The Summer Luncheon Series Kicks Off with Our Local Legislators Presenting, "A Review of the 2008 Legislative Session" Thursday, July 24
The Capitol of Chamber of Commerce announces its summer luncheon series beginning on July 24th at the OKC Langston University Campus. The Northeast Oklahoma City area legislators will give their perspectives on the 2008 legislative session. Participants include:
Sen. Connie Johnson Rep. Mike Shelton Rep. Anastasia Pittman
The luncheon will begin at 11:30 am until 1 pm. The program will begin at Noon with local legislators reporting what occurred during this last session and what impact it will have on Northeast Oklahoma City.
If you are interested in attending contact the Capitol Chamber of Commerce at 427-4444 or email capccokc@coxinet.net. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members.
Liberation Thursday was a Hit and will be back on July 17th!!
The first Liberation Thursday after hour get together for young urban professionals was a great success with close to 50 young professionals turning out for the event. Johnny Moore with Perry Publishing and Broadcasting, one of the sponsors for the event said, “We wanted an event that would bring African American business professionals together to network, make business connections and have some fun, we accomplished that.”
Music was provided by C-plus to a very appreciative crowd. “They were great and made the event more enjoyable,” stated Myron Mayberry with Effective Transitions Inc another one of the sponsors. “When we were approached about supporting this event, we saw a great opportunity to expose young African American professionals to our organization and the need for their help and support in our fight against juvenile delinquency.
Liberation Thursday will be held every third Thursday of the month at a different location from 5:30 pm to 8 pm. The July 17th location has not been selected. “We will announce the details of July’s Liberation Thursday event next week,” stated Gary Jones with the Capitol Chamber of Commerce.
The event was sponsored by the Capitol Chamber of Commerce with the support of Perry Publishing and Broadcasting, Effective Transitions Inc and Patron Next month, Tinker Federal Credit Union will become a sponsor.
For more information contact the Capitol Chamber of Commerce at (405) 427-4444 or visit the website www.capitolchamber.org
Learn more about Bessie Coleman the First African American Female Pilot
Bessie Coleman was born into a poor family in a small town in Texas in 1893. Her mother had to support the family by doing laundry and Bessie and her sisters worked during the school holidays picking cotton to supplement the family's income.
But Bessie Coleman was a good student who liked to read and excelled in mathematics. She had a curious, adventurous mind and a lot of spunk, which resulted in her becoming the first African American woman aviator.
Although Coleman's mother encouraged her children to get an education, she could not afford to send Bessie to college, so as a teenager Bessie worked as a laundress also, saving her earnings for her college education. She attended the Agricultural and Normal University in Oklahoma for one year, but then ran out of money.
She moved to Chicago, where two of her brothers lived, hoping to find better opportunities than she had in rural Texas, but found discrimination there as well. She attended beauty school and became a manicurist. In Chicago, Coleman heard about the amazing exploits of World War I flyers from soldiers coming home from Europe. She became interested in flying, especially since her brother teased her that French women were superior because some of them could fly planes. Coleman checked out some of the local flying schools, but all refused to admit her because she was not only a woman, but Black too.
First Africa West Festival is Considered a Great Success by Those Who Attended
The Inaugural Africa West Festival was a great success. Close to 1,000 individuals attended the June 14th festival. They were treated to a wide variety of activities and events that included listening to traditional African music, local jazz and gospel performers. Those in attendance were able to see the works of 16 local artists and visit with vendors from different organizations. They also got to taste the wonderful food provided by 14 cooks competing in the Soul Food Competition.
Posters Still Available for Sale contact Capitol Chamber Office at 427-4444 or email at capccokc@coxine.net
Volunteer Opportunities
Members are the driving force of the Chamber. They help direct chamber activities through a variety of commi-
tee and volunteer assignments. If you or
your company/organization is a Chamber member and you are interested in any of the following committees, please check with the departments listed.
Event Ambassadors
Event Ambassadors assist Chamber staff at Chamber events, acting as greeters or assisting with other duties such as 50/50 raffle ticket
sales a Business After Hours events, contest volunteers at the Chamber's Annual Golf Outing, assisting at member ribbon-cutting events.
Member Outreach
Member Outreach volunteers welcome new members with a friendly phone call, assist Chamber retention efforts by completing an annual survey and support overall membership retention efforts.
Government Affairs Committee
Committee members study legislative and governmental issues that affect our area
business climate and make recommendations to the Chamber board. The Government Affairs Committee is broken down into several subcommittees: Workplace Regulations; Infrastructure; Levy Review; Environmental Policy; Economic Development and Taxation;
and Education Policy.
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Advisory Committee
The SBDC advisory committee sets policies and direction for Small Business Development.
For more information, contact the Capitol Chamber at 405-427-4444 or via email at capccokc@coxinet.net.
About the Chamber 
First Africa West Festival is Considered a Great Success by Those Who Attended
