathan "7" Scott and buffed, bronzed and braided bartender Chris.

Host Larry D. Lyons II sweats through his second outfit of the evening. But take note: these outfit changes do more than evince his divadom or animated dancefloor antics: they pay tribute to Rashawn.

Handcrafted by designer Alicia Piller, this is a tee with a message. She painstakenly created the design by replicating the words "Remembering Rashawn" hundreds of times in our trademark brown and pink colours. See more of her work here.

Some folks were too timid to ascend the flight of stairs to the dancefloor, where Amerie's "One Thing" quickly became the evening's anthem. We let them be.

Host Steven G. Fullwood models the limited edition RBMS tee, Kenyon Farrow -not to be outdone- models his highly coveted manpurse.



Thanks to the masterful photo imaging of Ocean Morriset, attendees were able to see the face of the handsome young man we'd gathered to pay tribute to.

Taking a break from dancing, blogger ShawnQt reads up on the scholarship fund.

DJ Shuji spins house and classics like a madman. A special thanks to Shuji for donating his services to our cause, and for accodating our requests to spin that hot Vivian Green joint not once but twice!

Most memorable moments:

1. When a certain host marched up the stairs with a limbo stick in hand. This was a scandal waiting to happen. (Needless to say, I was the first to oblige.)

2. When Rashawn's parents and sisters stormed the dancefloor and "got low", giving the bloggers a run for their money.

Feel free to add your own memorable moments!

"Brighter Days" nearing.

What do the following bloggers have in common?

Cane

Stone

ShawnQt

DizYaBoy

TailorSiluwe

Nathan7Scott

No4Real4Real

TroyNotorious

SmilingOnDaDL

Derrick L. Briggs

StevenG.Fullwood

Frank Leon Roberts

TheFoxyBrownShow

GlenlivetWigglesworth

ProcrastinationXtravaganza

they'll all be there.
will you?

Join us on Sunday for "Brighter Days", the official launch party for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship.

While you're there, pick up your limited edition RBMS tee-shirt.

For a mere $15, you can show your support for the fight against racism and homophobia with this one-of-a-kind Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship tee.

Over 1/4 of our supply of shirts have already been sold through pre-order. Reserve yours today with hosts Larry D. Lyons II or Glenlivet Wigglesworth. 100% of proceeds go directly to our first scholarship recipient.

How You Can Help:

Q: How can I make a tax-deductible donation to the fund online?
A: Visit the North Star Fund’s secure online donation site by clicking here.
· Enter a donation amount between $5 and $10,000.
· Enter “Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund” as the recipient’s name.
· Enter RBScholars@aol.com as the recipient’s e-mail.
· Click the “donate” button

These steps are essential to ensure that your donation goes directly to the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship Fund. Note: you have the option of making monthly, quarterly or annual donations as well as making corporate or matching gifts. You also reserve the right to make only as much information available to the charity as you’d like.

Upon the completion of the transaction, a page will be displayed certifying that you have made a charitable donation, tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. This page may be printed and used for federal tax purposes.

Q: Are there other ways to make donations?
A: Of course. You have the option of donating in person at the Brighter Days benefit party. You may also send checks directly to the fund’s mailing address.
The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 211
New York, New York 10037-9998
To receive a receipt for your donation, kindly enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Q: How do I go about nominating students for this scholarship?
A: Although the RBMS does not solicit nominations, per se, we do encourage you to inform qualified students about the scholarship. Application forms will be available in PDF form on the RashawnBrazell.com website this fall. We also aim to make printed forms available in most New York City high schools.

If you are personally familiar with the student’s qualifications, you may consider providing a letter of recommendation to accompany the student’s application.

Q: Is there anything I can do to help out with the “Brighter Days” event?
A: Certainly! In addition to circulating word about the event amongst friends, co-workers and family through blogs, e-mails, listservs, etc. you can also e-mail RBScholars@aol.com to get involved in our flyering efforts.

Do you party at the Playground? Dine at Day-Os? Work at a CBO? Attend weekly or monthly gatherings of folks affected by the rise in racist and homophobic violence? If so, we could use your help.

Any place that we gather; any place where you think Rashawn’s story should be shared is an ideal place to distribute flyers. Rather than leaving stacks of flyers to go unnoticed, we are placing each of our 2,500 flyers into the hands of a potential supporter of the cause. If you have a particular venue or gathering in mind or if you just want to be notified of where we plan to be, e-mail us today and get involved!

Celebrate Life

You're Invited: the RBMS launch party
Join us on Sunday, August 28th as we celebrate the life and legacy of our brother and friend Rashawn Brazell. Between six pm and midnight Luke and Leroy, one of Rashawn’s favorite places to party, will proudly host “Brighter Days”, the official launch party for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship. The requested donation is a mere ten dollars, every cent of which will be used to support the college education of a New York City student committed to the fight against racism, sexism and homophobia.


flyer design: larry d. lyons II

Interested in helping to get the word out about the event? Contact us at RBScholars@aol.com to receive print flyers to distribute at your office, organization or amongst interested friends. We can coordinate a convenient drop-off or pick-up in most parts of NJ and NYC. Also, copies of the flyer are stored (in jpeg form) in the file section of the Rashawn Brazell Collective yahoo group. Download them now by clicking here to share them on your blog, listserv, website or direct e-mail. You may also e-mail RBScholars@aol.com to have the jpeg sent directly to you.



About the Scholarship
The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship was established in the wake of the brutal slaying of 19-year-old Rashawn Brazell, whose February 2005 murder touched many in the black gay community and beyond. The scholarship aims to provide a sustainable tribute to Rashawn by encouraging New York City high schoolers to think critically about the impact of intolerance and violence on our communities. Selection for this need-sensitive scholarship will be based on the student’s investment in the struggle against racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression, as well as their commitment to creating peace in the community by affirming diversity.

logo design: ShawnQT

The scholarship will be hosted at The North Star Fund. Founded in 1979, North Star is a unique partnership of donors and community activists dedicated to building a permanent institutional and financial base for progressive social change. Each year North Star funds cutting-edge groups who are dynamic and daring in their approach. The RBMS is proud to be one such group.

For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact:
The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 211
New York, New York 10037-9998
E-mail: RBScholars@aol.com
Fax/E-mail: 206-339-5449