Amir Windom LIVE from the 2011 UNCF Empower Me Tour!

CAN... YOU.... FEELLLLLLLLL ITTTTTTTTT!!!! I definitely can. Im truly feeling EMPOWERED!!! Amir Windom here.... Some of you may know me from my Bad Boy days... Some may know me from Def Jam-Kanye West days... Some may recognize me from my Atlantic Records-T.I., B.o.B., Trey Songz, Lupe Fiasco Days... Those things don't matter right now... Right now what matters is the amazing things that are happening on the 2010-2011 UNCF Empower Me Tour. Having the pleasure of being a speaker on this year's tour has been a blessing and life changing.

For some reason... As I’ve reached a certain level in my career, people assume that I don't want to learn anymore or I know it all. Maybe because I do spend a great deal of time doing speaking engagements, giving artist and people my opinion on music, etc. Pretty much I'm in a teaching role a lot of times... But, where do you think I get all that knowledge from?? LEARNING AND LISTENING!!

Having the luxury to sit on panels and spend quality time with my fellow DOPE (my word for Great) panelists has been an educational and enjoyable experience…. Sitting on panels with brilliant people like my Big Brother Al-Migh-Tee, Warren "The Walking History and Relationship Book" Ballentine, Chef Das Smith showing you how to throw down in the kitchen, or Mo and Kita (Seriously two of the DOPEST women I've met in my 26 years of living) telling you how it is being a SUCCESSFUL BLACK WOMAN in Hollywood... It has truly been a learning experience for me...

Just because I'm sitting on the panel does not mean I have it all figured out. I will always be a student of life and my fellow panelist and tour participants truly have become professors, sister and brothers and life coaches to me. I can only imagine what great impact they're having on the attendees. As I’m sitting on these panels EMPOWERING… you’ll also see me on my phone, jotting down golden nuggets that are coming out of my fellow panelists mouth… As they’re speaking and saying things… All I keep hearing in my head is “MESSAGE”… And I write it down.

We've been to about 5 cities now and at every stop... It gets better and better and better. I've spoken on many tours before, but I can honestly say... The Empower Me Tour has by far been the best one as far as ACCOMPLISHING AND EXECUTING THE MISSION. The tour organizers did a great job of getting speakers who just weren't just coming to talk about their life and their accomplishments. They got individuals who truly are interested in Empowering and Uplifting communities across the country.

Whether your age is 12, 24, 36 or 48... This tour can truly EMPOWER you... Whether you're coming to see the beautiful but shy Tatyana Ali.. Oops... Dont know if I was suppose to reveal she was shy.. But come, because I guarantee by the time you leave, you will realize she's more than just a beautiful face and good actress. She has a brilliant mind... (Hence why my childhood crush has turned into and adult crush…haha)

And ladies... Whether you're just coming to see your childhood or current crush in my Big Bro Malik Yoba... BRING IT ON.... I’m sure you’ve never seen in person the educated, talented, philosophical wise side of Mr. Yoba..... After seeing this side of him, your crush may turn into stalker tendencies... haha.

You can spend some one on one time getting your professional and personal life together with Trent Daniels, Chris Cooper and Craig Stokes.

The incomparable, outspoken, “Don’t say a word or you’ll miss something” Voice of Black America, Jeff Johnson has graced his presence on the tour as well. Jeff Johnson = EMPOWERMENT

And who knows... Ledisi might bless us all and BUST A COUPLE OF NOTES after she EMPOWERS you...

A round of applause for the tour organizers, sponsors who has made this tour possible, everyone who attended our previous stops and everyone that's going to attend the remaining stops!

Long story short... If you're looking to be EMPOWERED, ENTERTAINED, EMPOWERED some more and simply be a part of something great. WAKE UP!! IT'S HERE... THE 2011 UNCF EMPOWER ME TOUR! I AM EMPOWERED!!! ARE YOU?

-Amir Windom
A Music Executive, A Student of Life, A Philomath, An EMPOWER-ER, An EMPOWER-EE, A 2011 UNCF Empower Me Tour Speaker

Twitter: @awindom
Facebook: Amir Windom

The UNCF HBCU Empower Me Tour Rolls Through Greensboro to N.C. A&T

The Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University welcomed the tour to their beautiful campus for another day of fun, learning and enlightening discussion.

We welcomed our newest partner to the tour, the U.S. Army, and they did it big! From the massive games they had outside of the venue to their impressive exhibits inside the Tour Zone, there was no mistaking that the U.S. Army was in the house. The men and women of the Army definitely represented and let students know about the many opportunities that exist, many that they would not have associated with the military.

Chef DAS had the Student Union feeling like a fine restaurant during his cooking demo... the aroma drew people in and almost caused him to get rushed but he had plenty of samples for the crowd. Of course, the point of the whole demo was to share tips on healthy cooking which he gave the large audience... that certainly made our partner American Cancer Society happy.

We had workshops and panel discussions with N.C. A&T alums Warren Ballentine and Craig Stokes which definitely pumped up the Aggie pride. We had a nice twist when the Girl Talk panel was combined with the Ties vs Timbs panel so the audience was mixed and the guys and the girls got to hear both perspectives... it was an interesting blend to say the least.

As always, the day ended with our celebrity panel and "meet and greet"... everyone is always so cool so it's great for the students to interact with people they have only seen on the screen.

It was another successful day and we're back on the road...

The First UNCF HBCU Empower Me Tour "City Tour" Stop - MPLS

This year we wanted to reach students who do not live near an HBCU campus and give them a taste of life at an HBCU. Our first location was the Twin Cities region in Minnesota. We held our tour stop on the campus of the University of Minnesota and invited high school and middle school students from across the state to learn all about the HBCU experience and what steps they need to take to get into college.

The attendance was incredible. The UNCF team in Minnesota worked with the school system and students were pulling in by the busload. The event was so big the mayor stopped in to check out what all the attention was about.

We had local dance troupes, Skype sessions with HBCU reps and our usual collection of incredible workshops, panel discussions and our celebrities came through big as they always do. Every session was packed and the students walked away with a ton of information they could never get in one place.

Our first city tour was definitely a success even if we did have to contend with the first snow storm of the year. Of course, the folks from Minnesota were not phased by a little snow so the day came off without any problems.

Thanks to Minnesota we know the city tour stop concept is a definite winner. We are looking forward to Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey more than ever now. Let us know what other cities we should consider in the future by leaving a quick shout in the "Comments" section!

The UNCF HBCU Empower Me Tour Hits The ATL

After going to Spelman and Morehouse last year, we hit the final jewel in the AU Center crown, Clark Atlanta University. As expected we were given the royal treatment by everyone - students and administrators - and we had a great time. The Greeks came over to the Tour Zone to add some flavor with some hard stepping, Wells Fargo and CNN had giveaways and words of opportunity for attendees and of course our celebs closed the day by dropping science and humor.

Again, we like to sum it up using your words so here are a few of the comments we received:

"On Saturday November 6, 2010 I had the overwhelming opportunity of working with the UNCF HBCU Empower Me tour. This was a blessing to me as well as those who attended the workshops held by our special guest panel members such as Malik Yoba, and Tatyanna Ali, just to name a few. This was very beneficial in my learning process of how to prepare myself for my future in college as well as in life. This was a tremendous event that had an influence upon many especially our younger generation. I highly advise any and every one to attend any event such as this in the future, you will not regret it. I promise!"

Paulette Carter | Business Major

To Trent T. Daniel:

"Good Afternoon Mr Daniel! I was actually the gentlemen who got up and did the improv with Tatyana Ali! First, I would like to thank you so much for coming to my school and speaking to us. You, along with the panel, had such a huge impact on each and everyone of us that was there. Especially me. I would have never imagined I would be able to stand on a stage and act with my childhood crush! Thank You..."

Jude Vincent

"I thought the event was powerful and a nurturing event that not only empowered African Americans to be academically empowered but to search for your own uniqueness. I liked working the event because I worked on the film crew with celebrities such as Malik Yoba, and Tatyana Ali, just to name a few. This really was a great networking opportunity and I look forward to next year's tour."

Leno Bradby | Mass Media: Film and TV Major

We had another great day on the road and can not wait until the next tour stop!...

Xavier University Welcomes the UNCF HBCU Empower Me Tour

We hit the road and brought the tour to the Big Easy making our first visit to Xavier University. As usual we met plenty of impressive students who were happy to interact with us, our sponsors and the experts and celebrities we brought to campus.

We heard great comments about the many workshops and panels and the opportunity to meet the tour participants up close. Here is a brief sample of some of the comments:

"My friend Alicia and I had a great conversation with Amir Windom. He truly inspired me to stick with my major and to stay focused!"

- Rosalyn, Sophomore, Memphis, TN, Chemistry Pre-Pharmacy Major

I enjoyed the cooking demo with Chefs Das and Kevin. Each one of them were unique in their cooking styles, and I loved hearing about their journeys to becoming chefs.

When sitting in on Define Your Pretty, I enjoyed the speakers and the topics. It was a great forum for us women, and some men, to just bring our confidence levels up and to feel even more empowered to take on the world.

- Ava, Senior, Philadelphia, PA, Spanish Major

Participating in the UNCF Tour was a very good experience. The lectures that were offered were very insightful and I feel as though they brought the Xavier community together for a quick second through all those that attended. In the end, I enjoyed it.

- Denitra, Sophomore

The UNCF Empower Me Tour was an awesome experience for myself and my peers. I enjoyed listening to successful African Americans share their words of wisdom with us. It was also a great networking opportunity! It's great to know that they really care about giving back to the community in a mentoring fashion. It was empowering and inspiring!

- Kelsey, Junior, Chicago, IL, Sociology Major

It was another great experience for the tour and the many participants who joined us. Thank you to all who made this tour stop a success!