| The New Jim Crow Is An Instant American Classic That Every High School and College Student in America Must Read! Buy It Today! "Much like a great explorer, Michelle Alexander has discovered another America--a bizarro world where prejudice and discrimination have replaced truth and justice. An America that is as intent on destroying young Black men as it is at proclaiming its passion for freedom and fairness. Even some of the most conscious and best-intentioned Americans can't see The New Jim Crow and their roles in supporting it. Michelle Alexander holds a mirror up to America and reveals a monster!" Phillip Jackson The Black Star Project | | | The New Jim Crow Blasts Onto New York Times Bestseller List!!! "Much like a great explorer, Michelle Alexander has discovered another America--a bizarro world where prejudice and discrimination have replaced truth and justice. An America that is as intent on destroying young Black men as it is at proclaiming its passion for freedom and fairness. Even some of the most conscious and best-intentioned Americans can't see The New Jim Crow and their roles in supporting it. Michelle Alexander holds a mirror up to America and reveals a monster!" Phillip Jackson, The Black Star Project ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Click Here to purchase a paperback copy of The New Jim Crow. Click Here to view a 25 minute video of Michelle Alexander speaking on Democracy Now about The New Jim Crow. Click Here to hear a segment of Michelle Alexander on National Public Radio speaking about The New Jim Crow. Click here to see a 3 minute trailer of Michelle Alexander speaking about the The New Jim Crow. Click here to find out if and when Michelle Alexander might be in your city or state speaking on The New Jim Crow. Click Here to become a member of The Black Star Project. Click Here to learn more about The Black Star Project. |
| Black Male Activists/Leaders/Servants in Detroit and Philadelphia Win Leadership Awards and Support "There is no cavalry coming to save the day in black communities in America. The answers we're looking for reside right within the hearts, hands, and heads of community residents." Shawn Dove, manager of the Open Society Foundations Campaign for Black Male Achievement | | | Press Release Black Male Engagement (BME) Award Winners Receive a Combined $443,000 to Strengthen Communities January 24, 2012 NEW YORK -Twenty men-teachers, businessmen, writers and pastors-have been named winners of the BME Leadership Award, created to honor black men in Philadelphia and Detroit who step up to lead the community. "There is no cavalry coming to save the day in black communities in America. The answers we're looking for reside right within the hearts, hands, and heads of community residents," said Shawn Dove, manager of the Open Society Foundations Campaign for Black Male Achievement, which is helping to sponsor the award. "BME recognizes black men and boys as assets to the community, not as problems to be solved, and we're thrilled to be a partner in this strategy." The BME Challenge offers the winners a combined $443,000 with the aim of inspiring others to step forward to strengthen their communities. The funding will pair young people with senior citizens and culinary experts to plant vegetable gardens in vacant lots, equip new fathers parenting skills, provide therapy for autistic children, help veterans find services, and more. The winners' stories, and information on their projects, are below. See and share videos of them at bmechallenge.org. The BME Leadership Award is part of the BME Challenge, which is pronounced "Be Me" and stands for Black Male Engagement. BME is led by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in partnership with the Open Society Campaign for Black Male Achievement. Earlier this year, BME asked local black men and boys in its two pilot cities to share the stories of what they do to make their communities stronger. More than 2,000 people in Detroit and Philadelphia submitted personal video and written testimonials, viewable at bmechallenge.org. Those who shared their stories were then eligible to apply for funding through the BME Leadership Award. BME is an ongoing initiative that seeks to recognize, reinforce and reward black males who engage others in making communities stronger. "The award shines a light on a truth that we need to remember: there are thousands of black men in these cities who choose to make it a stronger and better place to live for all of us," said Trabian Shorters, one of the leaders behind the BME Challenge, which sponsors the award. "Perhaps if we tell their stories and others decide to support their efforts, you will see more and more black men and boys willing to follow their example." This spring, BME will be looking for local partnerships in Detroit and Philadelphia to encourage more black males to positively engage in their communities. This summer, BME will conduct another call for stories, to be followed in the fall by a call for a new round of applications to the BME Leadership Award. The winners of the 2012 Black Male Engagement Leadership Award are: Connor survived cancer as a young teenager and has since dedicated his life to serving as a teacher and mentor, working through schools and media to help young people understand their potential. Project: Connor will lead book clubs at schools and at off-site field trips to expose Detroit teenagers to important life skills and character traits that he has embraced during his life. ($10,000) Dandridge is a law school graduate who helps small businesses overcome legal obstacles. As a young parent himself, he founded New Young Fathers, a local initiative to help equip young men with the skills they need to be great dads. Project: Dandridge will lead a series of in-depth workshops that New Young Fathers will conduct across the city. The workshops are designed to better prepare young men for fatherhood and help them become more aware of their potential. ($25,000) Ellis was in prison when his life was transformed by reading the biography of Reginald Lewis - lawyer, investor, philanthropist, and the wealthiest black man of his day. Project: The Reginald Francis Lewis Reading Academy will strive to improve literacy, civic responsibility, and academic achievement at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School. Each enrolled student will read and write a self-affirming essay on the Reginald Lewis biography and "Lonely At The Top" a new e-memoir by his daughter, Christina Lewis-Helpern, and be exposed to a literacy mentor; 30 boys will participate in a competitive college readiness program at Michigan State University. ($40,000) Kumane is a manager in the auto industry who volunteers at local schools through Big Brothers Big Sisters Detroit. Project: Drawing on his network in schools and in the corporate community, Kumane will lead a project to expose 100 young people to the business world. They'll meet with 20 local businesses, learn how the businesses work, and devise a plan for an enterprise they'd like to start. ($25,000) After coming out as a gay man with HIV/AIDS, Lipscomb began helping young people around him take action against discrimination. Project: Lipscomb will oversee the LEAD project, which will facilitate an in-depth training of 22 young Detroiters to become more effective advocates of social issues facing the city's LGBT community. ($20,000) Pope is a global career development facilitator and motivational life coach who advises and volunteers for various community projects in his neighborhood and the city. Project: Pope will launch Be Exposed, a program to inspire ambition in young people by exposing them to new cultural and social activities, including shows, restaurants, and field trips to new cities. ($5,000) Senghor started writing while he was incarcerated and later developed a career as an author and speaker who inspires young people with his voice. Project: Senghor will launch and oversee the Live in Peace Digital and Literary Arts Project, which will coach young people on how to fully express their life stories across media. The project will result in each young person creating his or her personal "anthology" of stories. ($25,000) Shakur is a formerly incarcerated person who has become a well-known community activist focused on youth empowerment in a Detroit neighborhood known as Zone 8. Project: Shakur will increase the impact of the cyber café he has opened in his neighborhood by providing literacy classes, digital training, and school supplies to young people in the neighborhood. ($10,000) Talbert, a former media executive, is now a pastor devoting himself to mentoring youth in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood. Project: Talbert will lead Rescue 51, an initiative of four BME Challenge participants to develop literacy skills, character, and a knowledge of health and wellness issues for 51 children in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood. ($20,000) Westbrooks is an advertising executive who founded Detroit Comeback Kids, which offers young Detroiters innovative, project-based experiences across the city. Project: Through Detroit Comeback Kids, Westbrooks will help kids plant vegetable gardens in unused lots across the city by matching young Detroiters with local culinary arts experts and senior citizens who own vacant lots they seek to beautify. Small vegetable stands will offer extra produce to the community. ($20,000) The winners of the 2012 BME Leadership Award in Philadelphia are: Corbin is a teacher who integrates hip-hop, spoken word, and poetry into his classroom lessons to help better reach students. He also founded the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement. Project: Corbin will launch The Legacy Project, which will explore the multi-layered experience of Black men through a one-man theatrical performance and community workshops. ($25,000) Dumas is the founder of DollarBoyz, a youth entertainment company, and CEO of Youth Now On Top (Y-Not). Project: Dumas will lead Y-Not Youth, an after-school program that offers a safe haven, dance instruction, and homework help. ($35,000) Hicks owns Ebony Suns Enterprises, a consulting business that provides social media training for youth and social entrepreneurship programming to schools and nonprofits. Project: Hicks will lead FLASH MOB, where young black men will learn how to create - and then implement - a business-branding campaign via social media. ($20,500) Jones, who was formerly incarcerated, works to reduce the amount of shootings in North Philadelphia by mentoring high-risk youth and mobilizing the community. Project: Jones will create a curriculum that helps prevents youth from going to prison and returning citizens from recidivating. ($35,000) While serving a 15-year prison sentence, Jones fought and won custody of his son. After his release, he founded Frontline Dads to help others in similar situations deal with custody and child support issues. The group also conducts a mentoring program for at-risk youth. Jones pursued a career as a therapist and has a master of human services degree. Project: Jones will launch the Frontline Dads Comprehensive Transformation Initiative, a mentoring/intervention program that fosters critical thinking skills, conflict resolution, creative expression, and counseling. ($20,000) Jones, who originally dropped out of college, overcame addiction and homelessness and pursued a degree and a career as an author of seven novels, an award-winning columnist, and a professor at Temple University. Project: Jones will expand Words on the Street literacy program, which aims to increase the literacy of more than 600 students through role modeling, workshops, and the opportunity to write a story that will be published in The Philadelphia Inquirer. ($20,000) Ari Merretazon
Merretazon is a Vietnam veteran who shared his life story in an anthology on black veterans and has since worked to help those returning from war. The movie "Dead Presidents" was loosely based on his life. Project: Merretazon will expand Pointman Soldiers Heart Ministry, a group of Vietnam and Desert Storm veterans, to help returning veterans from the Middle East find counseling, job services, and benefits. ($25,000) During his sophomore year in college, Peay founded the mentoring program Rising Sons. After losing interest in going to law school after graduation, he decided to bring his organization to Philadelphia and dedicate his life to help black males achieve their goals, dreams, and ambitions. Project: Peay will strengthen Rising Sons, an after-school program where recent college graduates and college students between 18-25 mentor boys at three Philadelphia public high schools. Rising Sons will also train students to mentor boys at two local elementary schools. ($4,650) Williams is the father of three children, one of whom is autistic. When he couldn't find services for autistic children in his neighborhood, he started his own. Project: Williams will expand Project Elijah Empowering Autism, an after-school program for middle-spectrum autistic students ages 8-14. The group will open a new facility in Philadelphia in 2012, and will use the funding to offer speech, gross motor, recreation, music, and life skills therapies. ($38,700) White is a recording artist/producer and the project director for the University of Pennsylvania's "Shape Up: Barbers Building Better Brothers program", which conducts HIV/AIDS and violence prevention through barbers and their clients. Project: White will launch Phreman Audio Studio Academy, which will teach audio recording and mixing to young people while promoting HIV/AIDS prevention and anti-violence strategies. ($19,300). ### The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org. Active in more than 70 countries, the Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Working with local communities, the Open Society Foundations support justice and human rights, freedom of expression, and access to public health and education. Shawn Dove Campaign Manager Campaign for Black Male Achievement Open Society Foundations/US Programs 400 West 59th Street, NYC, 10019 "We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now." - Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go From Here Chaos or Community? |
| When Fathers Are Their Daughters First Date, Every Other Man After That Must Measure Up! | | | Men and women across America should/can plan and host a Daddy/Daughter Dance for Valentines Day or for Saturday, February 18, 2012. Call us at 773.285.9600 for an organizing kit to host a Daddy/Daughter Dance in your community or in your city. Men in Chicago can register now for our February 11, 2012 Daddy/Daughter Dance at The Black Star Project by calling 773.285.9600. |
| With Murders in Chicago Up 50% in January 2012, Why Won't Chicagoans Come Out to "Pray The Devil Back To Hell" Join us on Monday, February 6, 2012, 6:30 pm at 3509 South King Drive in Chicago to "Pray The Devil Back To Hell!!! If the women of Liberia can end violence by praying and acting, so can we! We must pray and we must act, now!!! | | | Chicago Homicides Up 50% In January Looks like the city of Chicago needs a new New Year's resolution: Stop killing people. The trend follows a bloody last quarter of 2011 where the city saw 115 homicides committed in the last three months of the year. "We're at 73% murder-by-gunshot right now, which means that the other categories have stacked up...stabbings, asphyxiation," says police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who also mentions that overall crime is down by 20%. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel says Chicago's notorious gangs are largely responsible for the increased homicide rate. "Chicago has a problem unlike any other major city given the size of our gangs," he says. "Nobody can be content, but we are making progress in the right things that are necessary to bring a level of safety to our streets." In a statement given two weeks ago, police Supt. Garry McCarthy credited the lack of violence to "the tremendous police work of the men and women of the Chicago Police Department." Keep up the good work! Join us for the film - Pray The Devil Back to Hell!
on Monday, February 6, 2012 Film: 6:30 pm Discussion and Prayer: 7:30 pm at The Black Star Project 3509 South King Drive, Suite 2B Chicago, Illinois $5.00 for members - $10:00 for non-members. Being sick and tired of being sick and tired of youth violence in America is not enough! You must pray and you must act. On Monday, February 6, 2012, the men and women of Chicago will gather to see the powerful movement and documentary of women that brought peace to war torn Liberia, Pray The Devil Back To Hell. And the men and women of Chicago will work to pray the devil of violence and despair that is in Chicago back to Hell! Join them.  Men and women across America can join this movement to Pray the Devil (of violence) Back to Hell in your city or town by calling 773.285.9600. Click Here to view a trailer of the documentary. Those who have attended previous showings of this documentary will be admitted free. |
The Spook Who Sat By The DoorAn encore presentation! | | | Why do some people not want young Black men to see the movie, The Spook Who Sat By The Door? "Shortly after it opened in theaters, the film vanished altogether - pulled by its distributor, some allege, bowing to pressure from the FBI. The narrative, about disciplined efforts to take down The Man through brain power and armed revolts, was intentionally controversial, and it doesn't take a leap of the imagination to presume the film made those in certain corridors of power nervous enough to "disappear" the movie altogether. For years it was only available on bootleg video. In 2004, the actor Tim Reid tracked down a remaining negative stored in a vault under a different name ("When they want to lose something, they lose it," Reid told the Tribune at the time) and released it on DVD. It still remains largely unknown to the general public, an artifact from the blaxploitation era that defies most of the genre's cliches." Join us with the author of the book Sam Greenlee for the movie The Spook Who Sat By The Door Saturday, February 11, 2012 1:30 pm The Black Star Project 3509 South King Drive Chicago, Illinois Call 773.285.9600 for more information There will be a question and answer period with Sam Greenlee after the movie. Admission - Anything that you can contribute to the work of The Black Star Project |
| In Northern Illinois, Join The Black Sar Community PTA, the Urban Family Engagement Initiative of the National PTA and the Illinois PTA for a Parent Conference | | | |
| In New York City, Expanded Success Initiative Gives Black and Latino Young Men and Boys Encouragement, Support and Skills for Success In School and Life | | | REQUEST FOR LISTING RELEASE-EXPANDED SUCCESS INITIATIVE NOTICE OF SOLICITATION - REQUEST FOR LISTING (RFL) Expanded Success Initiative RFL Release Date: January 27, 2012 Background The Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) is a key part of New York City's Young Men's Initiative and is a partnership among the Department of Education, The Fund for Public Schools (FPS), Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the Open Society Foundations. ESI sets a higher bar for the long-term educational outcomes of New York's Black and Latino male students, namely by ensuring they graduate from high school prepared for success in college or a career pathway. To achieve this outcome, ESI will provide incoming Black and Latino 9th graders at 40 selected public high schools with programs and supports that increase their readiness and access to college and careers as they progress through high school. The initiative will promote college success through improved school operations in key areas: · ACADEMIC PRACTICES that align to the Common Core Learning Standards and college-ready indicators, and will have demonstrated impact on the academic achievement of Black and Latino young men. These academic practices are connected to youth development and school operations, and build teacher capacity for implementation. · YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES for Black and Latino young men that align to indicators of postsecondary resilience and persistence. These practices are connected to academics and school operations, and build staff capacity for implementation. The Fund for Public Schools seeks organizations with demonstrated experience in producing college and career success outcomes for Black and Latino young men to be listed as approved providers to the 40 selected high schools as part of the Expanded Success Initiative. FPS is an independent 501c3 organization dedicated to improving public education in New York City by facilitating public-private partnerships and securing private investment for critical education reform initiatives. Applicants seeking approval for listing must have the ability to meet the requirements of the FPS contracting process. In addition, applicants should have: - Proven experience working in a high school setting;
- Prior success in providing technical assistance services; and
- Self-reported or externally validated outcome data related to college readiness for Black and Latino young men.
Deadline for Applications: February 28, 2012 Time: 5:00 PM Location: No paper applications will be accepted. You must apply online. You are invited to participate in an informational webinar to hear more about the RFL's online application and approval process. Attendance on the webinar is optional and most appropriate for Executive Directors and their key staff. Informational Webinar: February 9, 2012 (3:30 PM-4:30 PM) An RFL Overview & Instructions document can be found on the ESI page of the FPS website which includes a comprehensive explanation of ESI as well as the FPS contracting process and full terms. All questions concerning the application should be directed to: Caroline Gonzalez Portfolio Director Fund for Public Schools Please enter "ESI RFL" in the subject line of email inquiries. The Fund for Public Schools will not respond to phone inquiries regarding this application. We thank you for your interest in this important work. JULIA F. BATOR, CEO The Fund for Public Schools |
109 Cities Are Mentoring Black Young Men and Boys During January and February 2012 Join the Black Male Achievement Movement and encourage strong, positive Black men from around the country and the world to work for Black Male Achievement. | | | Susan Taylor Electrifies Organizers from 100 Cities on Black Male Mentoring Conference Call!!! If you have had any doubts about the value and importance of responsible fatherhood or mentoring, click here to have them removed!!! Click Here to learn more about Susan Taylor's National Cares Mentoring Movement. To become one of the the Servant Leaders in your city planning and directing this effort, please call 773.285.9600. We will provide you with an organizing kit that will help you step-by-step to create, manage or support an outstanding mentoring program in your city. We will also provide technical assistance and ongoing support. Schools, faith-based organizations, fraternities, Masonic organizations, veterans associations, community-based organizations, affinity organizations, military service personnel, social service agencies, companies and corporations will participate in this effort. Most mentoring events will occur on January 31, 2012. The last event will occur on February 29, 2012. Please see cities that are expected to participate as of January 11, 2012: - Albany, New York
- Alton, Illinois
- Atlanta Georgia
- Aurora, Colorado
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Blandensburg, Maryland
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Bowie, Maryland
- Buffalo, New York
- Carbondale, Illinois
- Chicago, Illinois - South Side
- Chicago, Illinois - West Side
- Chicago, Illinois - South Suburbs
- Chicago Heights, Illinois
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Columbia, Missouri
- Columbus, Georgia
- Dallas, Texas
- Danbury, Connecticut
- Danville, Illinois
- Decatur, Georgia
- Delray Beach, Florida
- Detroit, Michigan
- Denver, Colorado
- Dolton, Illinois
- Durham, North Carolina
- East Chicago, Indiana
- East Orange, New Jersey
- Englewood, Colorado
- Flint, Michigan
- Flossmoor, Illinois
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Fredricksberg, Virginia
- Gary, Indiana
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Griffin, Georgia
- Hammond, Indiana
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Harvey, Illinois
- Hillside, Illinois
- Houston, Texas
- Hyattsville, Maryland
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Irvington, New Jersey
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Kenesaw, Georgia
- LaGrange, Georgia
- Lauderhill, Florida
- Lenoir, North Carolina
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Lithonia, Michigan
- Los Angeles, California
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Macon, Georgia
- Manassas, Virginia
- Markham, Illinois
- Matteson, Illinois
- Mentor, Ohio
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Munster, Indiana
- Nashville, Tennessee
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- New York City, New York - Manhattan
- New York City, New York - The Bronx
- New York City, New York - Brooklyn
- New York City, New York - Queens
- New York City, New York - Long Island
- New York City, New York - Harlem
- Newark, New Jersey
- Oakland, California
- Oak Park, Illinois
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Palmdale, California
- Peoria, Illinois
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Richmond, California
- Richmond, Virginia
- Riverdale, Illinois
- San Bernardino, California
- San Francisco, California
- Santan Valley, AZ
- Seattle, Washington
- Shelbyville, Indiana
- Southaven, Mississippi
- Spotsylvania County, Virginia
- St. Louis, Missouri
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Thomasville, Georgia
- Toledo, Ohio
- Tougaloo, Mississippi
- Tshwane, Botswana, Africa
- Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territory, Canada
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- University Park, Illinois
- Upper Marboro, Maryland
- Vicksburg, Mississippi
- Washington, D.C.
- Waukegan, Illinois
- White Plains, New York
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Yazoo City, Mississippi
This event was inspired by the life and life principles of Muhammad Ali (Rumble Young Man, Rumble!). The Black Male Achievement Movement was born in Louisville, Kentucky in September 2011. Guidance, support and encouragement for this movement is provided by Open Society Foundations' Campaign for Black Male Achievement. The National CARES Mentoring Movement and Mentoring U.S.A have signed on as national supporters. For more information, please call 773.285.9600. Click Here to see the Fathers Incorporated PSA on mentoring. Click Here to see the Mentoring USA PSA on mentoring. |
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