Monday, July 25, 2011

Bloomberg: Black Parents Fail their Kids; Brother Useni Perkins Gives Tribute to Million Father March; 600 Cities Sign On For Million Father March; Help Keep Young Black Men Out of Jail with a Library Card

This Bloomberg screed sounds so familiar in Chicago. Mayor blaming parents, community leaders silent and schools continue to suck for most/many students who are almost all black and brown.

Black Star Logo

Only A Parent Revolution Can Save Our Children

 

 

 

 

 

(New York Mayor) Bloomberg:

Black Parent Fail their Kids

 

Commentary

 

By Nat Hentoff

Wednesday, Jun 29, 2011

 

With his usual glowing self-assurance, multi-term mayor Michael Bloomberg continually proclaims that his administration will be judged by his performance as our Education Mayor. But here is the people's judgment in a recent Quinnipiac poll reported by Michael Goodwin (New York Post, June 1): "By a whopping 64 to 25 percent, voters don't like Bloomy's management of the schools. Among parents, only 20 percent approve, while 78 percent disapprove."

 

This is a largely racially segregated school system in all five boroughs. In certain neighborhoods where Ray Kelly's stop-and-frisk police are all too familiar, parents would not have been surprised to hear from the Education Mayor himself what he thinks of them on his weekly WOR interview: "Unfortunately, there are some parents who...never had a formal education, and they don't understand the value of an education. Many of our kids come from [such] families-the old Norman Rockwell family is gone" (New York Times, May 21).

 

I waited for a stinging response to that old-fashioned racial stereotyping that would have outraged integrationist artist Norman Rockwell. None came from faithful Bloomberg schools chancellor Dennis Walcott or from the lordly panjandrum, Reverend Sharpton. But a considerable number of black parents responded angrily.

 

Zakiyah Ansari, an organizer for the Alliance for Quality Education, whose members are outside the mayor's social circle, let him have it: "How dare he, and how disrespectful of him to think we don't have the brain power-whether we have a PhD or an eighth-grade education-to know what we want for our children?" (Daily News, May 21).

 

Bloomberg's icy ignorance reminded me of a New York City Board of Education meeting I covered for the Voice in the early 1960s. After listening to a parade of education experts, a black parent rose from the audience. I learned from him later that he'd been a school dropout in the South and after coming North, following a string of menial jobs, he was earning about $90 a week in a dead-end factory job.

 

As I wrote in Does Anybody Give a Damn? Nat Hentoff on Education (Knopf, 1977), this father, so focused on his child-who was falling farther back every year in our school system-roared at the members of the Board of Education: "You people operate a goddamn monopoly, like the telephone company. I got no choice where I send my child to school. I can only send her where it's free. And she's not learning. When you fail, when everybody fails my child, what happens? Nothing."

 

But now, there is choice. Not all charter schools would have satisfied this father and his child, but some do enable kids to learn that they can learn-and want to learn more.

 

The Education mayor should visit the homes of some of these black and Latino parents in Harlem and East Harlem who are so fiercely intent on getting their kids into certain charter schools. They may or may not have had a formal education, but they sure as hell know the value of an education and they rage at an Education Mayor bragging about a school system where-as they read in newspapers more often in the tabloids: "The city's graduation rate continues to improve, but a woeful number of students finishing high school are not adequately prepared for college...At City of New York community colleges, 74 percent of students last fall required extra help before starting college-level work" (Daily News, June 14).

 

You don't have to be a black or Latino parent to be repelled by a mayor who believes-he said it himself-that low-income parents who never had a formal education don't understand the lifelong value of an education that enlarges and deepens a child's whole life.

 

I don't know any billionaires, but I doubt that any could match the chutzpah of the one we have at City Hall when we said of the "improved" graduation rates: "No one could have predicted in their wildest dreams that we would be this successful" (New York Times, June 15).

 

The nightmare for many parents ("Got My Dumb-Ploma," Daily News, June 15) is that while "the city's graduation rate rose slightly, only one of five kids in the Class of 2010 was ready for college, state Education Department officials said yesterday."

 

Bloomberg never mentions that he presides over a racially segregated school system and that "the racial gap" in achievement is glaringly evident "in the college-ready graduation rate...with just 12 percent of black students graduating ready for the next step compared with 41 percent of white" (emphasis added).

 

Returning to confront the celebrating mayor is Zakiyah Ansari of the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice: "It's like watching a bad accident coming in slow motion, but instead of preparing for the accident, the city is turning their eyes" (Daily News, June 15).

 

Do you dare, Chancellor Walcott, to demand that Bloomberg open his eyes? New York State Chancellor Merryl Tisch does see clearly that this mayor's control of education will diminish the lives of many of our new generation in his schools: "Today's data makes clear that we have tremendous work to do to reduce the drop-out rate, close a stubbornly persistent racial gap and ensure that more of our graduates are prepared for college and the work force" (Daily News, June 15). As long as Bloomberg is in charge?

 

Dig this investigative truth-telling by the New York Post's Yoav Gonen on June 15: "Shamefully few city high schools are graduating students with Regents scores high enough to be considered ready for college. Only 27 of the 347 public schools had at least half their students in 2010 score a 75 on the English exam and 80 in math-which the state considers the minimum score for kids to succeed at the next level...that's an abysmal 8 percent of all city high schools" (emphasis added).

 

Not a word from Bloomberg about this "wild dream" of success that "no one could have predicted." And, Gonen adds, nine of those 27 high schools in the 8 percent of successful schools "are high-performing, specialized facilities such as Stuyvesant and Bronx Science."

 

Only a tiny percentage of black students are admitted to these "specialized facilities." Here is Tom Allon, president of Manhattan Media-and a 1980 graduate of Stuyvesant High School: "At Stuyvesant, only 12 African-American students were admitted to the freshman class this year.

 

Latinos fared only slightly better. They comprise about 3 percent of Stuyvesant. By comparison, of the 1.1 million students in the city's public schools, 39.9 percent are Latino and 30.1 percent are black...Schools like Stuyvesant have long been the means for immigrants and working class families to hoist their children up the ladder of American society" (Daily News, April 10).

 

Not under Michael Bloomberg. As of now, his likely leading successors are Ray "Stop-and-Frisk" Kelly and Christine Quinn. I haven't heard anything from either of them on how they rate this Education Mayor and how they would begin to undo the grim future he has made for so many of our public school students. Are there other mayoral candidates who give a damn about them?

Hold the presses! This morning, just hours before this issue was uploaded to our website, the Education Mayor appeared on WNYC and gave himself this latest report card: "The school results are better than they've ever been." Well, that's certainly reassuring. 

Million Father March

Inspires A Great American Poet 

 

 

      TRIBUTE TO THE
MILLION FATHER MARCH

 

By Useni Eugene Perkins
July 24, 2011


We march, we march, we march

 

As men of faith, courage and resolve

As men of different hues, religions and creeds

To be the fathers we should be

We are Fathers, Grand Fathers, Foster Fathers, Step Fathers,

God Fathers and Community Fathers

Committed to taking our children to school

And to advocate for the education they need

To prepare them for the future

          Educate or Die

          Educate or Die

 

We march, we march, we march
From the urban streets of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco and New York City
To southern hamlets in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama,
Arkansas, Georgia, Florida and North and South Carolina
From the tropical island of Jamaica
To Kampala, Uganda and Tamale, Ghana
And our marches will resound
On every continent in the world
Where our children are being denied
The quality education they rightfully deserve
          Educate or Die
          Educate or Die

 

We march, we march, we march
Wherever our children are being miseducated
And suffering from educational malnutrition
We will no longer allow our children
To be the fodder for substandard school systems
We will take our children to school
And be advocates for their education
We will be the mentors and role models
To lift them above adversity and mediocrity
          Educate or Die
          Educate or Die

 
We march, we march, we march
To challenge inferior education
That retards the true potential
Of our precious children
And we pledge our dedication and unyielding commitment
Not to forfeit our moral responsibility
And allow our children
To be a betrayed generation
Because we failed to struggle
For their educational excellence
          Educate or Die
          Educate or Die

 

AS FATHERS WE CAN DO NO LESS
AS  FATHERS WE MUST DO MUCH MORE


In the interest of our children


 (Poem reprinted with the permission of Useni Eugene Perkins)

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The is managed by The Black Star Project and sponsored by Open Society Foundation's Campaign for Black Male Achievement.  Please visit our website at www.blackstarproject.org to bring the Million Father March to your city or for complete information about the march.  You may also email blackstar1000@ameritech.net or call 773.285.9600 for more information or to join the March. 

600 Cities Have Signed on to

the Million Father March

as of July 25, 2011

 

 

 If your city has not signed on, why not? 

  1. Adelanto, California
  2. Akron, Ohio
  3. Alamo, Georgia
  4. Albany, Georgia
  5. Albany, New York
  6. Albemarle, North Carolina
  7. Alorton, Illinois
  8. Alton, Illinois
  9. Anchorage, Alaska
  10. Angelus Oaks, California
  11. Anson County, North Carolina
  12. Apex, North Carolina
  13. Apple Valley, California
  14. Arab, Alabama
  15. Arkadelphia, Arkansas
  16. Asheboro, North Carolina
  17. Asheville, North Carolina
  18. Ashford, Alabama
  19. Atlanta, Georgia
  20. Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
  21. Atlantis, Florida
  22. Augusta, Georgia
  23. Aventura, Florida
  24. Avon, Alabama
  25. Bakersfield, California
  26. Bal Harbor Islands, Florida
  27. Bal Harbour, Florida
  28. Baldwin, California
  29. Baltimore, Maryland
  30. Banning, California
  31. Barkley Co, Missouri
  32. Barstow, California
  33. Baton Rouge, Lousiana
  34. Bay Pine, Florida
  35. Beach Park, Illinois
  36. Beaumont, California
  37. Bedford Heights, Ohio
  38. Bedford, Ohio
  39. Belle Blade, Florida
  40. Belleair Beach, Florida
  41. Belleair Bluffs, Florida
  42. Belleair Shore, Florida
  43. Belleair, Florida
  44. Belleville, Illinois
  45. Bellevue, Nebraska
  46. Belmont, North Carolina
  47. Benton, Arkansas
  48. Berlin, Vermont
  49. Bessemer, Alabama
  50. Bessener, North Carolina
  51. Bethel, Alaska
  52. Beverly Hills, California
  53. Big Bear Lake, California
  54. Billon County, South Carolina
  55. Biscayne Park, Florida
  56. Black Mountain, North Carolina
  57. Black, Alabama
  58. Bladen County, North Carolina
  59. Bloomington, California
  60. Blythe, California
  61. Blythe, Georgia
  62. Boca Raton, Florida
  63. Boone, North Carolina
  64. Boynton Beach, Florida
  65. Brandon, Florida
  66. Brevard, North Carolina
  67. Briny Breezes, Florida
  68. Bronx, New York
  69. Brook Park, Ohio
  70. Brooklyn Heights, Ohio
  71. Brooklyn, New York
  72. Brooklyn, Ohio
  73. Bryant, Arkansas
  74. Buffalo, New York
  75. Burlington, North Carolina
  76. Cahokia, Illinois
  77. Calimesa, California
  78. Calumet City, Illinois
  79. Camden, Arkansas
  80. Camden, New Jersey
  81. Canal Point, Florida
  82. Canyon Lake, California
  83. Carpentersville, Illinois
  84. Carrboro, North Carolina
  85. Cary, North Carolina
  86. Cathedral City, California
  87. Catskill, New York
  88. Cayce, South Carolina
  89. Cedar Springs, Michigan
  90. Central Islip, New York
  91. Centreville, Illinois
  92. Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  93. Charleston, South Carolina
  94. Charlotte, North Carolina
  95. Chatham County, North Carolina
  96. Chesterfield County, South Carolina
  97. Chicago Heights, Illinois
  98. Chicago, Illinois
  99. Chino Hills, California
  100. Chino, California
  101. Cincinnati, Ohio
  102. Claremont, California
  103. Claymont, Delaware
  104. Clayton, Missouri
  105. Clayton, North Carolina
  106. Clearwater, Florida
  107. Clemmons, North Carolina
  108. Cleveland Heights, Ohio
  109. Cleveland, Ohio
  110. Clinton, North Carolina
  111. Cloud Lake, Florida
  112. Coachella, California
  113. Coconut Creek, Florida
  114. Coffee Spring, Alabama
  115. Coleman, Georgia
  116. College Park, Georgia
  117. Colton, California
  118. Columbia, Alabama
  119. Columbus, Georgia
  120. Concord, North Carolina
  121. Conover, North Carolina
  122. Conway, Arkansas
  123. Conyer, Georgia
  124. Coral Gables, Florida
  125. Cordoba, Alaska
  126. Cornelius, North Carolina
  127. Corona, California
  128. Cottageville, South Carolina
  129. Cottonwood, Alabama
  130. Cowarts, Alabama
  131. Crafton, California
  132. Crestline, California
  133. Crystal Beach, Florida
  134. Culver City, California
  135. Culverton, Georgia
  136. Cumberland County, North Carolina
  137. Cuthbert, Georgia
  138. Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio
  139. Dade City, Florida
  140. Daleville, Alabama
  141. Dallas, Texas
  142. Danville, Illinois
  143. Darlington County, South Carolina
  144. Davidson, North Carolina
  145. Dekalb, Georgia
  146. Delray Beach, Florida
  147. Des Moines, Iowa
  148. Desert Hot Springs, California
  149. Detroit, Michigan
  150. Dixmoor, Illinois
  151. Doral, Florida
  152. Doral, Florida
  153. Dothan, Alabama
  154. Dover, Florida
  155. Dunedin, Florida
  156. Dunn, North Carolina
  157. Durham, North Carolina
  158. East Chicago, Indiana
  159. East Cleveland, Ohio
  160. East Los Angeles, California
  161. East Palo Alto, California
  162. East Point, Georgia
  163. East Saint Louis, Missouri
  164. East St. Louis, Illinois
  165. Eaton, Georgia
  166. Eden, North Carolina
  167. El Dorado, Arkansas
  168. El Portal, Florida
  169. Elba, Alabama
  170. Elizabeth City, North Carolina
  171. Elon, North Carolina
  172. Enterprise, Alabama
  173. Euclid, Ohio
  174. Eureka Springs, Arkansas
  175. Evanston, Illinois
  176. Fairburn, Georgia
  177. Fairfield Park, Ohio
  178. Fayetteville, North Carolina
  179. Florence County, South Carolina
  180. Florence, South Carolina
  181. Florida City, Florida
  182. Fontana, California
  183. Forest City, North Carolina
  184. Forest Park, Georgia
  185. Fort Rucker, Alabama
  186. Freeport, New York
  187. Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
  188. Gadsden, Alabama
  189. Gainesville, Georgia
  190. Garfield Heights, Ohio
  191. Garner, North Carolina
  192. Gary, Indiana
  193. Gastonia, North Carolina
  194. Geneva, Alabama
  195. Girard, Georgia
  196. Glen Ridge, Florida
  197. Glenwood, Illinois
  198. Golden Beach, Florida
  199. Goldsboro, North Carolina
  200. Golf, Florida
  201. Gooding, Idaho
  202. Gordon, Alabama
  203. Graham, North Carolina
  204. Grand Rapids, Michigan
  205. Grand Terrace, California
  206. Green Pond, South Carolina
  207. Greenacres, Florida
  208. Greensboro, Georgia
  209. Greensboro, North Carolina
  210. Greensville, North Carolina
  211. Griffin, Georgia
  212. Grimes, Alabama
  213. Gulf Stream, Florida
  214. Gulfport, Florida
  215. Haleburg, Alabama
  216. Hamlet, North Carolina
  217. Hampton, Georgia
  218. Harnett County, North Carolina
  219. Harrisburg, Arkansas
  220. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  221. Harvey, Illinois
  222. Harwood Heights, Illinois
  223. Hattiesburg, Mississippi
  224. Havelock, North Carolina
  225. Haverhill, Florida
  226. Hawthorne, California
  227. Hayward, California
  228. Hazel Crest, Illinois
  229. Hazel Park, Michigan
  230. Hazel Wood, Missouri
  231. Headland, Alabama
  232. Hemet, California
  233. Hempstead, New York
  234. Henderson, North Carolina
  235. Hendersonville, North Carolina
  236. Hesperia, California
  237. Hialeah Gardens, Florida
  238. Hialeah, Florida
  239. Hialeah, Florida
  240. Hickory, North Carolina
  241. Hidalgo, Texas
  242. High Point, North Carolina
  243. Highland Beach, Florida
  244. Highland, California
  245. Hileah Gardens, Florida
  246. Hillsborough, North Carolina
  247. Hillside, New Jersey
  248. Hoke County, North Carolina
  249. Holland, Michigan
  250. Holly Springs, North Carolina
  251. Hollywood, California
  252. Homestead, Florida
  253. Homestead, Florida
  254. Hope Mills, North Carolina
  255. Hope, Arkansas
  256. Horry County, South Carolina
  257. Hot Springs, Arkansas
  258. Houston, Texas
  259. Houston, Texas
  260. Huntersville, North Carolina
  261. Hypoluxo, Florida
  262. Indian Creek Village, Florida
  263. Indian Rocks Beach, Florida
  264. Indian Shores, Florida
  265. Indian Trail, North Carolina
  266. Indian Wells, California
  267. Indio, California
  268. Inglewood, California
  269. Inland Empire, California
  270. Irvington, New Jersey
  271. Islandia, Florida
  272. Jackson Heights, New York
  273. Jackson, Michigan
  274. Jackson, Mississippi
  275. Jacksonboro, South Carolina
  276. Jamel Te Pec, Oaxaca, Mexico
  277. Jamestown, New York
  278. Jennings, Missouri
  279. Jerome, Idaho
  280. Joann, Alaska
  281. Jonesboro, Georgia
  282. Juno Beach, Florida
  283. Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida
  284. Jupiter, Florida
  285. Kannapolis, North Carolina
  286. Kansas City, Missouri
  287. Kenneth City, Florida
  288. Kent, Washington
  289. Kernersville, North Carolina
  290. Key Biscayne, Florida
  291. Keysville, Georgia
  292. Kings Mountain, North Carolina
  293. Kingston, North Carolina
  294. Kinsey, Alabama
  295. Kinston, Alabama
  296. Kirkwood, Missouri
  297. Knightdale, North Carolina
  298. La Quinta, California
  299. Ladera, California
  300. LaFayette, Alabama
  301. Lake Arrowhead, California
  302. Lake City, Georgia
  303. Lake Clarke Shores
  304. Lake Elsinore, California
  305. Lake Park, Florida
  306. Lake Worth, Florida
  307. Lakeland, Florida
  308. Lakewood, Ohio
  309. Lanette, Alabama
  310. Lantana, Florida
  311. Largo, Florida
  312. Laurinburg, North Carolina
  313. Lee County, North Carolina
  314. Lenoir, North Carolina
  315. Levy County, Florida
  316. Lexington, North Carolina
  317. Lincolnton, North Carolina
  318. Linndale, Ohio
  319. Little Anchorage, Alaska
  320. Little Rock, Arkansas
  321. Locust Grove, Georgia
  322. Loma Linda, California
  323. Long Island, New York
  324. Los Angeles, California
  325. Lovejoy, Georgia
  326. Loxahatchee, Florida
  327. Lucerne Valley, California
  328. Lumberton, North Carolina
  329. Macomb, Michigan
  330. Macon, Georgia
  331. Madeira Beach, Florida
  332. Madrid, Alabama
  333. Magee, Mississippi
  334. Magnolia, Arkansas
  335. Malvern, Alabama
  336. Malvern, Arkansas
  337. Manalapan, Florida
  338. Mangonia Park, Florida
  339. Manor, Texas
  340. Maple Heights, Ohio
  341. Maple Heights, Ohio
  342. Maple Wood, Missouri
  343. Marion County, South Carolina
  344. Markham, Illinois
  345. Marlboro County, South Carolina
  346. Marshall, Texas
  347. Matthews, North Carolina
  348. Maumelle, Arkansas
  349. McDonough, Georgia
  350. McRae, Georgia
  351. Meldey, Florida
  352. Mentone, California
  353. Miami Beach, Florida
  354. Miami Gardens, Florida
  355. Miami Shores, Florida
  356. Miami Springs, Florida
  357. Miami, Florida
  358. Miami/Dade County, Florida
  359. Middletown, New York
  360. Midland City, Alabama
  361. Midlothian, Illinois
  362. Midville, Georgia
  363. Milledgeville, Georgia
  364. Millen, Georgia
  365. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  366. Monroe, Louisiana
  367. Monroe, North Carolina
  368. Montclair, California
  369. Montgomery County, North Carolina
  370. Montgomery, Alabama
  371. Moore County, North Carolina
  372. Mooresville, North Carolina
  373. Morehead City, North Carolina
  374. Moreno Valley, California
  375. Morganton, North Carolina
  376. Morrisville, North Carolina
  377. Morrow, Georgia
  378. Mount Airy, North Carolina
  379. Mount Holly, North Carolina
  380. Mount Vernon, New York
  381. Murrieta, California
  382. Muskegon, Michigan
  383. Needles, California
  384. New Bern, North Carolina
  385. New Brockton, Alabama
  386. New Orleans, Louisiana
  387. New Rochelle, New York
  388. New York City--Bronx, New York
  389. New York City--Brooklyn, New York
  390. New York City--Harlem, New York
  391. New York City--Manhattan, New York
  392. New York City--Queens, New York
  393. New York City--Staten Island, New York
  394. New York City, New York
  395. Newark, New Jersey
  396. Newburgh Heights, Ohio
  397. Newton, North Carolina
  398. Newville, Alabama
  399. Nickerson Garden, California
  400. Nome, Alaska
  401. Norco, California
  402. North Bay Village, Florida
  403. North Little Rock, Arkansas
  404. North Miami Beach, Florida
  405. North Miami, Florida
  406. North Palm Beach, Florida
  407. North Redington Beach, Florida
  408. North Riverside, IL
  409. Norwest Town, Pennsylvania
  410. Oak Island, North Carolina
  411. Oak Park, Illinois
  412. Oak Park, Michigan
  413. Oakland Bay, California
  414. Ocean Ridge, Florida
  415. Oglesby, Texas
  416. Oglethorpe, Georgia
  417. Oldsmar, Florida
  418. Omaha, Nebraska
  419. Ontario, California
  420. Opalocka, Florida
  421. Oxford, North Carolina
  422. Ozark, Alabama
  423. Ozona, Florida
  424. Pahokee, Florida
  425. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  426. Palm Beach, Florida
  427. Palm Desert, California
  428. Palm Harbor, Florida
  429. Palm River County, Florida
  430. Palm Springs, California
  431. Palm Springs, Florida
  432. Palmdale, California
  433. Palmetto, Georgia
  434. Parma Heights, Ohio
  435. Parma, Ohio
  436. Pasco County, Florida
  437. Pass-A-Grille Beach, Florida
  438. Perris, California
  439. Pharr, Texas
  440. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  441. Phoenix, Illinois
  442. Pinckard, Alabama
  443. Pine Bluff, Arkansas
  444. Pinecrest, Florida
  445. Pinehurst, North Carolina
  446. Pinellas County, Florida
  447. Pinellas Park, Florida
  448. Plant City County, Florida
  449. Polk County, Florida
  450. Pontiac, Michigan
  451. Posen, Illinois
  452. Queens, New York
  453. Raleigh, North Carolina
  454. Rancho Cucamonga, California
  455. Rancho Mirage, California
  456. Redington Beach, Florida
  457. Redington Shores, Florida
  458. Redlands, California
  459. Rehobeth, Alabama
  460. Reidsville, North Carolina
  461. Rialto, California
  462. Richmond County, North Carolina
  463. Riverdale, Georgia
  464. Riverdale, Illinois
  465. Riverside County, California
  466. Riverside, California
  467. Riviera Beach, Florida
  468. Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
  469. Robeson County, North Carolina
  470. Rochester, New York
  471. Rockford, Illinois
  472. Rocky Mount, North Carolina
  473. Roosevelt, New York
  474. Roxboro, North Carolina
  475. Royal Palm Beach, Florida
  476. Ruffin, South Carolina
  477. Running Springs, California
  478. Sacramento, California
  479. Safety Harbor, Florida
  480. Saint Charles, Missouri
  481. Salisbury, North Carolina
  482. Samson, Alabama
  483. San Antonio, Texas
  484. San Bernardino County, California
  485. San Bernardino, California
  486. San Francisco, California
  487. San Jacinto, California
  488. Sandcut, Florida
  489. Sandersville, Georgia
  490. Sanford, North Carolina
  491. Santa Monica, California
  492. Sardis, Georgia
  493. Schenectady, New York
  494. Scotland County, North Carolina
  495. Scott, New Jersey
  496. Seffner, Florida
  497. Selma, North Carolina
  498. Seminole, Florida
  499. Shaker Heights, Ohio
  500. Shelby, North Carolina
  501. Shellman, Georgia
  502. Siler City, North Carolina
  503. Slocomb, Alabama
  504. Smithfield, North Carolina
  505. Smoaks, South Carolina
  506. South Bay, Florida
  507. South Euclid, Ohio
  508. South Holland, Illinois
  509. South Miami, Florida
  510. South Palm Beach, Florida
  511. South Pasadena, Florida
  512. Southern Pines, North Carolina
  513. Sparta, Georgia
  514. Spring Lake, North Carolina
  515. Springfield, Missouri
  516. St. Louis, Missouri
  517. St. Peter Beach, Florida
  518. St. Petersburg, Florida
  519. Stanley County, North Carolina
  520. Statesville, North Carolina
  521. Stockbridge, Georgia
  522. Stone Mountain, Georgia
  523. Subter County, South Carolina
  524. Sugar Hill, California
  525. Summerfield, North Carolina
  526. Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
  527. Sunset Beach, Florida
  528. Surfside, Florida
  529. Sweetwater Florida
  530. Syracuse, New York
  531. Tacoma, Washington
  532. Tag Dale, Missouri
  533. Tallahassee, Florida
  534. Tampa Bay, Florida
  535. Tarboro, North Carolina
  536. Tarpon Springs, Florida
  537. Taylor, Alabama
  538. Temecula, California
  539. Temple, Georgia
  540. Tequesta, Florida
  541. Terry Hill, New Jersey
  542. Texarkana, Arkansas
  543. Texarkana, Texas
  544. Tierra Verde, Florida
  545. Torrance, California
  546. Treasure Island, Florida
  547. Trinity, North Carolina
  548. Troy, New York
  549. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  550. Twentynine Palms, California
  551. Twin Falls, Idaho
  552. Tyler, Texas
  553. Union City, Georgia
  554. Union County, North Carolina
  555. University City, Missouri
  556. University Heights, Ohio
  557. Upland, California
  558. Upper Marlboro, Maryland
  559. Valdez, Alaska
  560. Valley View, Texas
  561. Venice, California
  562. Victorville, California
  563. Vidette, Georgia
  564. Virginia Gardens, Florida
  565. Wadesboro, North Carolina
  566. Wakeforest, North Carolina
  567. Walterboro, South Carolina
  568. Warrensville Heights, Ohio
  569. Washington, North Carolina
  570. Washington, Pennsylvania
  571. Watts, California
  572. Waverly, Alabama
  573. Waynesboro, Georgia
  574. Waynesville, North Carolina
  575. Webb, Alabama
  576. Webster Grove, Missouri
  577. Weddington, North Carolina
  578. Wellington, Florida
  579. West Columbia, South Carolina
  580. West Miami, Florida
  581. West Palm Beach, Florida
  582. Westbury, New York
  583. Westchester, Illinois
  584. Westchester, New York
  585. Whiteville, North Carolina
  586. Wildomar, California
  587. Williams, South Carolina
  588. Williston, Florida
  589. Wilmington, North Carolina
  590. Wilson, North Carolina
  591. Windsor Canada
  592. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  593. Wintersville, Ohio
  594. Wrightwood, California
  595. Yaides, Pennsylvania
  596. Yermo, California
  597. Yonkers, New York
  598. Ypsilanti, Michigan
  599. Yucaipa, California
  600. Yucca Valley, California

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The 2011 Million Father March is managed by The Black Star Project, U.S.A., sponsored by the Open Society Foundation's Campaign for Black Male Achievement.  Please visit our website at www.blackstarproject.org to bring the Million Father March to your city or for complete information about the march.  You may also email blackstar1000@ameritech.net or call 773.285.9600 for more information or to join the March

 

 

700 Cities, One Million Fathers, One Objective - The Million Father March!!!

 

The NorthStar News and Analysis 

 

Your City and School Are Asked to Join

The Million Father March

Founder Now Wants Fathers To Volunteer At Their Children's Schools 

 

By Frederick H. Lowe

The NorthStar News and Analysis

July 21, 2011
Black Star Project, a Chicago-based organization that launched the Million Father March, which encourages fathers to escort their children to school on the first day of class, now wants fathers to make an additional commitment to their children's education.

"We are asking fathers and other significant male figures, uncles, cousins, older brothers, to volunteer 10 hours during the academic year in their children's schools, " said Phillip Jackson,  executive director of the Black Star Project. "The men can tutor, serve as mentors, hall monitors, chaperones and perform other jobs around the school to assist the students, faculty members and the principals."

Jackson believes that fathers' participation in their children's schools will help improve academic achievement and reduce discipline problems.The National Fatherhood Initiative, a Germantown, Md.-based organization whose goal is to improve the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible and committed fathers, agrees with Jackson's assessment.

According to a fact sheet, titled "Father Factor in Education," the National Fatherhood Initiative said father involvement in schools is associated with the higher likelihood of a student earning mostly "A's." "This was true for fathers in biological parent families, for stepfathers and for fathers heading single-parent families," the National Fatherhood Initiative reported. On the other hand, fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school, the National Fatherhood Initiative reported.

This is the 8th year of the Million Father March, which begins Aug. 1 and ends Sept. 15. The Million Father March is not a mass gathering like the Million Man March, where one million men assembled  in Washington D.C. Because the nation's schools open at different times during the academic year, fathers are encouraged to escort their kids to school on the first day of classes. Schools in the South and West open the earliest, followed by schools in the Southeast.  Schools in the Midwest and Northeast open in September, the latest school openings of the academic year.
 
Jackson is excited about the number of school systems and fathers participating in this year's Million Father March.  He predicts that 700 school districts and more than 800,000 men will participate in Million Father March.

"Can you imagine if all of those men volunteered to work 10 hours in their children's school. That would have a dynamic effect on the school system," Jackson said. He added, however, that some schools may not want fathers involved because it would be "one more thing" in which faculty members have to manage.

The Million Father March has grown nationwide because it is being pushed by individual schools and individual classrooms. In Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the district embraced the Million Father March, said Charles Webster, the district's coordinator of public relations and government affairs.

As a result, participation in the Million Father March continues to grow. In the 2009 school year, 28,391 fathers participated. Turnout in 2009 was particularly surprising because school was delayed a day because of Tropical Storm Fay, Webster said.  In 2010, the number of participants climbed to 36,875. Last year, 38,081 signed up for the Million Father March, Webster said. "It's important that men participate, not just the ladies, because it shows men care about their children," he added.

U.S. Secretary of Education Supports

the Million Father March. 

Webster added that the presence of men on school grounds prevents student violence. "At one high school, there were fights after school. Men showed up and stood on the school grounds and the fights stopped," he said. And Webster added that many of the men ask school officials what else they can do to improve the schools. The first day of classes this year for the Broward County Public Schools is August 22.

Jackson also wants Chicago churches to become involved with their neighborhood schools. "There are 650  schools in Chicago and 10,000 churches," Jackson said. "We want the churches to partner with their neighborhood schools and at 9 a.m. on September 6, we want the ministers wearing their church robes to hold prayer vigils outside the schools and pray for a productive, successful and saf

Posted via email from Brian's posterous

No comments: