|
|
| 
Fareeda Mabry Humanitarian, organizer, social activist, lady of many hats... Fareeda is known for her genuine love for people and working hard towards positive worldly change. Fareeda is considered a Networker, Connector and a Social Engineer. Where ever she goes, a strong quality, Fareeda connects people and with people from all walks of life. Her hope is to touch and connect the world person by person, state by state. Novelty makes the world work, be it positive or negative. It is all about how people are connecting and communicating that makes a big difference. Other words that may describe her are, articulate, passionate, thoughtful, quick-witted, hardworking, and determined. She stands by her philosophy, "resist mediocrity or mediocrity will resist you" having shaped her journey in social activism, progressive politics, government relations and grass roots organizing. Fareeda began to fill her role as a progressive trailblazer at a young age. The descion to turn Olney into a "Keystone" would have displaced many of the more qualifed quality teachers who had been teaching at the school for over 10 years or more. Fareeda and a few other students, led and organized efforts to get the decision over turned. The students fought back and won. What Olney needed was revamping, not a removal of teachers. Since that time, Fareeda has since continously built on that foundation. People can influence positive social change. Her life since has changed tremendously. Upon graduating Olney High School in 1997, Fareeda entered Empire Beauty School on a full scholarship. Her love for the abstract, arts and creativity became to flourish. During this time, Fareeda earned an internship with Def Jam Rockafella Records as a Marketing/Promotions Street Team Member, while also helping to build her family's business, Splitten Wigz (Barber and Beauty Salon) through hair styling, marketing, promotions, communications and public relations. Since then, Splitten Wigz has opened two additional locations. Because of Fareeda's efforts Splitten Wigz has become a very well know, busy hip beauty hot spot, and home to some of the most highly recognized and influential Philadelphia socialites, political figures and NBA and NFL players. Splitten Wigz is home to various hip hop artist such as Rockfella Records, Freeway and State Property artist. Fareeda entered Peirce College in 1998 on a part-time basis and earned her Associates Degree in Business Administration (www.peirce.edu) while working full-time. She was employed at the Philadelphia Job Corps Center, Fareeda was working with Women in Community Service as a Transition Specialist, empowering urban at-risk students 16-24 years old to be more self reliant and economically independent. Fareeda transitioned on to work for Bebashi, Inc, (Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues) as a Care Outreach Specialist, (www.bebashi.org) working to locate individuals in the community who return home from incarceration and behavioral health care living HIV/AIDS and return them to health and transitional services. Her passion for people led her to work for Labor Movement working with labor organizations such as AFSCME Child Care Union, SEIU Local 36 as well as SEIU State Council and 1199p (www.seiu.org) and (www.afscme.org) assisting in organizing, researching, event planning and fight back campaign efforts. In 2003, Fareeda decided to continue her education at the University of Pennsylvania (www.upenn.edu) where she studied Social Science and minored in Urban Studies at the College of General Studies/and eventually full time at the School of Arts and Sciences. She graduated in 2007 with her BA. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Fareeda worked full time with the Center for Progressive Leadership (www.progressiveleaders.org) as their Pennsylvania Director of Recruitment and also part time at Philadelphia Forward as the Outreach Director (www.philadelphiaforward.org). Fareeda started at the Center for Progressive Leadership as a participant in a weekend training in 2005 where she met and eventually working with impressive individuals such as newly elected Mayor Michael Nutter, and Congressman Allyson Y. Schwartz and her son, Jordan Schwartz, State Director for Pennsylvania Center for Progressive Leadership. Mr. Schwartz believed in Fareeda, and was so impressed with her he recruited her to be the PA State Recruitment Director. The Center for Progressive Leadership (CPL) is a national not for profit non partisan political training institute that develops diverse leaders who can effectively advance progressive political and policy change. There she was not only a Recruiter, she was part of the Strategic Planning Committee for CPL, and also a lead facilitator at the workshops. While employed full-time at CPL, Fareeda held a part-time position with Philadelphia Forward is a citizens’ organization formed to build a diverse constituency for change to promote policies that will make Philadelphia a vibrant city that is a preferred place to live, work and visit. Philadelphia Forward was established in 2004. The mission is to build awareness of the need for tax reform in Philadelphia. The organization’s first campaign was geared toward engaging the citizenry to apply pressure to city government to adopt its own Tax Reform Commission recommendations. Since then, Philadelphia Forward has broadened its mission to embrace ethics reform, governmental integrity, and budget reform, in order to raise the level of public debate surrounding the way we set our public priorities. Fareeda was employed with the City of Philadelphia Office of the Managing Director, as an addition to the Performance Management Team (www.phila.gov). In this capacity Fareeda held some responsbility in the implementation of the Mayor's intiatives, the stragetic plan, 3-1-1 (One Call to City Hall) and the Philly Stat sessions. Fareeda developed the Performance Management Website and long-term, strategic Communications/Outreach plan for 3-1-1 and Philly Stat.
Fareeda's writings has been published in USA Today. She has been twice featured on the cover Philadelphia Tribune, speaking out the problematic and social issues affecting those who live in Philadelphia Public Housing. (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-122208021.html) Because of the tenacious efforts of Fareeda, they are to implode Manuta Hall Apartments 3500 Fairmount building in 2008 and rebuild stable, safer housing. This organizing effort has been studied internationally please see:(http://www.hexis.dk/praktiskegrunde-02-2008.pdf) Since then Fareeda has been recognized for her tireless efforts in assisting in building the next generation of progressive leaders through out Pennsylvania also featured by the Tribune, Young Philly Politics, and numerous blogs and news outlets across the state (Erie, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Hazelton, Bethlehem, Braddock, Rankin, Clarion, Lancaster, Reading, Harrisburg etc). Fareeda has also been heard on WURD 900am and can been seen peridocially in the METRO Reformers Roundtable section. Recently Fareeda appeared on Comcast, CN8"Its Your Call with Lynne Doyle" speaking about the State of African Americans during the Obama Clinton Election. Although she always wanted to be a doctor, her future plans include attending law school and creating a not for profit organization that develops underrepresented, minority, women and LGBTQ leaders. The goal is to shape policies, and the electorate, making it more representative of the people who are being led. Education, Empowerment and Engagement are the primary focus. Fareeda believes, power comes from and starts with the "everyday people".
If you would like to learn more about Fareeda Mabry and her initiatives, feel free to contact her directly or navigate the website.
Thank you for visiting... For More Information or to Contact Fareeda Directly Please Email: | |
|