The 35th Anniversary of Kwanzaa begins today with the theme Re-unifying the Afrikan Family. Each day in the week represents one of the Nguzo Saba ( seven principles). Today’s principle is Umoja (Unity) and will be held at the Roxbury Boys & Girls Club located at 115 Warren St. near Dudley Square. Sponsors include Origination INC., Louis Brown Peace Institute, and the Osiris Group. Event starts at 7pm, free admission and family friendly. For the full Kwanzaa schedule, visit our calendar.

Join us tonight as we co-host Coats and Cocktails: An Outerwear Drive for Cradles to Crayons with The Fab Empire, LLC, Eddie “Cue” Matthews, and Olasco Boston at Felt Ultra Lounge (533 Washington St). Bring a coat or warm clothing item for someone in need! Cash donations will also be accepted. Get there early to enjoy complimentary appetizers and a champagne reception from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. LIVE band and networking until 8:30pm. 100% of proceeds will go to Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons endeavors to provide homeless and low-income children with the essentials they require to thrive – to feel safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued.

Get your mix and mingle on at the After Work Series Holiday Edition hosted by Boston Offline, Night Life Executives, and the Young Black Women’s Society. Enjoy complimentary appetizers (6pm-7pm) while grooving to live Jazz and R&B. Wednesday, December 14. Doors open 6pm to 9pm, Felt Ultra Lounge at 533 Washington St. (Downtown Crossing). Validated parking at La Fayette Parking Garage.

Shop till you drop at Smith Leadership Academy’s annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday December 3rd from 10am-3pm. Enjoy food, music, and raffles while you support local vendors. Call 617.474.7950 x10 for more details and vendor registration. 23 Leonard St. in Fields Corner.

Tuesday, Nov. 15 the Entrepreneurs of Color Helping Others (ECHO) group holds their final session of the year with guest speaker Mike Bruny. A certified life coach, international speaker, and author, Mike will present on “The New Art of Conference Networking: #Hashtags to Handshakes,” hitting on tips to make you feel like Norm from the T.V. show Cheers when you walk into your next conference. He will cover for 4 main areas: 1. Focus (setting goals) 2. Engagement 3. At Event 4. Follow-up. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6pm-8pm at United South End Settlements. For more information and to register, visit http://echonovember2011.eventbrite.com.

Night Life Executives along with the African American Real Estate Professionals host the return of the After Work Series, focusing on connecting professionals in Boston. Wednesday October 12th, 6pm-9pm at Felt Ultra Lounge. Enjoy complimentary appetizers and live music. For more info, visit feltafterwork.eventbrite.com.

Daughters of Yemaya Collective and Obehi Janice present THEATER IN THE PARK: “fufu & oreos”, a free performance of a new one-woman show created & performed by Obehi Janice. September 30, 6pm at Jill Brown-Rhone Park (Lafayette Square) located at 900 Main Street in Cambridge. For more info contact 508.423.1858 or visit www.fufuandoreos.com.

Artists, artists and more artists from many genres will be featured at the annual Roxbury Open Studios taking place September 29 to October 2. For our money, ROS leads the pack of the neighborhood Open Studios as the mix of local artists and atmosphere are second to none . The event kicks off with the film Waste Land at the MassArt Tower Auditorium. For a full list of events visit discoverroxbury.org/roxbury-open-studios. Don’t worry about transportation back and forth on the weekend as free shuttles buses will run every 15 minutes from MBTA stations to the various art sites.

Kendra Hoyt is the driving force behing JUST Circles, whose mission is to support all community members, including youth, families, teachers, administrators, law enforcement officers, court and other social services personnel, as they learn to effectively use restorative pratices to build communities of respect.

BO: What was the inspiration for starting JUST Circles?

KH: 20 years of work with youth, families and community in the city of Boston is what inspires me. Giving birth 3 years ago to my most precious pearl – Makayla – and seeing her joy and happiness in process as she develops with the love and security of her mommy and daddy and wanting the world to accept and love her as we do is what inspires me. My mother’s tireless efforts for over 20 years to teach, inspire and support the exploration of Boston’s youth through art and education is what inspires me. And the child who has endured enormous trauma at home, on the streets and in school and who continues to wake each day and find him/herself walking into their school building in hopes that this day will be different from the one before is what inspires me. JUST Circles is the culmination of 20 years of work and living, passion, dedication and committment to building HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS and COMMUNITIES for all.

BO: The phrase “restorative practices” is one of your key service offerings. Describe this process. [Read more →]

Marcus Santos, Bloco AfroBrazil, Oleta Adams, Rafael Zaldivar and many more will be on stage for the biggest block party in Boston this Saturday. The 11th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival will take over Columbus Ave. from 12pm-6pm. Bring the whole family to enjoy this global music showcase alogn with vendor booth and park activities. For the full schedule visit beantownjazz.org/schedule.html.