Black Self Help Information

The Baltimore Algebra Project

The Baltmore Algebra Project

Ralikh and his colleagues stay involved because beyond tutoring math – as the name implies – the goal of the Baltimore Algebra Project is empowering city students who may not have otherwise been given a chance. The organization has a dual focus: increasing math literacy and advocating for student rights in the city of Baltimore. Wrapped up in a peer-to-peer tutoring program is an organization fighting daily to raise the socioeconomic status of youth in Baltimore.

Doing so starts by practicing what they preach. First, the Baltimore Algebra Project is youth-run. One hundred percent of its leadership are young people; the oldest, like Ralikh, are in college. While the non-profit has a Board of Directors with adults, the Baltimore Algebra Project – indeed, the national Algebra Project model, founded in the 1980s by civil rights activist and math educator Robert Moses – has functioned with adults working in an advisory capacity.

As the old piece of economic wisdom goes, there’s no better social program for the jobless than simply having a job. This logic applies to young people in Baltimore just as much, if not more, to any other distinct demographic group – according to the Urban Alliance, only 24 percent of youth maintain employment in Baltimore City and most of their jobs are in food service, retail, and administrative fields. Ninety percent of the Baltimore Algebra Project budget goes to paying young people to teach other young people critical math skills.

More at the link provided.

 

The Growth In Black Business

Census Bureau Reports Massive Growth in Black Business

While the results are not yet in on how well they are doing, the creation of Black-owned businesses surged upward on the eve of the economic recession. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2002 to 2007, the number of these firms increased by 60.5 percent to 1.9 million, tripling the national growth rate of 18 percent.

According to the Census Bureau’s “Survey of Business Owners: Black-Owned Businesses: 2007,” the receipts produced by Black businesses also increased 55.1 percent to $137.5 billion. The survey, conducted by the Census every five years, provides in-depth information about Black firms’ sales, receipts, paid employees and payroll.

“Black-owned businesses continued to be one of the fastest growing segments of our economy, showing rapid growth in both the number of businesses and total sales during this time period,” Census Bureau Deputy Director Thomas Mesenbourg said in a statement.

The Census defines Black-owned businesses as firms in which African-Americans possess nearly 51 percent or more of the equity, interest or stock of the business.

The data is broken down by U.S. metropolitan areas, industry and size of business.

According to the report, New York holds the top spot for African-American firms, with nearly 204,032 Black-owned businesses. The state also accounted for 10.6 percent of all Black-owned businesses in the nation.

Georgia followed with 183,874 Black-owned firms, while Florida came in just behind with 181,437.

In the Washington-Maryland-Virginia metropolitan area, the number of Black businesses increased to 95,526 in 2007 from 67,213 in 2002.

Black businesses accounted for 34.6 percent of all businesses in Baltimore City in 2007, while in Washington D.C., they accounted for 28.2 percent of all businesses that same year.

The report also found that nearly four in 10 Black-owned businesses in the U.S. in 2007 were in the healthcare and social assistance; repair and maintenance and laundry services fields.

Other findings include the number of Black-owned businesses with receipts exceeding $1 million or more increased by 35.4 percent to 14,507 from 2002 to 2007. Also, out of the 1.9 million Black-owned businesses in 2007, 106,824 had paid employees, up 13 percent from 2002.

Black Star Project Joins Open Society Institute’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement

Black Star Project Joins Open Society Institute’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement

The Black Star Project will receive $50,000 from the Open Society Institute to support the Million Father March and a school-based program that engages Black men as mentors and tutors in the Chicago Public School System. The grant was awarded through OSI’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement, a three-year grantmaking initiative to address, and help reverse, the ways in which African-American boys and men are stigmatized, criminalized, and excluded from the U.S. economic and political mainstream.

Even as Americans elected their first Black president, the end of 2008 saw an onslaught of dire reports on the educational, social and economic outcomes for Black males in America. Sky-high dropout rates for high-school students, an out-of-control murder rate for 14- to 17-year olds and a 72 percent unemployment rate for high-school dropouts paint a bleak forecast for young Black men.

The Black Star Project has joined with the Open Society Institute’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement to address these issues. With the support of the Campaign, Black Star will expand its successful Million Father March and also launch an initiative that uses school-based strategies to recruit Black male tutors and mentors. Research by the National Fatherhood Initiative shows that children, male and female, perform better in school, at home and in life when their father takes an active and positive role in their lives. Additionally, Black male tutors and mentors provide measurable guidance for Black boys and young Black males in America.

More at the link provided.

Black Parents Group Aims To Fight School Stereotype

Black Parents Group Aims To Fight School Stereotype

Nathan Stephens had heard just enough of generalizations about black parents - talk that they don’t care about their kids and claims that they don’t attend school functions.

It was time to form the Black Parents Association of Columbia Public Schools to empower and inform black parents, Stephens said. An organization that has been talked about for decades is finally having its first meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.

"What really brought it to a head on a personal level was when I felt like black parents had been attacked in the local media," said Stephens, who has children at Parkade Elementary School and Hickman High School. "That’s the term I use - ‘attacked.’ "

Stephens said he was referring to recent news stories and online forums in which school officials and others talked about black parents not being sufficiently involved in the lives of their children. He said black parents are active, but their participation just might be not visible.

Other parents ask Stephens questions in church or at the store, he said, and he knows black parents care about their children’s education. "How dare someone say black parents aren’t involved," he said.

Among its goals, the new group will work with black parents, answering any questions or just support them in general. The association also wants to increase the visible participation of black parents, which could include having some parents fill in for others who might be working during back-to-school functions or parent-teacher conferences, Stephens said.

More at the link.

SEED School: Harvesting Success

SEED School: Harvesting Success

She giggles and grins but can’t stop talking about the tragedies that have filled her life.

Not yet a teenager, Tierra Jones will never forget the horror of watching a woman run down by a car on a West Baltimore street, or finding her beloved pet dog, B.J., hanging dead by its leash from a broken window in her own backyard. “I busted out crying that time,” she said.

About seven years ago, her mother died from an accidental fall in her home.

Tierra grows quiet at the memory and drops her face into her arms. That’s a lot of pain for a little girl to shoulder.

But Jones is resilient. She acts like a typical 12-year-old, who is just beginning to notice boys, likes listening to rapper Lil’ Wayne and will talk as long as anyone will listen. She dreams of becoming an FBI agent, but with the life she’s had, that goal — for the longest time — seemed way out of reach.

Today, however, her life is full of possibilities.

This past summer, Jones was among 80 students admitted to the state’s first public boarding school, the SEED School of Maryland.

The school’s aim is to give disadvantaged students an opportunity to reach their potential, plucking them from the chaos surrounding their lives and placing them — for free — in a safe, supportive environment, where they can grow socially and academically.

Nearly every graduate of the school’s sister campus in Washington, D.C., gains admission to college, and for Jones and many other children, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

““The SEED School is a godsend for her,” said Alega Penn, 37, the wife of Jones’ cousin Gregory Penn who took Jones in about three months ago. “They’re able to give her an education, where she’ll be nurtured; They’ll give her the love and care she needs.”

More at the link

The SEED Foundation

The SEED School of Maryland

Oprah Gives Atlanta School Money

ATLANTA -- A letter from Oprah Winfrey last week seemed like the world's best Christmas present _ until teacher Ron Clark noticed an extra piece of paper flutter out of the envelope.

That's when the Atlanta educator saw the $365,000 check for the innovative private school he opened in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods in 2007. It was, quite literally, an answer to a prayer.

"We teach school all day and fundraise at night," said Clark, who finds private donors to pay most of the $14,000 annual tuition for each student. "To have an unsolicited gift come like that is incredible."

Clark surprised his students with the news of the donation Wednesday morning in a gathering at the south Atlanta school. The children, parents and teachers erupted in deafening cheers when he showed off the check.

Several cried at the news.

The Leadership Group

The Leadership Group

Barksdale, a vice president at Bank of America in Charlotte, author and motivational speaker who stayed in Rock Hill after college, is more than a mentor for one young black man. Barksdale runs an outfit called The Leadership Group, where he brings together black teenage boys in Rock Hill for the sole reason that he refuses to allow any to fail. There are a dozen young men in the group.

"All I want to do is make sure every one of these young men have every tool to lead successful lives," Barksdale said. "The future is where we look. Always, we look ahead."

Barksdale shoots straight. He tells teens flat out that society's expectations for them might not be as high as for others -- but that is unacceptable. It is impossible to get away from the disturbing facts that black men in America are imprisoned more, and educated less, than other groups.

He refuses to accept that result for the next generation. Black men can, must, achieve.

"I was raised in a single-parent home in Laurens, I know what faces these young men," he said. "I want to help them help themselves."

At church, Barksdale met a lady whose son was a top student and athlete, but needed a male role model. Patrick Cunningham, now 17, joined the group and has never looked back.

"I know from this group that I can be an honor roll student and anything else I want to be," Patrick said. "I guess I am a young male trying to become a man."

The Leadership Group

The Leadership Group

Barksdale, a vice president at Bank of America in Charlotte, author and motivational speaker who stayed in Rock Hill after college, is more than a mentor for one young black man. Barksdale runs an outfit called The Leadership Group, where he brings together black teenage boys in Rock Hill for the sole reason that he refuses to allow any to fail. There are a dozen young men in the group.

"All I want to do is make sure every one of these young men have every tool to lead successful lives," Barksdale said. "The future is where we look. Always, we look ahead."

Barksdale shoots straight. He tells teens flat out that society's expectations for them might not be as high as for others -- but that is unacceptable. It is impossible to get away from the disturbing facts that black men in America are imprisoned more, and educated less, than other groups.

He refuses to accept that result for the next generation. Black men can, must, achieve.

"I was raised in a single-parent home in Laurens, I know what faces these young men," he said. "I want to help them help themselves."

At church, Barksdale met a lady whose son was a top student and athlete, but needed a male role model. Patrick Cunningham, now 17, joined the group and has never looked back.

"I know from this group that I can be an honor roll student and anything else I want to be," Patrick said. "I guess I am a young male trying to become a man."

100 Black Men's Back to School Picnic a hit

100 Black Men's Back to School Picnic A Hit

Al Studesville watched the children and teenagers, some as young as 4 or 5 years old, mill about Demetral Field Saturday afternoon at the 100 Black Men's Back to School Picnic, each carrying a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies.

"The backpacks are almost as big as they are," he said, laughing.

Studesville is one of the original members of the Madison chapter of the organization, which promotes leadership and improvement among the city's African-American community. Besides the annual picnic, the group provides tutoring and mentoring for students and organizes events such as an annual gala, a golf outing and an African American History Challenge Bowl that quizzes local teens on black history and provides scholarships to winning teams for a trip to the national event.

Studesville said the idea for the backpack giveaway came from members who participated in the tutoring program, who soon learned that many children who they taught did not have enough supplies for school. Every year since 1996, the organization has given away hundreds of free backpacks filled with school supplies such as notebooks, folders, rulers, markers and pencils to children of all ages and races at the event.

Leaving the learning at home

Leaving The Learning At Home

"So many things happened to me in terms of racism from teachers, principals and other students," Rowry said. "I decided I'm not going to subject my kids to that."

His three children, ages 8, 6 and 3, have never been in a traditional classroom. He and his wife, Chelsea, home school them.

Once seen by many blacks as something only whites do, home schooling has steadily gained momentum in the black community in the past eight years and is expected to continue to grow, say home school experts.

"Ten years ago, there were not that many people of color home schooling," said Brian Ray, president of National Home Education Research Institute in Salem, Ore.

General dissatisfaction with public schools and increased awareness about home schooling are motivating blacks to change course, experts said.

Concerns about children missing associating with other students and the loss of a spouse's income, however, keep many blacks who are interested in home schooling from taking the leap.

An estimated 220,000 black students were home schooled in 2007, according to the institute. In comparison, 84,000 were home schooled in 1999, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics.

CBM and 100 Black Men, Doing The Thang

CBM Partners with school system to help black boys

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Some Albany men want to make sure students get on the right track at an early age.

 Concerned Black Men of Albany is partnering with the Dougherty County school system to mentor and encourage African American boys in Kindergarten through third grade at Magnolia and Alice Coachman Elementary schools.

Alice Coachman principal Pat Victor compares the men's support to a tomato plant being supported by a garden stake. 

"If you stake them, your tomatoes will grow up to be fine tomatoes and not fall on the ground. So this is the intent, to make sure those young men get the support they need to be fine productive citizens," says Victor.

100 Black Men award $61K in scholarships

The 100 Black Men of Bradley County take a holistic approach to "breaking the cycle ... reaching out ... reaching back" in their efforts to improve the quality of young people's lives. The mentors focused Saturday morning on rewarding youths who have chosen to pursue education.

Scholarship checks averaging $1,800 were presented to 19 college students and scholarship accounts of about $1,550 each were opened in the names of 11 middle and high school students. The total amount of scholarships in 2008 equaled $61,000.

The community leaders have awarded more than $250,000 during the program's 12-year-existence.

100 Black Men of Baton Rouge Partners with Edison Learning

Baton Rouge, LA – 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge and EdisonLearning, the leading education company partnering with public schools in the United States, will welcome students for the first day of classes at the new Capitol High Academy for Boys and Girls on Thursday, August 7.  Capitol High Academy is located at 1000 N. 23rd Street in Baton Rouge.  Dawn Green is the school’s new principal.

“One of the greatest things you can ever do in life is to help someone else achieve their goals and dreams,” said John F. Smith, vice president of programs for the 100 Black Men. “Our collaboration with EdisonLearning, and with the support of parents, we will create a solid foundation for the future of our children’s education here at Capitol High Academy, and help them to fulfill their dreams.”

Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood

Opening Eyes, Minds

The trip to Connecticut was part of a program called "Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood," an effort to expose young Baltimore-area men to male role models and new experiences while helping them connect with their peers. Although it has been around for 12 years and served more than 8,000 boys, it exists solely because its organizer, Cameron Miles, is willing to beg for donations and go into his own pocket to help finance excursions.

He also seems to know all the right people. At the group's monthly meetings at Coppin State University, Miles presents a parade of important guests: Judge Robert M. Bell, chief of the Maryland Court of Appeals; television reporter Barry Simms; Baltimore State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy. Miles bumped into city Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III at a restaurant a few months ago and invited him to the April meeting.

"Frankly, I was blown away," Bealefeld said, "not just by his commitment, but by the manner in which he engaged the young men and by the substance of his message."

More at the link provided.

Black Executive Exchange Program

Black Executive Exchange Program

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today announced that the 39th Annual Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) Conference will be held from June 4-6 at the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami, Fla.

 

The three-day event, entitled "Developing the Leader Within," will bring together African American professionals to train and mentor students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).  The BEEP conference, sponsored by JP Morgan Chase, UPS and Unilever, will feature prominent speakers including Marc Morial, Don Thompson, President of McDonald's USA, Michael Hyter, President of Novations Group Inc, and Thomas W. Dortch Jr., Chairman Emeritus of 100 Black Men.

 

 "This year's conference will empower young people to develop the leadership traits and support networks necessary to secure and retain high-quality employment opportunities," said Morial.  "In these difficult economic times, we must equip our young people with as many advantages as possible to propel their success."

More at the link.

Black Scholars

Urban League of Rochester Salutes, Helps Black Scholars

Leonard, of Webster, will speak of that confidence and of her belief that one should "never give up ... no matter how hard things are," when she speaks before the Urban League of Rochester's "Salute to Black Scholars" recognition dinner on Tuesday.

Since its inception in 1980, the Black Scholars program has recognized more than 5,700 area students for their outstanding academic achievement. Leonard was named a Black Scholar during each of her four years at Edison.

She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and a master's in business administration from Clarkson University.

Leonard praises the Black Scholars program for being part of a support network that bolstered her confidence and emphasized the importance of staying focused on one's goals and giving back to the community.

She joins a chorus of Black Scholars who say the program has benefited them.

More at the link provided.

Young Men Making Moves

Making Their Moves

But the euphoria was short-lived. Community activist William Shelton, who paid for the suits, heard his name over the loudspeaker. Eight Kenneth Cole watches were missing. Security cameras showed that some of his charges had stolen them -- a dispiriting reminder that while Shelton can take young men out of the Toga, wrenching the Toga out of them is far more difficult.

"You disrespected everything we are trying to do," Shelton scolded them a few days later in his office at Brookland Manor, where he is community relations coordinator. "At what point do you make a decision to do something positive with your life? You say you want jobs, but how can I send you out to jobs if I can't trust you? This is your life. You have to get rid of this get-over mentality."

It is a message preached daily by crusaders in the city's toughest neighborhoods: If you don't make better choices, you'll end up dead or behind bars. The message is sometimes heeded, sometimes ignored. But at community centers, schools and street corners across the city, mentors like Shelton are betting that individualized attention can make a big difference.

Most of the programs are aimed at disaffected young black men who are most likely to drop out of school, be unemployed or go to jail. They are either volunteer-supported or receive funding from city agencies, including schools, employment services and recreation, and juvenile justice. Many are tiny, draw from a single neighborhood and act as surrogate parents.

More at the link provided.

African-American men to march in st. louis neighborhoods

African-American men to march in st. louis neighborhoods

ST. LOUIS, MO (2008-05-29) Black ministers, businessmen and community leaders are organizing a weekend of events in north St. Louis this weekend in an effort to reduce crime and reclaim struggling neighborhoods in St. Louis and its inner suburbs.

The movement, called "A Call to Oneness" is asking 20,000 African-American men to turn out to for a march on Sunday along the old May Day parade route ending at Tandy Park.

St. Louis Aldermanic President Lewis Reed will be part of the march.

He says the city and politicians can provide resources but the real driving force to improve the lot of black communities will come from churches.

More at the link provided.

Black men answer leaders' call to action

Black men answer leaders' call to action

Inspired by a mobilization effort in Philadelphia, leaders of Baltimore's African-American community vowed Wednesday to recruit at least 5,000 black men to bring positive change to their communities.

The goal is to reduce the city's rates of violence, high school dropouts and absentee fathers. More than 50 men representing churches, educational institutions and civic groups gathered at Calverton Elementary/Middle School in West Baltimore to announce the initiative.

The group will meet on Father's Day, June 15, at the Baltimore Convention Center, where there will be opportunities for men to sign up as volunteers with more than 100 community organizations. Several service providers will be on hand to offer men whatever assistance they need to be productive residents, be it job training or substance abuse withdrawal. Plans for follow-up meetings are in the works to maintain the momentum generated in the next few weeks.

The initiative is modeled after 10,000 Men Philly, an assembly held in October. Former state Sen. Larry Young is credited with the idea of replicating the Philadelphia program in Baltimore. Organizers said they are trying to recruit 5,000 men because Baltimore is about half the size of Philadelphia.

Urban League of Greater Kansas City offers training to the Kansas Black Chamber of Commerce

Urban League of Greater Kansas City offers training to the Kansas Black Chamber of Commerce

In an agreement reached this week, the Urban League of Greater Kansas City will offer its extensive entrepreneurial training to the membership of the Kansas Black Chamber of Commerce. The Urban League's Entrepreneur Center is an initiative of the organization's Destination Wealth Creation program. The Entrepreneur Center enables minority entrepreneurs to take advantage of new business opportunities and qualify for financing that will lead to progressive business growth.

The Entrepreneur Center employs top-notch business professionals with proven track records in their field to train, coach and mentor prospective small businesses, micro-businesses and budding cottage industries. Entrepreneurs who qualify for the program will receive one-on-one business coaching, regular group training services, and workshops that teach basic business concepts and address the real-life issues that participants encounter as non-traditional business start-ups. This comprehensive program will increase the entrepreneurs' ability to operate businesses that are profitable, self-sustaining and better able to withstand market fluctuations.

More at the link provided.

Club steers black boys, men to college

Club steers black boys, men to college

DAYTONA BEACH -- Hosea Crooms Jr. stands when he speaks. He looks his audience in the eye.

He delivers words with the passion of a preacher and the confidence of a lawyer, the latter of which he indeed wants to be -- after a successful football career. The Atlantic High School sophomore talks of going to Florida A&M University or Harvard.

"When I started here in sixth grade, I was rough around the edges, kind of like sandpaper," Crooms said, wearing a blue pinstripe suit, vest and tie on a recent Saturday morning.

Now the 16-year-old quarterback of the champion Brain Bowl team is a rising star who's recruiting other boys to join him at Bethune-Cookman University's Black Male College Explorers Program.

There, boys in sixth through 12th grades meet in a classroom on campus, analyze the news, get tutored on their schoolwork and learn to play the Royal Game -- chess. In addition to meeting on Saturdays during the school year, the program also has a summer component, where students like Hosea get an opportunity to focus on academics and learn more about colleges and universities.

Mentoring programs such as Explorers are a major part of efforts to steer more black men to college. Institutions such as Bethune-Cookman have long sought more male students. B-CU and other schools, including Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, are rolling out programs designed to help black men in higher education succeed.

Rest at the link provided.

Gilmer begins mentoring group for students

Gilmer begins mentoring group for students

GILMER — Sometimes a young man needs know someone is watching when he ponders whether to pick up his homework or watch TV.

That's the premise of a new mentoring program that pairs black male students at Gilmer's Bruce Middle School with mentors they met Sunday night.

"Graduation seems a long way off — it's not," Bruce Middle School Principal Greg Watson told the 16 or so young students who met with about 20 volunteer mentors in the school's cafeteria Sunday.

"It's important to start planning right now. ... You're going to make mistakes along the way, but we're going to try to give you a support network."

The mentoring program for young black men formed about two weeks ago. Sunday was the first meeting between the mentors and students. The mentors also are black.

James E. Venters of McNeese and St. Claire Streets Church of Christ in Gilmer said each volunteer will be paired with a student. The mentor will make regular stops at the campus to check the student's progress, but Venters said off-campus activities also will be part of the curriculum.

Youth Advisers Bring Order and an Empathetic Ear

Youth Advisers Bring Order and an Empathetic Ear

Havoc was the order of the day at Bladensburg High School in Prince George's County.

Students were fighting, skipping classes and stealing cars from the parking lot.

Officials were stymied until they sought help two years ago from a national program designed to help schools by reaching out to troubled youths. Enter the youth advisers of the Violence-Free Zone, a program of the District-based Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, who let the students know that they were there to help them. The advisers also brought a stronger message: Control of Bladensburg was going to return to the adults.

"Kids can't be controlled by cameras, curfews and cops," said Robert L. Woodson, president and founder of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise. "Those are threats, and they won't respond to that. . . . The Violence-Free Zone inspires them to obey the rules by providing life witnesses to them [who show] that just because you are from a dysfunctional household or a troubled neighborhood, you don't have to be a troubled person."

The Violence-Free Zone, now also in Largo High School, has been praised by school officials and community leaders for helping to turn around troubled schools.

At the same time, the program has fallen prey to the budget ax. Funded by Prince George's schools for the 2006-07 school year, the program is in danger of ending soon unless $500,000 can be raised to save it, authorities said.

Community stakeholders recently gathered at First Baptist Church of Glenarden to try find ways to raise money to continue the program, which Superintendent John E. Deasy would like to expand to more schools, said his spokesman, John White.

White credited the program with resolving significant conflicts and behavior issues at Bladensburg and Largo.

More at the link.

Helping Youth Lead Fuller Lives

Helping Youth Lead Fuller Lives

Youth who live in Springhill Lake in Greenbelt say they are grateful for the free mentoring programs offered by husband-and-wife team Brian and Camille Butler.

Jarrell Jefferson, 14, of Springhill Lake in Greenbelt said the programs, which include community projects and field trips, have helped to broaden his horizons.

‘‘I do look up to [Mr. Butler] as an older role model because he’s always trying to [help us] become better people. He’s always encouraging us,” Jefferson said.

Greenbelt resident Patricia Clark, 14, said youth in Springhill Lake could use more people like Brian.

‘‘Springhill Lake is a very big area. He’s limited in how many people he can help,” Clark said.

Camille, 30, and Brian, 32, who lived in Springhill Lake Apartments in 1999, said they created the mentoring programs to enrich, educate and instill respect in young peoples’ lives through field trips, community service projects and group discussions. Brian said the lack of black role models in the youth’s homes prompted him to start a mentoring program.

‘‘I knew just for that simple fact that I was an example. Positive or negative, it is really important for youth to see a black male in a positive light,” Brian said.

More at the link provided.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. sponsors mentoring program

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. sponsors mentoring program

Vineyard Court Nursing Center residents were just getting started Saturday morning as the local Delta Academy girls from Hunt Intermediate and Lee Middle schools caroled them into the noon hour.

“This is something we always try to do with the girls at different nursing homes to show them that Christmas is more than just the commercialism of buying gifts. It's a time to think of others and give of yourself - especially to those who most need it,” said group leader and local attorney Monique Montgomery.

The group of about 80 girls ages 11 to 14 is a mentoring program in the local schools sponsored by national sorority Delta Sigma Theta.

But the girls aren't the only ones who get something tangible from their holiday public service experience.

Columbus native Victor Jones stood by the wheelchair of his 73-year-old mother, Gladys, and sang together with her as the residents joined in for a round of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” before the girls handed out gifts.

Black Men on the Move visit local elementary schools in costume

Black Men on the Move visit local elementary schools in costume

Wright State organization Black Men on the Move visited the Fairborn Primary School and WSU's Mini-University on Tuesday, Oct. 23, dressed as Disney characters in an effort to mentor children in kindergarten through the third grade.

Seven members of Black Men on the Move dressed up as characters such as Scooby-Doo, Mr. Incredible, Blues Clues, the Cat in the Hat, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Sully from Monsters, Inc to speak with the children about the importance of staying in school, staying away from strangers, calling 911 and to address other issues that are important to America's youth.

"The goal of this event was to establish a positive message with the children and we thought that they might respond to our messages better if we dressed up as popular characters that appeal to them and could serve as role models," said Vice President Anthony Martin, a sophomore psychology major.
Black Men on the Move worked with staff from the Fairborn Primary School including Principal Nancy Machmann and Counselor Ernest Sheeler to plan the mentoring event, which included a total 14 members of the organization, said Tremayne Miller, Black Men on the Move president.

"Our organization wanted to work with kids in our community. We felt that before an event like this could be successful throughout the city, we needed to start at home with our community and work our way out to the city of Dayton, which will be done by the end of the year," said Miller.

Black Male Initiative Worth Duplicating

Black Male Initiative Worth Duplicating

After a summer visit to the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, N.Y., Shawn Mitchell couldn�t wait to plan a future career in technology.

 

�There were so many inspirational speakers there � they talked about not just the aspect of technology and science but about life and life�s struggles,� says Mitchell, 20, a sophomore at the New York City College of Technology, a branch of the City University of New York (CUNY) also known as City Tech. �It was just very inspiring, very eye-opening (and) I saw and experienced stuff that I never experienced before.�

 

Laboratory visits are one of many methods used by City Tech�s Black Male Initiative (BMI) program that engages Black male students in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The BMI program, which targets both potential and existing City Tech students, was recently named one of nine U.S. Model Replication Institutions by NASA and the National Science Foundation for its innovative approaches in attacking the problem of Black male student enrollment and retention.

 

City Tech�s strategies will be replicated at other schools across the country as part of an initiative being administered by the Institute of Higher Education Policy (IHEP). IHEP officials say this initiative is designed to expand access in the STEM fields for students at minority-serving institutions.

Young men seek keys to future with Project Y.E.S.

Young men seek keys to future with Project Y.E.S.

For 20 young black males, Project Y.E.S. has been instrumental in their saying "yes" to their dreams.

"I thought it was about getting big, so I was excited about coming," said Darius Walker, 15. "We've had a lot of speakers who know where we're coming from and they tell us how to be successful. It put a thought into my mind that I can be successful too, so when I think about it, Project Y.E.S. is about getting big in a way."

Project Youths Exemplifying Success began in July through a collaboration between Shiloh Comprehensive Community Center and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

"When I came to Shiloh, we didn't have a youth male program," said Tonda Booker, the executive director of the community center. "I wanted to think of something that was not just another program out there, but something that's going to make a difference."

The youths, ages 10-18, attend the program twice a week for tutoring, test preparation and mentoring. Each week, a different black role model from the community speaks to the youths.

"We have honor roll students now. We have students who look forward to going to school and coming to Project Y.E.S. They are doing very well. It's been a success," she said.

For the tutors who also act as mentors for the youths, seeing them succeed is rewarding.

"It makes us put things in perspective. When you hear a guy say that he has gone from being a D student to being a B-plus student, it lets you know that you are in the right place and you are making a difference," said Jarvis Ellis, a tutor and mentor.

Beyond academics, the goal of Project Y.E.S. is to teach the youths to dream and to plan to achieve their dreams, Ms. Booker said.

Denny's and the Tom Joyner Foundation Launch a New Partnership in Support of Higher Education for Single Parents

Denny's and the Tom Joyner Foundation Launch a New Partnership in Support of Higher Education for Single Parents

ATLANTA, Oct 31, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Denny's and the Tom Joyner Foundation will host a Single Parent Student Summit this Friday, November 2 at Spelman College to provide students with resources, insights and advice on thriving as a single parent student. This event will celebrate the launch of a new partnership between Denny's and the Tom Joyner Foundation, one that will provide $1,500 scholarships weekly in 2008 to single parents attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The event will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Donda West, mother of hip-hop artist Kanye West, who will address ways to overcome the challenges faced by single parents pursuing a higher education. Following Dr. West's presentation, a panel discussion will provide audience members with personal perspectives on this critical topic. The moderator for the event will be Tom Joyner Morning Show personality Myra J., noted comedienne and single parent advocate. Panel participants include: the Rev. Charles White, deputy chief of field operations for the NAACP; Debra Smithart-Oglesby, a mentor for single parents and Denny's board chair; Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004, who was raised by a single parent; and Raul Magdaleno, one of 10 children raised by a single parent and now head of diversity and community affairs at Southern Methodist University.

"Higher education can be the key to a better career and for many people, a better way of life," said Nelson Marchioli, president and CEO of Denny's Corporation. "Denny's is proud to partner with the Tom Joyner Foundation in support of single parents striving to create new opportunities for themselves and their children."

Pioneer Achievement Committee Scholars

Pioneer Achievement Committee Scholars

For the Pioneer Achievement Committee Scholars, high school is more than a place to hang out with your friends.

Instead, they view it a chance to set the rest of their lives on the right path.

It's a message the Scholars - all black males - hope to pass down to more than 40 of their peers at Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School..

"This is about giving everyone a chance at a better life," said Kyler Wilkins, junior who hopes to go to the University of Michigan and major in computers and/or engineering. "It has to start here (in high school). You have to be going now in order to there later."

The PAC Scholars program was set up three years ago by Pioneer High School students to help shrink the achievement gap.

It runs as a mentoring program. Scholars, who are juniors and seniors with grade-point averages above 2.8, work with emerging and potential scholars, underclassmen with GPAs under 2.7. There are about 13 scholars this year.

"We're working to facilitate the transition to achievement," said Marshall Thomas, a senior with plans to go to Columbia University to study creative writing. "We want to be a role model. We want to try to level the playing field at least.

Doctors' 'The Bond' reminds us of resiliency and strength in family

Doctors' 'The Bond' reminds us of resiliency and strength in family

They're back - the three African- American men who made a spec tacular exit from the inner city of Newark, N.J., to medical and dental school, commemorated in their best-selling book "The Pact."

It describes their sworn commitment to one another's success. To many, "The Three Doctors" are outright heroes. The reason is Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt overcame adversity and then began giving back, daily, to the community. Each mentors young men and women who have yet to escape the surroundings and statistics of being impoverished African-Americans in fatherless homes.

Davis, Jenkins and Hunt's third book is "The Bond: Three Young Men Learn to Forgive and Reconnect with Their Fathers." It dismantles the stereotype that absent fathers mean failed sons as aggressively as their first book blasts the notion that young men from the projects are bound to fail. "The Bond" explores the durable connection between men and boys, in spite of growing up apart and sometimes ignorant of one another.

his book follows a simple format. Each doctor writes four chapters. The first begins with their memories of life without Dad, including touchstone passages - Hunt's decision to quit Pop Warner football because no one was there to help him suit up, and Jenkins' humbling account of asking a white classmate for a lesson in looping his tie.

In later chapters, each doctor reconsiders his life and the men who shaped it. One, "Mr. Charles," taught the finer points of dressing to all three youngsters; Reggie Brown's martial arts classes helped Davis with self-discipline, focus and responsibility. Without cliche, the doctors quietly document that it takes a village of men to raise a boy to manhood.

 

'Pathways' opens doors for disadvantaged city youths

'Pathways' opens doors for disadvantaged city youths

As San Francisco bade farewell to Barry Bonds last Wednesday, about 30 “at-risk” city youths said hello to Giants management, learned about the baseball business and picked up tips on how to kick-start a career.

SF State alumnus, Shakeel Ali made this opportunity possible through Pathways For Kids (PFK), a San Francisco based non-profit organization founded in 1998 to inspire academic achievement and career awareness in disadvantaged youth.

Ali, 37, became the full-time program director for PFK in the summer of 2006 and began connecting economically disadvantaged youth with volunteer mentors or coaches, who have achieved success in a wide variety of businesses and professions.

“I always had an intent to bridge the gap between students and the community,” said Ali, who graduated from SF State with a Bachelor’s in liberal studies, social sciences & ethnic studies in 2004.

Ali has been involved in activism since he was 19, working in local schools while attending college. After taking classes at City College for two years, he enrolled at SF State in 2002. During his years at the university, he was the Moorish sports club president and a member of the Black Student Union and School of African Philosophy.

Group talks about racial disparity in school achievement

Group talks about racial disparity in school achievement

It started on a playful note.

Brunswick County Schools Superintendent Katie McGee ducked under a desk and came out on the other side, at the center of a large room at Love Faithfully Ministries, a church in Leland. About 20 other desks flanked hers.

She went around talking to people and making jokes.

It was a way to break the ice on a subject that has upset black community leaders: the achievement gap between black and white students in Brunswick County, which has narrowed slightly in the past year but is far from closed. On Monday, McGee, other school officials and members of the religious community gathered at the church to once again discuss the gap.

In state standardized tests for grades 3 through 8 this year, 78.4 of black students were proficient in reading. That's 10.9 percentage points lower than white students, a gap that decreased from 13.4 last year. In math, 43.3 percent of black students were proficient this year, which brought the gap down from 27.6 percentage points last year to 27 this year.

Since the first meeting in May, cooperation has grown between local churches and the school system, McGee said. Love Faithfully Ministries now has a program that offers county students an alternative to suspension, giving them mentoring and 17 computers to work on.

"We have to get beyond the color thing," said the church's senior pastor, the Rev. Gene Brown, who launched the program at the start of this school year. "That way it doesn't become a black or white issue. It becomes an issue for the entire community."

Fathers told they're key to children's success in school

Fathers told they're key to children's success in school

WHITE PLAINS - Working 65 hours a week doesn't leave Bill Collins much time to help his son with homework and he can't always make it to soccer or football games.

But with data showing children without involved fathers more likely to drop out of school or commit crimes, the Mount Kisco father of four is determined to do better.

"I would like to be more involved. It's been a real struggle," said Collins, 46, a tow truck driver in White Plains. "I know it's important. It would be nice to be able to change it."

At the Black Father/Black Men Back To School Night at Highlands Middle School in White Plains, Collins and about 40 other men were encouraged yesterday to make their children's educations a priority in their lives.

In an audience that included White Plains Schools Superintendent Timothy Connors, state Supreme Court Justice Bruce Tolbert and members of black fraternities, speakers talked for two hours about the critical role fathers play in education and how their absence, whether through divorce or absenteeism, harms children.

Divine Pryor, the evening's keynote speaker, said the involvement of black men in schools was more important than ever because of the growing influence of gangs and a world where their children see a stint in prison as inevitable. An ex-convict who later became a professor of criminal justice, Pryor said fathers are needed at teacher conferences, extracurricular activities and in neighborhood streets counseling youth.

Ready To Teach

Ready To Teach

Howard University, an historically black college in Washington DC, has created a program called Ready to Teach (RTT) which is a national consortium created in collaboration with Chicago Public Schools and several other districts around the country with the purpose of increasing the number of teachers from underrepresented populations in high-need content areas in high need local education agencies.  So this is what I would refer to as a DOUBLE focus. RTT will attempt to recruit and train 100 (approx. 20 per year) recent college graduates and mid-career changers to pursue teaching certification in high-need subject areas, specifically, English, Reading, Special Education, Science, or Mathematics, at the middle and secondary levels. RTT will recruit and train a diverse pool of teacher candidates, with a focus on African-American males, via an alternate route to teacher certification program. This can also lead to a master’s degree in education. Participants will be provided an intense summer institute, field-based experiences, online pedagogy, subject-specific workshops, faculty mentors, PK-12 school-based mentors, and a blog. RTT will induct, monitor, and mentor the teacher candidates through the program and the initial year of their teaching appointment. Now how innovative is that!

Black men take time to listen to their younger counterparts

Black men take time to listen to their younger counterparts

RALEIGH - In the gymnasium at the Garner Road Family YMCA on Saturday morning, black men urged their younger counterparts to tell them about the obstacles they face.

Organizers said the conversations would give the older men more insight into what young black men are dealing with in today's society -- and what was needed to help them.

"We want to show compassion," said David Prince, a program director for Food and Nutrition Services, part of the N.C. Division of Social Services. "We want them to know that we're here. We want to spend time with them. The goal is we want to prevent them from building up the jails."a

The program is affiliated with the Triangle High Five, a regional consortium with the goal of getting 100 percent of area high school students to graduate. About 40 men sat and listened to nearly 100 boys and young men talk about barriers to success, including low expectations from others and a lack of role models.

One of the organizers is Orage Quarles III, president and publisher of The News & Observer.

The group now will try to address several of the concerns aired by the young men. Some mentors also suggested assuring the young people that the meeting would not be a one-time thing.

"They need to have that contact so they don't feel like the ball's being dropped," said William Stubbs, an administrative intern at Reedy Creek Middle School, where he is a sixth-grade assistant principal.

Black pastors join forces to aid community

Black pastors join forces to aid community

Saying they are burying too many young African Americans struck down by violence, some area pastors have launched a campaign to address that and other community problems.

About two dozen pastors have formed the United Black Clergy Association of Seattle to look for solutions to some of the most daunting problems in the black community in areas of employment, economic development and crime.

"Historically, black pastors have been able to give leadership in these areas of our community," Kenneth J. Ransfer Sr., pastor of Greater Mt. Baker Baptist Church and president of the group, said Wednesday.

"We plan to go out into the community, go to the hot spots, and talk to these men and women and love these guns out of their hands."

At a news conference Wednesday, the organization said it is trying to bring to Seattle a national program called Amer-I-Can, a life-management effort founded 20 years ago by NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown to address gang-related violence in inner cities.

Philly's top cop wants 10K black men to patrol streets

Philly's top cop wants 10K black men to patrol streets 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The city's embattled police chief, acknowledging that police alone cannot quell a run of deadly violence, has called on 10,000 black men to patrol the streets to reduce crime.

Sylvester Johnson, who is black, says black men have a duty to protect more vulnerable residents. He wants each volunteer to pledge to work three hours a day for at least 90 days.

"It's time for African-American men to stand up," Johnson told the Philadelphia Daily News, which first reported the story Wednesday. "We have an obligation to protect our women, our children and our elderly. We're going to put men on the street. We're going to train them in conflict resolution."

The program's backers include Dennis Muhammad, a former Nation of Islam official who has been hired by police departments in Detroit, Syracuse, N.Y., and other cities to conduct community-sensitivity training.

Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city, has nearly 1.5 million residents, 44% of them black. It has notched 294 homicides this year. More than 80% of the slayings involve handguns, and most involve young black males.

Johnson plans to introduce the "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" program on Oct. 21, three months before his planned retirement.

Goode sounds a call to action

Goode sounds a call to action

What Wilson Goode is preaching these days is the gospel of mentoring disadvantaged children.

Making a difference "Having a loving adult spend one hour with a child every week for a year can change the direction of a child's life," he told me recently in his Center City office.

Goode is well-cast as the erudite elder statesman. A cropped gray beard has replaced the clean-shaven look he sported during his days as the city's first African American mayor. A large crucifix dangling around his neck testifies to the spiritual obligation that compelled him to earn a Ph.D. in theology at 62.

If you're part of Philadelphia's faith community, you've undoubtedly heard of Amachi, the program Goode helped develop that provides mentoring for children with incarcerated parents.

Since its launch in 2000, Amachi has grown to 273 programs in 48 states. Goode has enlisted mentors from more than 50 congregations in the Philadelphia region alone.

Research shows that kids who lack adult guidance are less likely to be able to read, more likely to grow up in poverty, and way more likely to take up a life of crime.
...
"Before you criticize anybody else, what are you doing?" Goode asked. "You can blame slavery and segregation . . . those are all factors. So what? What's your next step?"

Despite all he has done in a life of service, Goode is still haunted by the 1985 MOVE tragedy. His decision to bomb a West Philadelphia house, which led to the deaths of 11 people, including five children, prompted him to seek redemption.

"I promised God every single day he gives me strength that I'm going to do something positive to help a child," he said. "If every African American can make the same commitment, we can turn this thing around."

More at the link

Mister Mann's Men

Mister Mann's Men

THEY ARE THE kids who don't make the headlines — the young black men from Philadelphia's inner city who are crack students, not crack dealers; who hang on the campus, not on the corner; who are living the American dream, not the nightmare.

So when Mister Mann Frisby, 32, who has mentored dozens of the young black men for years as father figure, trusted friend, summer track coach, college guidance counselor, employment agency — you name it, Frisby does it — goes to name-brand social service agencies to ask for financial help for his kids, he gets strange looks instead of cash.

"'They never stabbed nobody?'" Frisby exclaims in mock surprise, mimicking the reaction he got at one multi-million dollar social service agency. "'Nobody got a gun charge?'"

Frisby shook his head. "They have money for adjudicated youth," he said. "They have money for thugs trying to turn their lives around. But they don't have money for decent, intelligent young black men who are striving.

"If my mentoring program was for first-time gun offenders or kids in foster care or kids fresh out of Glen Mills, I'd be rolling in money. They want you to service kids who are 'at risk' or in trouble. They see the kids in my program as fine. So they're forgotten."

More at the link provided.

100 Black Men links teens to high-tech

100 Black Men Links Teens To High-Tech

For 14 weeks this summer, 17 teenagers bypassed sleeping late to show up in a classroom at Carnegie Mellon University.

They came on campus at 9 a.m. for five days a week to learn their way around the World Wide Web and get grounded in the basics of computer science.

The 7-year-old summer camp, called InfoLink 100, is part of the tutoring and mentoring provided by 100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania, a professional men's civic organization.

The learning is supported by Carnegie Mellon and Highmark and is a free effort to boost the computer skills of inner-city African-American children. Studies show this demographic lags behind the cyber-learning curve of their suburban counterparts.

"We're in the computer age, so this gives them a big dose of it," said Ron Lawrence, newly elected president of 100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania. "This is preparation for secondary education. preparation for real life."

More at the link...

Malcolm X College Workshop

MXC workshop puts focus on black men
Black male mentors speak to younger counterparts
By ROBERT FELTON

While the atmosphere outside at Malcolm X College's 24-hour Registration Block Party Saturday was festive, black men both young and old were getting down to business of empowering themselves during an afternoon workshop taking place inside.

The four-hour workshop on black male image targeted youth aged 8 through 16. There were nearly three dozen young men in attendance to hear community leaders and male students from Howard University, who spoke about the importance of realizing their potential.

"I have attended events geared toward creating positive black male images and empowering black men, however, they generally featured older gentlemen," said Kevin Booth, a senior in advertising at Howard University. "That is fine, but we felt that as student speakers, our words would have more resonance because the young people in the audience can relate to us. We're closer in age and we kind of have an idea of what their desires, dreams and plans are."

The program was a collaboration between the Monarch Awards Foundation of Xi Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Sorority and Howard University.

Mentor Program Shows What Black Kids Need

Mentor Program Shows What Black Kids Need
Leonard Pitts, Jr.

"I sure hope Timothy doesn’t come to school today."

When that thought came to mind, said Frederica Wilson, surveying the faces at the conference table in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools headquarters, she knew she had a problem. After all, she was a school principal and a black. And Timothy was a student, and black. But Timothy was also a terror and as she drove to school, she found herself hoping he wouldn’t be there.

The thought shocked her. If she dreaded Timothy, she said, how must her Hispanic and white teachers have felt about him? And why was it every time she held a disciplinary conference, it was for a black boy? Why were they the ones who always seemed to be in trouble?

So she started meeting with them, "trying to find out why they were so angry and why they were so disruptive and why they wanted to fight all the time." Then she started calling men in to help her.

Fourteen years and more than 15,000 boys later, Wilson is a Florida state senator and the mentoring effort she started has become the 5000 Role Models of Excellence. It operates in 91 Miami-area schools and claims better than 95 percent success at keeping its boys out of trouble with school officials and the law.

Recently, Wilson and some of the Role Model men were joined at a conference table by boys who became men under the program.

One of them is Kionne McGhee. Child of a single mother, he was suspended from school 47 times, labeled emotionally handicapped and learning disabled. Today he is an assistant state attorney. "The problem was, I was acting out because I needed a black male or somebody that could relate to me," he said, as opposed to someone who understood him only "through theory."

Mentor Program Shows What Black Kids Need
Leonard Pitts, Jr.

"I sure hope Timothy doesn’t come to school today."

When that thought came to mind, said Frederica Wilson, surveying the faces at the conference table in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools headquarters, she knew she had a problem. After all, she was a school principal and a black. And Timothy was a student, and black. But Timothy was also a terror and as she drove to school, she found herself hoping he wouldn’t be there.

The thought shocked her. If she dreaded Timothy, she said, how must her Hispanic and white teachers have felt about him? And why was it every time she held a disciplinary conference, it was for a black boy? Why were they the ones who always seemed to be in trouble?

So she started meeting with them, "trying to find out why they were so angry and why they were so disruptive and why they wanted to fight all the time." Then she started calling men in to help her.

Fourteen years and more than 15,000 boys later, Wilson is a Florida state senator and the mentoring effort she started has become the 5000 Role Models of Excellence. It operates in 91 Miami-area schools and claims better than 95 percent success at keeping its boys out of trouble with school officials and the law.

Recently, Wilson and some of the Role Model men were joined at a conference table by boys who became men under the program.

One of them is Kionne McGhee. Child of a single mother, he was suspended from school 47 times, labeled emotionally handicapped and learning disabled. Today he is an assistant state attorney. "The problem was, I was acting out because I needed a black male or somebody that could relate to me," he said, as opposed to someone who understood him only "through theory."