Washington, D.C. City Councilman Marion Barry Jr.’s name is popping up all over the place. From an upcoming interview on Oprah’s “Where Are They Now” and the recent release of his memoir, Mayor For Life, to an event in his honor this weekend. On Friday, Nov. 21, the Clayton Howard Affair will honor the legacy the of the Honorable Councilman Marion Barry of Ward 8.
Event organizer Tiffani Howard shares, “Our tribute recognizes the profound impact the former four-term mayor of the nation’s Capitol has had on the birth, growth and endurance of scores of entrepreneurial pursuits by local turned national business owners.”
Read what else she has to say.
What is the purpose of the event on Friday, Nov. 21?
The Clayton Howard Affair is a business networking soiree for mature professionals in the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia Area. I have known for most of my adult life that Mid-Atlantic professionals work very hard and want a downtime environment that is relaxed and caters to their music taste and host individuals within their age range. So we created the Clayton Howard Affair to provide a sophisticated playground for professionals that also allows them to make right connections with diverse business people to further their business goals. Its all about connecting and the Clayton Howard Affair is redefining the term VIP to mean “Very Important Professional” with these events.
Why did you select Councilman Marion Barry Jr. for the inaugural event?
Councilman Marion Barry Jr. over the past 40 years is largely responsible for providing career making start-up grants to many business owners in D.C. Businesses like Radio One and BET became national conglomerates due to Barry’s assistance. We humbly honor him because of his steadfast dedication to help everyone who calls on him, whether he is currently the Mayor of D.C., or Councilman of Ward 8. Councilman Barry personally influenced me from the age of 14 when I attended the Mayor Barry’s Youth Leadership Institute during the summer. Me and 200 other inner city DC youths were taught leadership skills that I use daily as we stayed on Howard University’s campus for fours weeks, all expenses paid and simultaneously were paid weekly salaries with summer jobs. To honor him is a privilege and one we delight in doing as we celebrate the publishing of his personal memoirs Mayor For Life.
What is your role in Clayton Howard?
My role is event concept creation and management. I serve to facilitate all of the production needs, branding and marketing for this event along with my business partner Jennifer Clayton. Thus we are the Clayton Howard Affair and not a man named Clayton Howard.
What is Clayton Howard’s mission?
Our mission is to celebrate excellence in business, get folks together in their peer group, provide a platform of exposure and branding for small, medium and large businesses and just have a good time in the exquisite surround of the Shadowroom on K Street in D.C. Part of the proceeds are being donated to Stimulate America Inc., our 501(c)3 nonprofit to assist citizens who have been affected by the economic crisis.
We’re going to listen to a ’70s ’80s and ’90s mix by DJ Eskimo and hear live music by Urgent Peace Band. I have commissioned an original artwork of our mayor for life by internationally recognized artist Zebra; whose original works are massed produced in print form and sold all over the world. This is going to be an amazing evening and we want everyone to have a ball! Thank you so much to our partners; rolling out, Shadowroom, Complex and the Mayor For Life Committee for their support.
For more information, visit www.ClaytonHoward.com.
