Black Self Help Information

Project Bridges

PROJECT BRIDGES

MISSION STATEMENT

Project Bridges mission is to strengthen and expand the capacity of churches and community organizations through strategic alliances and partnerships that provide relevant training, services, programs and resources. 

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Project Bridges, Inc. is organized to operate exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes. The organization seeks to:

• develop a network of churches and faith-based and community organizations to combat social and spiritual problems, in local communities;
• facilitate programs and support services that strengthen the capacity of churches and faith-based and community organizations to combat these problems;
• provide resources, education, and training to churches and faith-based and community organizations to help strengthen and expand their capacity to relieve poverty, serve the needy in their communities, and provide biblical solutions to the heart issues underlying both social and spiritual problems.

Project Bridges will engage in activities that we believe are necessary and proper to accomplish our objectives and purposes, and accomplish both our vision and mission.

Six Facts about Black Americans for Black History Month

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/23/6-facts-about-black-americans-for-black-history-month/

1. High school dropout rates have declined faster among blacks ages 18 to 24 than the national average.
2. In the last presidential election, the black voter turnout rate exceeded that of whites in a presidential election for the first time, by 66.6% to 64.1%From 1910 to 1970, about 6 million blacks left the South to move to other parts of the country in what is called the Great Migration.
3. The poverty rate among blacks is the highest of any racial or ethnic group, but has declined slightly over time
4. Barack Obama overshadows others as the nation’s most important black leader
5. Looking to the future, blacks are more likely than whites to say a lot needs to be done to achieve racial equality in the U.S

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE ALUMNI MENTOR YOUTH TO HONOR MLK

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE ALUMNI MENTOR YOUTH TO HONOR MLK

CHICAGO (WLS) --Alumni from Morehouse College are mentoring young men in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

The mass mentoring session was held this morning at Quinn Chapel AME Church in the city's South Side.

They aim to help improve the life outcomes for African American youth using some of the teachings and inspiration from Dr. King.

Everyone took part in workshops, film screenings, speaker presentations and one-on-one mentorships.

See more at link

 

Mentoring Black Males

Mentoring Black Males

Across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, professional black men are increasingly taking black youths into their care. Hundreds of mentoring matches are underway, and efforts are growing to add more. The goal is to help the young men envision another kind of future – to save them from the streets, prison or early death.

Thursday night, the group that helped Gallaher – the Hearts and Minds Pipeline Program – will hold a health symposium to explain the physical and mental health needs unique to African-American males. The program's larger goal is to increase the number of African-American males in the health professions.

"Our black boys can do more than play athletics," said Gary Favors, 46, a Cincinnati Public Schools teacher and Hearts and Minds' founder. "We have to stop pigeon-holing them and start exposing them to other areas of interest."

To make his point that young black males are an "endangered species," Favors keeps copies of a national educational report in his briefcase to share. The Schott Foundation for Public Education shows in its "The Urgency of Now" report that only 10 percent of black males in eighth grade are proficient in reading and 52 percent of black males graduate high school in four years.

Ohio's black graduation rate is 45 percent, compared to 80 percent for white, non-Latino students. In Kentucky, the black graduation rate is 58 percent, compared with 69 percent for white students.

If young black males are not steered in a positive life direction as early as the fourth or fifth grade, Favors said, prison becomes a likely destination. Nationally, African-Americans make up 13.6 percent of the population, but 40.2 percent of all prison inmates are black men.

More at the link provided

Black Techs Who I Recently Starting Following

The following are Black techinical Twitter accounts I recently started following:

• @iurbanteen
• @lpfi
• @HiddenGeniusPro
• @HackTheHood
• @Code2040
• @BlackGirlsCode
• @KathrynFinney
• @DigUnDiv

 

Black Demographics Web Site

This site is off to a decent start. BlackDemographics.com

 

Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation Partners with Coca-Cola to Pay It Forward to the Next Generation of Leaders

Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation Partners with Coca-Cola to Pay It Forward to the Next Generation of Leaders

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 15, 2014-- 

Actor, comedian turned media mogul and philanthropist--Steve Harvey--takes on another exciting role by joining the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward Program. His strong commitment to mentoring is a great complement to the movement that uncaps a world of possibilities for the next generation.

Steve Harvey partners with the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program to offer an apprenticeship experience to two well-deserving youth. (Photo: Business Wire)

Marking year three, the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program will offer once-in-a-lifetime apprenticeship experiences to African American youth looking to pave the way for their futures. Under the umbrella of the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, the talk show host and best-selling author will offer two apprenticeship experiences. The experiences will focus on the areas of philanthropy/community and media/entertainment.

Partnering with the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program builds on Harvey's long-term commitment to mentoring youth. For the past five years, the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation has hosted mentoring camps for young African-American men. The camps promote educational enrichment, one-on-one mentoring and global service initiatives. The program impacts 100 youth in five cities across the country.

"The Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program and the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation have a common goal. We want to improve, enrich, uplift and inspire young people. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about, " said Steve Harvey. "Working together, we can change far more lives than we ever could imagine doing on our own."

Black Men Mentoring Students In Albemarle County, VA

http://www.nbc29.com/story/24463682/black-men-mentoring-black-students-in-albemarle-schools

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va (WVIR) 

A group of African-American men is investing hundreds of hours a month to mentor dozens of young black male students in Albemarle County. The school system is also developing new partnerships to create more mentoring programs countywide.

Members of the 100 Black Men of central Virginia work one-on-one to mentor about 80 middle school boys in Albemarle County schools. Some of those mentors joined their students for lunch at Burley Middle School Wednesday afternoon to catch up on schoolwork and home life.

Each mentor commits to spending at least 10 hours a month with the boys they're helping to become responsible young men.

“Because of the nature of what we do and the outcome we expect it to bring, you can't trivialize the time you spend with the young people,” said Xavier Jackson, a mentor.

The Albemarle County school system tracks the success of these programs, and says mentors improve students' attendance, grades, and goals for the future.

“It's all about giving quality time with a group of students on a regular basis. But you're also tracking the performance and impact of your mentoring time you're giving to the young people,” said Bernard Hairston, executive director of community engagement for Albemarle County Public Schools.

This is just one of the mentor programs in Albemarle County schools. The school system's goal this year is to form partnerships with volunteer groups and respected members of the community to create more mentorship programs.

African-American organizations jointly hold fundraiser

African-American organizations jointly hold fundraiser

For the third year, the 100 Black Men and Coalition of 100 Black Women organizations joined forces to raise money to buy toys and presents for Clark County schoolchildren, through a Christmas party Dec. 6 at The Venetian. More than 300 people attended.

...

Pauling said the 100 Black Men focus on mentoring, education, economic empowerment, health and wellness. He added that the mission is to serve the community. The group’s motto is, “What they see is what they’ll be,” when it comes to mentoring the children.

The Coalition of 100 Black Women also mentors in Clark County schools, advocates programs to place women in corporate positions, and conducts seminars on HIV, economic development and finance.

100 Black Women President Allen said both organizations plan to partner on more programs in the future, given this project’s success.

100 Black Men of America focus on health and wellness issues

 

The 100 Black Men of America focused on the awareness and solutions for a number of health and wellness issues impacting African Americans at its 27th Annual Conference held in New Orleans. 

Under the theme: Optimizing Health and Wellness: Body, Mind and Spirit, more than 2,100 attendees, including many youth, heard experts on panels and in workshops, learned about new mentoring and education techniques, and recognized best practices to improve health personally and in their communities.

“Health and wellness is crucial to the youth we serve through our ‘Mentoring the 100 Way Across a Lifetime.’ Our efforts, that also include education and economic empowerment, are not nearly as effective if the youth we mentor are not healthy and well,” said Curley M. Dossman, Jr., chairman of 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

“So we are intensifying our efforts to raise the consciousness of the state of health in the African American community, and enhancing our programs’ impact in this area.”

The health state of African Americans was put in the spotlight since there is greater incidence of prostate cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and HIV/AIDS for them versus the general population. Further, African Americans are more likely to die from heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke than Caucasians. Obesity and high blood pressure are also significant issues that are affecting Black youth. 

In his conference keynote address, Dr. John E. Maupin Jr., president of Morehouse School of Medicine, challenged the audience to help change the health and wellness culture of the African American community saying, “We are out of balance, out of order, and almost out of time.”

Big Brothers Find Recruits In Barber Chairs

Big Brothers Find Recruits in Barber Chairs

Brandon Brown has no problem shaking hands with a stranger and talking about something near and dear to him: being a Big Brother mentor to his Little Brother Robert.

Brown takes his involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati a step further, volunteering on the agency’s African American recruitment board. Their latest campaign to recruit African American men to volunteer as Big Brothers might seem unique: they reached out to Tri-State barbershops and asked to drop off information about volunteering that the shops could share with customers. Then, on a Saturday in October, Big Brothers and their Little Brothers, along with recruitment staff from the agency, spent time at the barbershops talking with customers about getting involved as a mentor.

Brown talked with customers at Preferred Cutz in North College Hill. Some of them worried that being a mentor would take too much time. He says, “I told them that the time can be ‘customized’ to their lifestyle. In the site-based program, it’s one day a week for an hour. This worked for many guys because they lead busy lives. We all do.”

Being a Big Brother himself, Brown could tell the men at Preferred Cutz that they might find they get a lot out of being a Big Brother. He told us, “Knowing that my Little Brother Robert is expecting me each week drives me. Recently, we were talking and I asked him who he admired and he included me in the line-up because I ‘had his back.’ That was priceless!”

At the end of the day, 17 men at Preferred Cutz asked for more information about becoming a Big Brother.

More at the link provided.

CBM Starts Mentoring Program In Oakland

Mentoring Proram for Young Black Men Starts at Montera Middle School

Concerned Black Men (CBM) Program Manager Lance Dennis sat at a table Tuesday in the multipurpose room at Montera Middle School going over his lesson plan for the day.

Every Tuesday and Thursday for 45 minutes, Dennis mentors sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade boys with weekly life skills sessions that also address career exploration.

Currently, there are about 15 boys enrolled in the program at each grade level, attending weekly group sessions that address etiquette, healthy eating, exercise, and community service projects.

The program has outside funding and does not cost the school or parents anything to participate.

“We were looking for a school that matched our mission, and Principal Tina Tranzor was very receptive to what we are doing,” said Dennis. “Some of these students are dealing with issues that many adults have to face like domestic disturbances. So we want to empower them and make positive impacts on their lives.”

More at the link provided

NAZ: 1,300 children on college track

NAZ: 1,300 children on college track

In a basement room lined with college banners, inside the Five Points Building, staffers, parents and partners celebrated Northside Achievement Zone’s (NAZ) milestone of having 1,300 students enrolled and on track to be college ready. 

NAZ, through its Promise Neighborhood is seeking to build a culture of achievement in a geographic zone between 35th Avenue to the north, Penn Avenue to the west, West Broadway to the south and Interstate 94 to the east. Naz’s goal for its Promise Neighborhood is to graduate children college ready and end a cycle of poverty within the north Minneapolis area. And though it was a celebratory atmosphere, Geoffrey Canada, founder of the famed Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc., told staffers the celebration should be short-lived as there is plenty more work to be done. 

“We except no excuses for failure,” said Canada, speaking to a room of about 50 staffers, parents and NAZ partners. “Our kids have been failed for too long. People have to do more. You have to double your efforts of what got you to this point. If you keep doing the same, you’ll be in this same place next year. This is the beginning of a process that takes time, but in a community that doesn’t have time to wait.”

More at the link provided.

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 Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has announced a new merger with Opportunity Funding Corporation (OFC)

WASHINGTON, DC – The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has announced a new merger with Opportunity Funding Corporation (OFC), which will allow the organization to lead the HBCU community in innovation and entrepreneurship by developing the next generation of African-American entrepreneurs for the 21st century.

For the past 26 years, TMCF has focused its efforts on preparing leaders of tomorrow by placing recent graduates of the country’s HBCUs in good jobs with some of the world’s largest and most well-known employers. By combining resources with OFC, students at TMCF’s member-schools will now have access to opportunities that they will not get from other organizations.

“Entrepreneurs are key to the American enterprise and TMCF will now ensure the HBCU community does its part to guarantee that there is a talented and diverse pipeline of future entrepreneurs,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., TMCF President and CEO. “The announcement of the TMCF-OFC merger is a very special moment for TMCF because it represents a natural evolution of our business model from that of a purely scholarship granting organization to a business-creating and job-producing one.”

The Opportunity Funding Corporation is a first-of-its-kind entrepreneurial concept aimed at creating successful black-owned businesses to spur economic development in black communities across the country. Since its inception, OFC has played a significant role in incubating companies by serving as the financing vehicle for hundreds of minority entrepreneurs, like BET Founder Bob Johnson and Radio One Founder Cathy Hughes, who have successfully launched nationwide minority business enterprises.

Chisolm: 'Host' of Black mentors serving youths

Chisolm: 'Host' of Black mentors serving youths

I am in full support of ensuring that we have enough male mentors to do as stated in Aug. 1 Savannah Morning News editorial “Save the males.”

But what I am disturbed about is the notion that there are no Black men pulling their weight in this community. Just because they have not signed up for duty in particular organizations doesn’t mean that contributions are not being made by conscious, concerned and committed Black men.

As a single father of two, I raised my daughter (now 25) on my own and helped to raise my son (almost 27) to successful adulthood. I am not alone.

I have mentored young men in my church; one successfully completed the Youth Challenge Program. I am about to add two more to my list.

The point being is that there is a host of Black men in this community who function as role models, as fathers, as surrogate fathers, as mentors and as support systems. They invest their time, talents and treasures into the lives of young people other than their own.

Just because all of them have not availed themselves in community-based programs doesn’t mean they are not contributing in meaningful ways. Why not interview them and let’s hear their story.

More at the link provided.

 

One Dad’s Impassioned Response to Saggy Pants

One Dad’s Impassioned Response to Saggy Pants

You might have seen the story this week about a controversial new dress code that bans saggy pants on the famous oceanfront boardwalk in Wildwood, N.J. You know the saggy pants syndrome: Jeans or trousers worn so low that you can see the person’s choices in underwear— brand and color, boxers or briefs. Not exactly attractive.

It just so happens that saggy pants is a passion for one Virginia dad. Gil Knowles, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and father of one (Miami TV news reporter Summer Knowles), considers the fad an opportunity to mentor instead of criticize young men who choose to show their behinds.

His book: Help Them Pull Their Pants Up: How Mentors and Communities Can Empower Young African American Men.

More at the link provided

 

Urban Prep Academies Graduates All College Bound For The 4th Year In A Row

Urban Prep Academies Graduates All College Bound

For a remarkable fourth consecutive year, all 167 seniors at Urban Prep Academies schools have been accepted at four-year colleges or universities this fall.

Students of the two Chicago public charter high schools -- located in the city's Englewood and University Village neighborhoods -- gathered Thursday morning to celebrate the achievement of their schools, which some have dubbed "Hogwarts in the Hood" for their impressive, seemingly magical rates of success, CBS Chicago reports.

Still, Urban Prep's founder and CEO Tim King says, "the only magic going on at Urban Prep is the magic that these guys put in with their hard work and dedication.”

Carson Scholars Fund

For those of you who didn't know of Dr. Ben Carson before his remarks at The Prayer Breakfast... For those of you who want to broadcast the man, NOW, here is some information for you about the Carson Scholars Fund. All emphasis added is mine:

The Carson Scholars Fund, Inc. was founded in 1994 to address the education crisis in the United States. When world-renowned Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson, M.D. and his wife, Candy, read a research study about education in the United States, they were alarmed by the findings. The study showed that our nation’s students ranked #21 out of 22 countries; next to the bottom of the list in science and math. Furthermore, the Carsons observed that many school display cases were filled with large trophies paying tribute to their sports teams’ achievements, while honor students only received a pin or certificate.

Dr. and Mrs. Carson felt compelled to take action. They believed that if children could be taught early to excel, they would stay motivated and have a higher chance of educational success later in life. The Carson Scholars Fund was built on these principles.

Carson Scholarships are awarded to students in grades 4-11 who exemplify academic excellence and humanitarian qualities. Winners receive a $1,000 scholarship to be invested toward their college education, along with a recognition package, and an invitation to attend an awards banquet. Carson Scholars become role models and leaders at their schools.

See more at the site.

More than 1,000 AKA sorority sisters volunteer in Baltimore

More than 1,000 AKA sorority sisters volunteer in Baltimore

The other children sitting on the carpet in Diana Holley's first-grade classroom at Gilmor Elementary School on Friday wiggled and squirmed and laughed and whispered. But Briana Diggs stayed still.

Her chin rested in the palm of her hands. Her eyes upturned toward the Alpha Kappa Alpha volunteer as she read a story to the children. To Briana, she was the lead character in the book, "Boys Will Be Boys: Briana's Neighborhood."

The act of reading to children, allowing them to see themselves in the stories, and modeling behavior of an engaged adult was the objective for Johnnie Colisha` Searcy, one of 1,000 sorority sisters in Baltimore for the weekend to perform more than a dozen service projects throughout the city.

More at the link provided.

Philly Phresh Start Project To Promote STEM

Philly Phresh Start is a project to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among underrepresented minorities. We will engage students by connecting STEM to their day-to-day realities and interests. Minority youth will be exposed to the possibilities and encouraged to imagine a better future.

Magic Johnson Opens School For High School Dropouts

Magic Johnson Opens School For High School Dropouts

ATLANTA – Basketball legend Magic Johnson has opened an education center in downtown Atlanta for high school dropouts.

The Magic Johnson Bridgescape center helps give those who have left school, or are at risk of dropping out, the opportunity to earn a high school diploma. The program, which has just opened its doors, is free and accepts students aged 14 to 20 years old.

Unlike traditional schools, Bridgescape takes a holistic approach, with life skills counselors as well as teachers on site to provide developmental and academic support. Students get academic credits online, including one-on-one and small group classes.

“Those students who finished school [from the center in Ohio] with us at the end of the last school year, 75 percent of them returned at the beginning of the school year to continue their education,” said Jennifer Parker from Bridgescape, in a televised interview with WSB TV 2.

“You can’t get a decent job in this town so you have to get a high school diploma,” said 19-year-old student Chris Wallace in the same report. “It shows me that someone like him [Magic Johnson] cares about people like us.”

Johnson, who is well known for his philanthropic work, has over the years talked about the value of getting a good education. This program is part of the Provost Academy Georgia, a statewide virtual charter high school.

Magic Johnson Bridgescape centers are already operating in Ohio, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. More Georgia locations are planned in Augusta, Macon and Savannah.

 

Black Self Help Twitterverse

• 100 Black Men - @100BlackMen
• 100 Black Women - @100_BlackWomen
• Concerned Black Men - @CBMNational
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - @RWJF_HumanCap
• Black Celebrity Giving - @BlkCelebGiving
• HBCU Buzz - @HBCUBuzz
• Black Innovation. Org - @BlackInnovation
• Black Benefactors - @BlkBenefactors
• Black Philanthropic - @bpalliance
• Black Gives Back - @BlkGivesBack
• National Urban League - @NatUrbanLeague
• National Black Child - @NBCDI
• Black Enterprise - @blackenterprise
• Dr. Steve Perry - @DrStevePerry

Black Self Help Information On Twitter

Black Self Help Information is now on Twitter @BlackSelfHelpIn.

 

Steve Harvey Foundation

The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation

Our Mission

The mission of The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation is to ensure that the needs of the whole child are met through the development of programs and support of community-based organizations that foster excellence in the areas of health, education and social well-being within urban and ethnically diverse communities.

Our Goals

• To deliver relevant programs for children that will aid in their successful development
• To provide educational scholarships for children with defined criteria; and track the success of programs related to education
• To introduce & pair children to community leaders as mentors; through group and one-on-one mentoring programs
• To partner and build alliances with public and private organizations to provide opportunities and resources that will broaden our children’s experiences via internships, employment and community programs that strengthen their intellectual, health and social well being.
• To expand the Girls Who Rule the World™ program to multiple markets by 2012

See more at the link provided.

Historically Black Frats Introduce Mentoring Brothers In Action

Historically Black Fraternities Introduce Mentoring Brothers in Action

Big Brothers Big Sisters and its African American fraternity partners are marking National Mentoring Month and the January 16 Martin Luther King Day of Service with the launch of Mentoring Brothers in Action, Phase II of their two-year collaborative partnership. The goal of the program, which will include support from popular nationally syndicated urban radio host Michael Baisden, is to engage more African American men in fraternal, social, faith-based and professional organizations to get involved in one-to-one mentoring to change the odds for African American boys.

“Like so many of our young men, my father also abandoned me so I understand the importance of mentoring. I was fortunate to have uncles and other men in my community to set the right example and to correct me when I was out of line,” Baisden, who is challenging other influencers, donors and celebrities to support the effort. “If we want to see different results in our young people we have to invest more into them and show them what is possible. I became a successful writer because I saw successful writers; I became a successful radio personality because I saw successful radio personalities, and so on. If we want to create more successful children we need them to see an example of success and integrity. Success is not an accident, it’s something you practice every day in the way you live your life and the way you treat people. Become a mentor today and be that example!”

“With Mentoring Brothers in Action, we are working with our fraternity partners, bolstered by the support of Michael Baisden — one of the most prominent and passionate proponents of mentoring — to bring together our best resources to tackle one of the nation’s most urgent crises. Our goal is to have a positive impact on high school graduation, juvenile justice and economic equity,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Co-Chief Executive Officer Max Miller.

More at the link provided.

On MLK Day, 62 Students Given College Scholarships By 5000 Role Models

On MLK Day, 62 Students Given College Scholarships By 5000 Role Models

Curby Sneed didn’t quite know what was going to happen to him.

“When certain situations happen, it pushes my buttons and my blood starts to boil and I just snap,” the high school senior says.

His self-esteem was low and he came very close to getting into altercations with his instructors – a move that could have led to real trouble.

“When I would end up getting upset, I would end up having conflicts with my teachers,” Sneed says.

The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project has helped steer Curby and other youngsters in a different direction. The dropout prevention intervention program focuses on minority young boys who are at risk of leaving school or choosing a life of crime, in 82 Miami-Dade public schools.

“It gives me the opportunity to actually succeed in life and be someone in life,” Sneed said. That is not always easy in the neighborhoods where Sneed, who lives in Overtown, and other students in 5000 Role Models come from – a concern for his parents and State Senator Dr. Frederica S. Wilson.

She founded the program, which matches students with business and civic leaders to inspire them.

At a Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast, 62 students, including Sneed, were given college scholarships by 5000 Role Models to pay for their education next year.

“We’ve sent thousands to college and spent over $10 million on scholarships,” said Wilson, who founded the program while on the Miami-Dade County School Board. “You can imagine how wonderful I feel and I’m sure that Dr. King can think of no other way that he would want us to remember his holiday than by helping these young men.”

Sneed said his dad got him out of the neighborhood by sending him to Coral Park High School, where he has excelled on the football field and kept up his grades. His next stop: the classroom and football field at Florida International University.

Concerned Black Men: CBM Cares

CBM Cares ®

The CBM CARES ® National Mentoring Initiative is a program that provides middle school boys with responsible and caring adult male mentors. Created in response to the high dropout rate among African American males, as well as persistent truancy and low academic achievement, the school-based effort offers one-to-one and group mentoring to boys enrolled in public and charter schools across the country.

MIssion & Vision

We, the members of the National Organization of Concerned Black Men, Inc., (CBM) have committed ourselves in support of the social, emotional, academic and psychological development of African American youth. We offer ourselves as role models and pledge to help our children aspire to lofty goals and expectations. We pledge to protect, instruct, nurture and discipline —to trust, share, honor, and above all — to be there when needed. We will teach our youth that men and women build institutions and do not engage in self-destructive behavior. We will show our Nation’s youth how to direct their energies to positive activities of benefit to all, and remind them that respect for self and others is expected of men and women of distinction. We will provide community leadership and encourage this society to place our children’s needs first. In caring for our youth, we take our responsibility seriously, and will remember that the future of our children depends on our success. Our motto is “… Caring For Our Youth.”®

Charter School Students Closing Achievement Gap

Charter School Students Closing Achievement Gap

Students at charter schools are making significant strides narrowing academic achievement gaps — between poor and affluent students, between urban and suburban schools and between minority and white students — according to a new analysis of the 2011 Connecticut Mastery Test released Wednesday.

A report from the Connecticut Charter School Network says that black, Hispanic and low-income students in charter schools far exceed state averages for their demographics, cutting the math achievement gap in half for black and low-income students and reducing it by two-thirds for Hispanic students.

On average statewide, students who receive free and reduced price lunches — a measure used to identify poor students — are 22.75 percentage points behind their more affluent peers in math proficiency.

However, low-income students in charter schools are only 13 points behind the more affluent, average students.

More at the link provided.

"Why Murder?"

 

 

 

Donnie Andrews' life is one that David Simon and Ed Burns would have had to invent if he hadn't already lived it.

"I am the real Omar," Andrews tells me by way of introduction, referring to how he was the inspiration for the ruthless yet moral stickup man in the Simon and Burns HBO series "The Wire."

Omar Little didn't make it through "The Wire's" five-season arc. He was shot to death in the final season — as was a member of his crew, Donnie, who was played by Andrews himself in a bit part.

In real life, Andrews managed to survive the kind of street justice so accurately depicted in "The Wire." At 57, he seems grateful to be alive, speaking repeatedly about "blessings" on Thursday evening to a group gathered at the University of Maryland Law School to launch and raise funds for his new nonprofit organization targeting urban youth.

The law school is just a half-mile away but worlds apart from Lexington Terrace, the since-demolished public housing complex where he was a part of a notoriously violent drug trade. To a crowd that included Burns, former congressman Kweisi Mfume, Maryland Law Dean Phoebe Haddon and Harvard Law professor Charles Ogletree, Andrews spoke of his hopes for the group Why Murder?

The name stems from 1986, when Andrews, then a drug dealer and stickup artist, was paid by a drug lord to kill a rival. Just before Andrews fired the fatal shot, the victim looked him in the eye and said, "Why?"

"To this day, I'm still trying to find that answer," he said.

Wow.

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.

United Black Men of Queens County

United Black Men of Queens County, Inc

United Black Men of Queens County, Inc. (UBMQ) was incorporated in the state of New York in 1974 as a Domestic Not-For-Profit Corporation. It is a Federal tax exempt corporation under Section 501(1)(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. UBMQ was founded by a group of professional and civic minded men to serve residents in the borough of Queens, with a special interest in promoting the welfare of at-risk black high school-age youth through its Mentoring Program.

The fundamentals of the Mentoring Program is to get to know our youth in a meaningful and personal manner and expose them to positive activities and persons that will help them reach their full potential. The activities that take place under the program include college campus tours, trips to government offices to meet with elected officials, law enforcement persons, and other professionals. The program includes tutoring in math, science, language, technology, SAT preparation, and community service projects. We monitor student academic performance and intercede as needed. We train the mentees to mentor their peers and set positive examples for everyone to see. The program also includes exposure to the Arts through excursions to cultural centers and theatre events.

The United Black Men of Queens County, Inc. is dedicated to serving our at-risk youth to bring out the best in them and to foster positive growth for them and the community they live in. This has been our unyielding mission and we are dedicated to this cause.

Charter school for black boys a hit with parents

Charter school for black boys a hit with parents

It bothered the Rev. Henry E. Green that, for some African-American boys, going to jail before they reached the age of 20 seemed to be an accepted rite of passage. He watched sadly, correcting wherever and whenever possible, the young boys walking the street with their pants hanging below their buttocks.

Green, then the senior pastor of Mt. Hermon AME Church in Miami Gardens, had a dream.  He wanted to build a school where boys could be taught, at a young age, how to grow up to be responsible men.

Before he could bring the dream to fruition, Green was appointed presiding elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Tampa District of Florida.  But before he moved on, Green shared his dream with the Rev. John F. White II, who succeeded him at Mt. Hermon, 17800 NW 25th Ave.

White accepted the challenge to make it possible.

“We praise God for Rev. Green and his vision,”  White said. “We've tried to pick up the mantle and carry it forward.”

He and his congregation organized the Mount Hermon Community Education Corporation in 2007 with the mission: To save the children.

Salvation would come through developing and mentoring urban youth by providing quality education and educational support programs in economically disadvantaged communities.

“The vision was to focus on early education," said the Rev. Paul Wiggins, an associate pastor at Mt. Hermon and executive director of the corporation.

More at the link provided

'Boys to Men' mentoring program makes a difference

'Boys to Men' mentoring program makes a difference

Their name reminds many of the once-popular group of singers, but this band of brothers is more about teaching success than singing.

Boys to Men was founded at Aurora East High School in 2002, a year that saw 25 people in that city killed by violence. The mentoring group's founder says the idea was spurred by emotion and anger.

"We realize that no matter what race you are, no matter what side of town you live on, every boy wants to become a man," said Clayton Muhammad. "We got so tired of going to funeral after funeral of young people, we should be going to graduation parties."

In about eight years, Boys to Men has spread to a dozen suburban area schools and about 200 young men have been through the program. All of them graduated high school, and the majority went on to college or the military.

Meliton Chaidez is a Junior member. Boys to Men helped him get a poem he wrote about his father into the Library of America. The soon-to-be seventh grader said his mentors have taught him a lot about what's life is like as an adult.

More at the link provided

Silver Spring mentoring program helps guide youth

Silver Spring mentoring program helps guide youth

At 13, Shawn Harrison knew he needed help.

He was fighting at school, experimenting with drugs and had seen people shot and stabbed. Still, he would drag himself out of bed on weekends to attend a young men's mentoring program at his church.

"I would do all this in school, and yet, for some reason, I was still drawn to the program," said Harrison, 23. "I would wake up Saturday and go in there and they'd say, ‘Hey, how you doing?' ... and I would tell them what happened."

Harrison credits the program, Rites of Passage, for helping him make it through that part of his life. A member of the first class, he is among more than 80 people who have attended the program since it began in 2000.

This week, the three-year program for black teens, offered through the People's Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring, celebrates its 10th anniversary. It was created to instill long-range values in its participants, said program Cofounder Norman Jones.

More at the link provided.

Michael Baisden Launches Mentoring Program

Michael Baisden Launches Mentoring Program

*Nationally-syndicated radio host Michael Baisden has created a campaign to encourage one million Americans to sign up as mentors for children in need through a national outreach effort.

The One Million Mentors Campaign to Save Our Kids will launch with its first event in Dallas on Feb. 17 and hit the road to visit 72 cities in a campaign-themed bus.

At each tour stop along the way, Baisden will host mentoring forums in partnership with local mentoring organizations and affiliates of Big Brothers Big Sisters, National Cares Mentoring Movement and 100 Black Men.

“The videotaped beating of Chicago teen Derrion Albert was truly the final straw for me,” said Baisden. “After seeing it broadcast repeatedly on national news I knew I needed to step up and get involved personally in the effort to save our kids. My hope is that by touring across the country, this national mentoring campaign will have an impact on some of these young people who need caring adults involved in their lives.”

100 Black Men of Chicago Mentoring Blog

100 Black Men of Chicago Mentoring Programs

Welcome to the 100 Black Men of Chicago Mentoring Blog. This Blog is to showcase our mentoring sites and the wonderful mentees that are involved with our programs. Our mentoring sites include 100BMC Westside, 100BMC Southside, and 100BMC Aurora.

More at the link provided

African-American male teachers try to be role models

African-American male teachers try to be role models

At a church service Sunday to honor African-American male teachers, the talk turned to the mentors who had made a difference in the lives of some black educators.

For George Maxey, the new principal at Raines High School, it was John Fox, a white teacher who inspired him in third grade, when Maxey lived in a housing project in Brooklyn, N.Y.

For Julius Paden, principal at private Lighthouse Christian School, it was the late Bernard Wilkes, basketball coach at Ribault High School for 30 years.

For Dwayne Thomas, assistant principal at Mandarin Middle School, it was Bud Hicks, who worked as a custodian at his school in Detroit.

The custodian encouraged Thomas, the son of a single mother, to go to school and keep up his grades. He took him to a Detroit Red Wings game. He nicknamed him "Slick" because he tried to slide out of work.

Mad Dads

General Background
The MAD DADS Organization...

MAD DADS is an acronym for Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and Social-Disorder. MAD DADS, INC. was founded in May of 1989 by a group of concerned Omaha, Nebraska parents who were fed up with gang violence and the unmolested flow of illegal drugs in our community.

We present ourselves as positive role models and concerned loving parents who are a visible presence in our neighborhoods against the negative forces destroying our children, our families and cities.  We started out of pain -- the pain of our children dying in the streets of their own communities. We were -- and still are -- tired of looking into the eyes of hollow youth who lacked hope, and who had ceased to dream. We realized that we could hold no one responsible for this but ourselves: we allowed it to happen. So we united as a handful of community fathers who now know that WE MUST BE THE FORCE BEHIND THE CHANGE.

From a genesis of only 18 men in Omaha, MAD DADS has grown to over 75,000 men, women and children nationally, with 60 plus Chapters in 17 states.  Chapters have been started in the following states: Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, Ohio, Texas, Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee, Illinois, California, Michigan, New Jersey, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Some Chapters also have divisions of MOMS and KIDS.

More at the link provided.

Fort Pierce Chapter of Mad Dads to Honor Those Who Completed FAMU Program

Fort Pierce chapter of Mad Dads to honor those who completed FAMU program

Abelard Cesar is now a confident 17-year-old boy who plans to be a computer engineer and expects to attend Florida A&M University in a few years.

He credits that confidence to the Mad Dads Fort Pierce chapter, which sent him, along with six other high- and middle-school teens, to an intensive summer study program at FAMU.

Those teens are being recognized by Mad Dads for completing the Black Male College Explorer program at a ceremony Sept. 19 at Lincoln Park Community Center on Avenue M.

Mad Dads is a nonprofit organization mentoring boys with an eye to help them succeed in school and in their personal lives.

The Explorer’s college program is designed to keep black male students on track for college and give them a chance at success. Students who do well receive an all-expenses-paid first semester at FAMU, along with mentoring and assistance in applying for financial aid.

More at the link provided.

Harlem Children's Zone

Harlem Children's Zone

Harlem Children's Zone, Inc. has experienced incredible growth - from the number of children we serve to the breadth of our services. But one thing has stayed the same: the agency's "whatever it takes" attitude when it comes to helping children to succeed.

The organization began 1970 as Rheedlen, working with young children and their families as the city's first truancy-prevention program.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, the crack epidemic tore through Harlem; open-air drug markets flourished while families disintegrated. While many inside and outside Harlem gave up hope, HCZ's staff believed that new approaches were necessary.

In 1991, the agency was among the first in the city to open a Beacon Center. Our Countee Cullen Community Center turned a public school that used to shut its door at the end of the school day into a community center offering a range of services and activities on nights, weekends and summers.

In the 1990s, to help keep local schools safe, the Harlem Peacemakers program began placing AmeriCorps participants in classrooms. These young people were a welcome presence assisting teachers during the school day and then running programs after school.

In the late 1990s, HCZ ran a pilot project that brought a range of support services to a single block. The idea was to address all the problems that poor families were facing: from crumbling apartments to failing schools, from violent crime to chronic health problems.

It created a 10-year business plan, then to ensure its best-practice programs were operating as planned, HCZ was in the vanguard of nonprofits that began carefully evaluating and tracking the results of their work.

In 1997, the agency began a network of programs for a 24-block area: the Harlem Children's Zone Project. In 2007, the Zone Project grew to almost 100 blocks and served 7,400 children and over 4,100 adults.

Over the years, the agency introduced several ground-breaking efforts: in 2000, The Baby College parenting workshops; in 2001, the Harlem Gems pre-school program; also in 2001, the HCZ Asthma Initiative, which teaches families to better manage the disease; in 2004, the Promise Academy, a high-quality public charter school; and in 2006, an obesity program to help children stay healthy.

Under the visionary leadership of its President and CEO, Geoffrey Canada, HCZ continues to offer innovative, efficiently run programs that are aimed at doing nothing less than breaking the cycle of generational poverty for the thousands of children and families it serves.

All HCZ programs are offered free to the children and families of Harlem, which is made possible by donations from people like yourself. To help us continue our work, please click here.

Angel Rock Project

Angel Rock Project

The Angelrock Project is an on-line e-village promoting volunteerism, social responsibility, and sustainable change. The site serves as a pathway for those seeking pertinent information on how to lead a life of service. The Angelrock Project includes valuable information on how to volunteer, advice on making monetary or in-kind donations, links to life-changing service organizations, recommends wonderful products that you can purchase to sustain third-world artisans, and suggests corporations who donate a percentage of proceeds to worthy non-profit organizations. In addition, you will regularly read inspirational Angel stories about people who spend their lives helping others and have the opportunity to view our recommended Angel organizations, books, and websites. Angel Talk brings like-minded individuals together who enjoy chatting and exchanging ideas about service under Project Platform, Service Talk, Giving Matters, and Community Plaza. We encourage you to visit Angel Talk and share the forum with your friends.

Steve Perry

Principal's tough love, high expectations gets kids into college

HARTFORD, Connecticut (CNN) -- Principal Steve Perry doesn't believe in cursory inspections. For him, every single detail matters. T's are always crossed, I's are always dotted. Shirts are always buttoned and tucked in.

During his daily morning hallway inspections, he reprimands a student not wearing the Capital Prep school approved sweatshirt with a "That's not our gray." He then quickly peers into another classroom to witness a student acting up. "Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it!" he warns sternly. The student retorts "Why not?" Perry knowingly looks at him and simply says, "You're the upperclassman" and with that, the student sheepishly walks away.

It's all part of the daily routine of tough love and high expectations at Capital Preparatory Magnet School in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It's a public magnet school, with a college prep school attitude. As Perry says, "If you don't want to go to college, don't go to Capital Prep. Go somewhere else."

More at the link provided

Black Star Project teams patrol to fight violence

Black Star Project teams patrol to fight violence

One hundred members of the Black Star Project took to the streets of some of Chicago's most violent neighborhoods Saturday to help keep the peace.

Teams of six men each walked through several city neighborhoods, including Englewood, Humboldt Park and Uptown, to encourage young people to stop the violence. The men will continue their "Peace and Hope Patrols" twice a month, the Black Star Project said.

The Black Star Project is a group dedicated to improving the quality of life in Chicago's black and Latino communities.

BEM Foundation Blog

BEM Foundation Blog

The mission of the BEM Foundation is to provide students with the academic tools and leadership skills they need to produce extraordinary results and contribute to the global workforce. We mentor youth while introducing them to entrepreneurial opportunities, professional careers, and provide them with tools to combat mediocrity while fostering leadership skills. We plan to serve “at-risk” young males and females from all ethnicities and backgrounds ages 9 to 19 throughout the continental United States as well as abroad. As a result of our efforts, at risk youth and student community at-large will be inspired to ascend and become leaders in their respective communities who not only produce but lend measurable outcomes to society as a whole.

BEM Foundation

BEM Foundation

The BEM Foundation was started because we believe that the unimaginable can become a reality through continued learning, perseverance, accountability, commitment, and change. The Founders of the BEM Foundation, Ronald Mitchell and Shawn Fludd come from two diverse backgrounds, but understand the importance of implementing the aforementioned elements in the lives of children in the United States and abroad.

The BEM Foundation understands that the lives of a disadvantaged child in an undeveloped country mirror the life of an indigent child in the United States.  A child giving up on life and struggling to overcome obstacles regardless of where they live matter just as much as a child in a safe, suburban neighborhood. Today, millions of youth do not realize their potential because of their socioeconomic status and limited exposure. Given the ever-increasing advances in science and technology in the United States and abroad, the opportunities for all children to succeed are boundless. 

When faculty, students, parents, and the community-at-large subscribe to the BEM Methodology, they will know that we strive to build relationships that foster success. The BEM Methodology seeks to address real concerns and issues confronting today’s youth by employing a  full range of contemporary tools, technology models, research data collection, measurement, and data analysis. 

Black And Married With Kids

Black and Married With Kids. Com

This site was created by Lamar and Ronnie Tyler, a thirty-something year old professional couple with 4 kids in the DC Area. We share our opinions and points of view on relationships, parenting, politics, current events and anything in between. We update our page on a daily basis so please come back often to check us out and spread the word. We’ve also won two “2009 Black Web Awards” in the categories of “Best Blog - Culture” and “Best Lifestyle Blog” and are regularly featured guests on multiple media outlets.

Black Moms Club

Black Moms Club

They don't have an "About" page, so just check out the "Black mothers" social network site.

Web Conference for Black Parents

Black Parents and Black Family Advocates are cordially invited to our upcoming conference. The BlackMomsClub.com and BlackandMarriedWithKids.com proudly present our first Live Online Event …
Creating Conversations
A 3 Day Web Conference for Black Parents to Discuss issues within the Black Family
Official Website: http://blackmomsclub.ning.com/page/event-1
June 12 - 14th 8pm est.

Do Good Black Fathers Still Exist?
June 12, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Role of African American Fathers today

Are Black Mothers as strong as everyone thinks?
June 13, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Real Issues that are overshadowed by stereotypes about black women.

What is happening to our babies?
June 14, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Role of black parents as our children transition from childhood to adulthood What goes wrong and what are we doing right?

To join us: please visit the official website: http://blackmomsclub.ning.com/page/event-1

LaShanda Henry
Creator of the Black Moms Club
http://blackmomsclub.com

H/T: Black Informant

National OK Program

National O.K. Program

The O.K. Program is a mentor program, which fosters partnerships between police agencies, schools, students, community members, and the business and faith community to provide positive guidance and support to African American males 12-18 years old.

The primary goal of the program is to reduce the high rates of incarceration and homicide of young African American males by guiding them away from prison and towards college, military service, vocational training, and a life of responsible citizenship.

Under the guidance of an African American police officer, the program organizes responsible African American adult males to serve as positive role models and mentors for their younger counterparts. The adults in the program are called TEAMMATES, because the O.K. Program is based on a team-mentoring concept. Each teammate is importance to the team’s success. This concept provides the organizational structure necessary to allow teammates an opportunity to address specific issues, as identified in the program goals, which contribute to the high rates of incarceration and homicide of African American males.

School administrators and teachers play a critical role in the O.K. Program. Together, administrators and teachers provide a level of support to O.K. Program coordinators and students that are necessary for the program to be successful. This support encourages O.K. Students to excel and achieve a high level of academic excellence. Students in the program receive awards for their efforts, achievements and successes. Also, an incremental reward system is an important component for the O.K. Program.

Every Saturday, KIC’IT (Kids Interacting Communicating Immix Teammates) Sessions brings together O.K. Program coordinators and teammates to tutor and share life experiences with young African American males. During KIC’IT Session, students learn that they are responsible for their future. They also learn that they must always strive for excellence, compete for the best grades, be respectful, seek to make positive contributions to their families and communities, and are taught how to interact with police when contacted by an officer.