Compton Fashion Week – Compton Kidz Club Host A Juneteenth Celebration
Compton City Councilman Jonathan Bowers and the Compton Kids Club hosted a Juneteenth Celebration featuring fashion and musical excellence. This was an exquisite night held at the beautiful Crystal Hotel in Compton on June 19th. The young models put on an incredible show, showcasing the fashion of some of the world’s top designers.
Dr. Carl Fredrick Martin founded The Compton Kidz Club, a youth performing arts organization based in Compton, California. Dr. Martin is bringing together the young talent in the community and giving these young people a platform to display their hidden talents and develop their creative skills. The leaders of tomorrow are working today with the Compton Kidz Club, and Fred Martin is committed to empowering them through music and live performances, making a statement for the future of young leaders.
One of ten siblings growing up in Compton, California, Fred Martin developed a passion for music at an early age. Unfortunately, when Fred’s parents were unable to afford his saxophone rental, he had to set this passion aside. When this happened, Fred vowed to ensure that other parents would not have to choose between their child’s dreams and their family’s well-being. In 2002, Fred founded the Urban Entertainment Institute (UEI), and since then, he has been fulfilling his promise and helping to encourage and hone the skills of any child who wants to pursue a career in the performing arts.
UEI is a non-profit that strives to expose young people to the performing arts through in-school and after-school programs. Students are trained in vocal, dance, and theatrical performance, as well as digital recording, and the technical aspects of the entertainment industry. UEI also offers its students the opportunity to network with musicians, artists, actors, business managers, agents, and other industry professionals.
Through a partnership with Cisco TelePresence, UEI has become the first performance arts program to increase its reach through technology, giving “Music to a World Without Borders.” Cisco TelePresence creates a live, face-to-face communication experience via high-definition video conferencing that allows students and teachers to collaborate and build relationships with individuals from different schools and communities. With this technology, Cisco and the Urban Entertainment Institute are bridging the gap, providing universal access to content, and changing the way we learn.
The Crystal Hotel opened up the main floor outside the ballroom and created a beautiful runway for one of the best fashion shows ever. The hotel manager, Helen Mei, joined in this festive event and participated on the red carpet. City Pride Magazine had an opportunity to capture the beautiful models and share the photos with our readers.
Compton City Councilman Jonathan Bowers also attended the fashion show and helped sponsor the event. Bowers is also committed to making sure the Compton Kids Club has the resources and encouragement to move forward and grow in their development, performing skills, and opportunities.
Compton Unified School District Board Member Alma Taylor-Pleasant also attended the event and supports the Compton Kidz Club’s effort to reach out into the community and display their performing arts skills, and hopes that this will attract more students from Compton schools to join the club and be a part of the great happenings in the community.
