Story Corps' A Family Man

Do you share family stories with your child?  Today after Carter Woodson, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks have left an imprint, many young African American still do not know their history. Sharing our stories with our children is a wonderful way to empower them and spark their interest in history. This month join Story Corps in the National Day of Listening.

Story Corps' mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.  They launched the first National Day of Listening in 2008 to encourage all Americans to record an interview with a loved one on the day after Thanksgiving using equipment that is readily available in most homes—from cell phones to tape recorders to computers or even pen and paper.

A Family Man is a story that many of us growing up in urban America can relate to. In 1955, John L. Black, Sr. started his job as a janitor for the Cincinnati public school system. He regularly put in 16-hour days to provide for his wife and eleven children. At StoryCorps, his son Samuel talks with his wife, Edda Fields-Black, about his father's lasting legacy and the power of a look. The story is directed by The Rauch Brothers.

Alicia Keys Launches New App for Kids

As a new mother, singer Alicia Keys watched TV shows and DVDs for children with her two year old son, Egypt, and was inspired to launch a storytelling app for kids.  “I was just getting introduced to TV shows and the DVDs and all the things you start kind of introducing your kids to, and I thought how cool it would be to be a part of something that really allows them to hear music from different places, different cultures, different sounds. That’s what we’re able to do with this,” explained the star.

“Alicia Keys gives kids a snippet of her life to enjoy with her new app called “The Journals of of Mama Mae and Lee Lee.” The app is loosely based on Alicia’s experiences as a little girl living in New York City and having her grandmother as confidant. The interactive app is centered in LeeLee’s bedroom. It allows users to read books, play music and write in a journal. She has also produced the music for the new app.  “  The app has been released today for $3.99.

Keys is launching the app through her company AK Worldwide, and Bento Box Interactive.
                            
                                  For more information visit http://www.mamamae.com/.

LAGRANT Foundation to Award Quarter of a Million Dollars to Marketing, PR Students

Good News for students looking to go into advertising, marketing or public relations via Target Market News,

(October 15, 2012) The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2013/2014 academic year for ethnic minorities pursuing degrees in advertising, marketing or public relations. Applications must be submitted by February 28, 2013 via www.lagrantfoundation.org.

In honor of the 15th anniversary, TLF will award a quarter of a million dollars ($250,000) to 36 exemplary students as they prepare to enter some of the most constantly evolving industries. Twenty-two undergraduate students will receive scholarships of $5,000 each and 14 graduate students will receive a $10,000 scholarship.

To qualify for the scholarship, students must be of African American/Black, American Indian/Native American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic/Latino descent pursuing degrees in advertising, marketing or public relations at an accredited college or university. Undergraduate students must have a minimum of a 2.75 GPA and graduate students must have a minimum of a 3.2 GPA. 

Recipients must be available to attend all TLF scholarship events and make a commitment to maintain contact with the Foundation for assistance with professional development. These commitments are explained in depth on TLF's website, www.lagrantfoundation.org. Additionally, scholarship recipients are expected to be future advocates of TLF, spreading information about various resources offered by the Foundation so that the next generation of students can also benefit.

Scholarship winners attending college east of Chicago will receive a trip to New York City while recipients attending college west of Chicago will receive a trip to Seattle to celebrate TLF's 15th Anniversary Scholarship Recognition Reception and Awards Program. The program in New York will be on May 20 and the program in Seattle will be on May 30. Recipients will participate in a daylong career development workshop and have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals. 

Continue reading story at Target Market News.

Parents In New York City have a wonderful opportunity to get their young teens interested in African American History at the Schomburg Library.  Just received their flyer see below:

Parents...Mentors....Teachers....

Help Your Teen Find Their ROOTS at the Schomburg Center by joining the

Junior Scholars Program!

Help the young people in your life find their roots at the Schomburg Center! Applications are available for the Junior Scholars Program. Open to students from across the NY Metropolitan Area, ages 11-18.

About the Junior Scholars Program: The Juniors Scholars Programs Saturday sessions run from 10 am to 3 pm and are designed with an inquiry-based and project-based approach to teaching about black American history and the global black experience. Weekly, the Junior Scholars attend college-style lectures and presentations, engage in dialogue with adult scholars, participate in guided peer group discussions and activities, generate individual research projects and portfolios, and create collaborative media and arts projects that grow from their intensive study based on the Schomburg’s vast collections, exhibitions, and educational resources.

 Apply now for 2012-2013 by visiting:

www.schomburgcenter.org/juniorscholars

To download an application and get it into

the hands of a teenager you know.

Deadline is September 30

Hurry Today! 

The Junior Scholars Program at the Schomburg Center

The New York Public Library

515 Malcolm X Blvd.

New York, NY 10037

For more information email:

schomburged@nypl.org

www.schomburgcenter.org 

The White House Celebrates Kids' Health

Encouraging young people to live well and eat healthy has been a focal point for First Lady Michelle Obama.  First she created the “Let’s Move!” campaign and the White House garden, and now she has hosted the first Kids’ State Dinner.

The lunch honored the 54 children who had won the "Healthy Lunchtime Challenge."  They were chosen from more than 1,200 entrants for creating a nutritious recipe of their own creation or a family favorite. The contest, sponsored by Epicurious.com, was open to kids 8 to 12 and included winners from every state. Contestants who vied for the opportunity to participate at the first Kids State Dinner were chosen by a panel of judges from Epicurious, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “At tables lush with floral bouquets festooned with fruits and vegetables, guests enjoyed a four-course meal served on china originally used during the Reagan administration and a performance by boy band Big Time Rush. The menu, drawn from winning entries, included "yummy cabbage sloppy Joes" and a side of baked zucchini fries. The meal was paired with a performance by the Nickelodeon TV stars/music group Big Time Rush.” A highlight of the event was a visit from President Obama and a tour of the White House garden.

With dishes to entice young appetites like Fish Fueled Pepper Rocket with Kale Chips and Quinoa, and Yummy Cabbage Sloppy Joes, a cookbook might be on the way.

Gabby Sets a New Gold Standard at the Olympics

Congratulations, Gabby! Her smile is contagious.  She strides with elegance. Her work ethics and determination are incredible.  Watching Gabrielle Douglas win gold was a dream that has inspired many young people. One headline read, "Gabby Sets a New Gold Standard."  Gabby have made us proud. We love you.

African American Office of Education Announced by President Obama

The top concerns for African American families are education and career opportunities. To address the needs and improve the educational prospects for young African Americans, President Obama has signed a New Initiative to Improve Educational Outcomes for African Americans. The White House announced the following details in a press release:


"Executive Order Establishes the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

On Wednesday, during his remarks at the National Urban League conference in New Orleans, LA, President Obama announced he would sign an Executive Order today to improve outcomes and advance educational opportunities for African Americans.

The President has made providing a complete and competitive education for all Americans – from cradle to career – a top priority.  The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans will work across Federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to produce a more effective continuum of education programs for African American students.  The Initiative aims to ensure that all African American students receive an education that fully prepares them for high school graduation, college completion, and productive careers.

In the nearly 60 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision put America on a path toward equal educational opportunity, America’s educational system has undergone a remarkable transformation.  Many African American children who attended substandard, segregated schools in the 1950s have grown up to see their children attend integrated and effective elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities.  Nonetheless, substantial obstacles to equal educational opportunity still remain in America’s educational system.  African American students lack equal access to highly effective teachers and principals, safe schools, and challenging college-preparatory classes, and they disproportionately experience school discipline and referrals to special education.

Significantly improving the educational outcomes of African Americans will provide substantial benefits for our country by advancing important outcomes, like increasing college completion rates, employment rates, and the number of African American teachers.  Enhanced educational outcomes for African Americans will lead to more productive careers, improved economic mobility and security, and greater social well-being for all Americans.

Advancing Educational Achievement of African American Students

The President has set the goal for America to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. To reach this ambitious goal, and to ensure equality of access and opportunity in education for all Americans, the Obama Administration is dedicating new resources, through rigorous and well-rounded academic and support services, to enable African American students to improve their educational achievement and prepare for college and career.

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, housed within the Department of Education, will work with the Executive Office of the President and Cabinet agencies to identify evidence-based best practices to improve African American student achievement in school and college, and to develop a national network of individuals, organizations, and communities that will share and implement these practices.  It will also help ensure that Federal programs and initiatives administered by the Department of Education and other Federal agencies maintain a focus on serving and meeting the educational needs of African Americans. The Initiative will complement the existing White House Initiative that strengthens the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by working with Federal agencies and partners nationwide to provide all African American students with a more effective continuum of education programs.

To deliver a complete and competitive education for all African Americans, the Initiative will promote, encourage, and undertake efforts designed to meet several objectives, including:

• Increasing the percentage of African American children who enter kindergarten ready for success by improving access to high-quality early learning and development programs;
• Ensuring that all African American students have access to high-level, rigorous course work and support services that will prepare them for college, a career, and civic participation;
• Providing African American students with equitable access to effective teachers and principals in pursuit of a high-quality education, and supporting efforts to improve the recruitment, preparation, development, and retention of successful African American teachers and principals;
• Promoting a positive school climate that does not rely on methods that result in disparate use of disciplinary tools, and decreasing the disproportionate number of referrals to special education by addressing root causes of the referrals;
• Reducing the dropout rate of African American students and increasing the proportion of African American students who graduate from high school prepared for college and career;
• Increasing college access, college persistence, and college attainment for African American students;
• Strengthening the capacity of institutions of higher education that serve large numbers of African American students, including community colleges, HBCUs, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and other institutions; and
• Improving the quality of, and expanding access to, adult education, literacy, and career and technical education."

More information will be needed in the future to determine how the goals of this new initiative will be reached and the long term effects it will have on the African American community. Do you think this new initiative can  help the community?  What should be their first priority?  For more information visit the White House website.