Free Community Workshops, Plus Sister Souljah

There are some great, free events for the community this weekend you should know about, if you weren't already aware. Tomorrow morning (Saturday, June 11) the Urban League of Central Carolinas Young Professionals Auxiliary is presenting Health Focus: Know Your Numbers. Also, tomorrow afternoon, the Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists (CAABJ) is presenting its Sixth Annual Secrets to Accessing the Media Workshop. And tonight, recently added, you can meet Sister Souljah.

The Health Focus event will be held 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday at the Urban League, 740 W. Fifth St. It will be an informative session on what you need to know to achieve living a healthy lifestyle, presented in partnership with Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy. Registered nurse and personal trainer Dave Eaker will discuss body mass index (BMI), body fat, and information on African-American health disparities. There will also be free blood pressure checks, weight and BMI screenings, and a healthy brunch will be provided. Organizers suggest that attendees wear workout attire. Click here for more details.

Then from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. Seventh St., CAABJ is holding its Secrets to Accessing the Media Workshop. I'm a member of CAABJ and have been involved with this event for each of the last six years, and can tell you it's a very informative session. A panel of journalists from newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and Internet will give tips and advice on how to get your stories told, explain how news at individual media outlets is produced, and answer questions from the audience. The panelists are: April Bethea, reporter, The Charlotte Observer; Glenn Burkins, editor, Qcitymetro.com; Chris Dyches, web producer, WBTV; Eric Frazier, reporter, The Charlotte Observer; Carlton Hargro, editor-in-chief, Creative Loafing; Trey Harmon, associate producer, WCNC-TV; Davida Jackson, associate producer, News14 Carolina; and BJ Murphy, on-air personality, WGIV Radio.

Carlton Hargro, editor-in-chief of Creative Loafing, returns as a panelist for the workshop.

Members of nonprofit organizations, HOA’s, community organizations, church and civic groups, etc. are encouraged to attend. This is a great opportunity to learn how to get media coverage for your events, fundraisers, organizations, and even small businesses. Light refreshments will be served. Guests are asked to RSVP at rsvp@caabj.com. Click here for more details.

And finally, Saturday evening, Red@28th, a new literary lounge in NoDa is bringing in Sister Souljah for a book signing, reading, and Q&A. But as word spread about this event, RSVPs have reached capacity. So to accommodate the popularity of the best-selling author, recording artist, and film producer, Red@28th's owners are bringing her to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, 551 South Tryon St., tonight (Friday, June 10) for a similar event at 7 p.m. Copies of Sister Souljah's new book, Midnight and the Meaning of Love, will be available for purchase and to be signed, as well as her other titles, including The Coldest Winter Ever, No Disrespect, and Midnight: A Gangsta Love Story. If you wish to attend, you should RSVP to contact@realeyesbookstore.com. Click here for more details.

All of these events are culturally enriching, being held free of charge, and are well worth your time.