Blog Posts Related to the African American Community

  • What Matters in Our Community, A Conversation with Political Leaders

    Posted by Nicole Young on July 1, 2011 at 5:00 PM EDT

    This Saturday at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, along with the Honorable Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, Louisiana and the Honorable Kasim Reed of Atlanta, Georgia, representatives of President Obama’s administration will participate in a CNN hosted panel called: What Matters in Our Community, A Conversation with Political Leaders. 

    The featured panelist is Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, Ms. Valerie Jarrett.

    To learn more about the panel and how you can attend, click here.

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  • HHS Announces $150 Million in Grants to Support Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families

    Posted by Nicole Young on July 1, 2011 at 2:47 PM EDT

    On Wednesday, June 29, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced funding for four discretionary grant awards totaling $150 million for Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grants. “This funding provides organizations in underserved communities with the tools they need to promote responsible parenting, to encourage healthy marriage and relationships, and to remove barriers to financial security and self-sufficiency,” said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  

    Learn more by reading Secretary Sebelius's recent blog on Huffington Post or by visiting the HHS website.

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  • LA Business Roundtable Highlights Key Role for Small Businesses

    Posted by David Strickland on July 1, 2011 at 11:38 AM EDT

    As the nation continues to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, it’s clear that small businesses are playing a critical role in helping our communities rebound and rebuild.
     
    Last week, in my first trip to southern California during my tenure at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I heard from members of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce just how eager entrepreneurial leaders in that community are to help improve opportunities for businesses and residents alike. In a business roundtable with representatives from industries ranging from finance to construction, chamber members discussed ways to improve education and support job creation by expanding programs that benefit small businesses. The kind of engagement I witnessed that day shows promise for Los Angeles—and for other areas around the country.
     

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  • Empowering Urban Young Adults

    Posted by Jonathan Mayo on June 24, 2011 at 3:30 PM EDT

    Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

    My upbringing was an interesting one, because the father figures in my life have all cared for me through critical stages of development. At the age of fourteen, my life completely changed. My mom became a single mother of six, who worked 10-hour days while attending college. During this time, I found myself taking on large amounts of responsibility, as I was the oldest sibling. In hopes of resolving internal issues of abandonment, I found my biological father and moved in with him at the age of seventeen. The next five years were some of the best and most poignant years of my life. I was not only able to build self confidence, but also was able to foster a new relationship with my dad that allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the man I was trying to become. It is because of these experiences that I have always given the role of Father and Provider the highest priority.

    The youth of our communities across the country are faced with increasingly poor attendance at school, marginal academic achievement, low probability of high school graduation, involvement in gang-related activities, low self-esteem, substance abuse, negative involvement with law enforcement and general lack of positive guidance. Statistics from the National Cares Mentoring Movement show that only 18% of Black boys graduate from high school; 57% of Black fourth graders are functionally illiterate; 2.4 million Black children have a parent in prison; and, homicide is the leading cause of death of young Black men with more than 1,000 Black teenagers arrested every day. This is the type of compelling evidence that fuels my passion for serving our youth.

    My work with Year Up Atlanta, allows me to provide a level high support and high expectations for the urban young adults aged 18-24. We recognize that both job skills, technical and professional, and higher education are necessary to provide a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Our mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. This will be a crucial element in support of President Obama’s plan to “out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” In addition to this work, my involvement on the steering committee of Atlanta CARES, an affiliate of the National CARES Mentoring Movement (NCMM), has allowed me to be a part of the solution. NCMM's mission is to create a highly visible and effective national mentoring campaign targeting the Black community.

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  • Push-ups with the Archbishop and More of Cape Town with the First Lady

    Posted by Kristina Schake on June 24, 2011 at 1:58 PM EDT

    On Thursday, June 23 the First Lady spent the day in Cape Town, South Africa — where she toured a local museum, talked with students at the University of Cape Town, and met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

    Because of inclement weather the First Lady was unable to visit Robben Island, and while we were all hoping to see this historic prison we were fortunate to visit the District Six Museum instead. The museum offers insight into the racial segregation during the 1970s, chronicles Cape Town's complex history, and celebrates the diverse culture of the area. After touring the exhibits, the First Lady and her family met with Ahmed Kathrada, an anti-apartheid icon and former Member of Parliament, who brought to life many of the exhibits and illuminated what life during apartheid was like for those striving for freedom. Mr. Kathrada’s story was so inspiring, and all of us were touched by his courage and determination to strengthen his country.

    The First Lady then visited the University of Cape Town where she spoke with high school students from nearby townships. She talked with them about the importance of working hard in school, knowing they each have the ability to achieve their dreams, and how each of us is connected. She said, “I can see the same promise in all of you as I do in my own girls. That's what keeps me motivated. When I see you, I see them.  When I see them, I see you.  And I see it in the students that I’ve met all across my country in America, and in all of the young men and women I see as I travel around the world.”

    Later in the afternoon, the First Lady and her family met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Mrs. Obama was briefed on HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and support programs. The briefing included a discussion on how grassroots organizations use soccer as a convening mechanism, to draw young people together to learn about making healthy choices. At Cape Town Stadium, Mrs. Obama and Archbishop Tutu spoke with young people about this, and the importance of staying healthy. They then got everyone up and moving by participating in soccer skill stations, and the First Lady and Archbishop Tutu even did push-ups together!

    Watch the video of the First Lady and Archbishop Tutu doing push-ups here.

    As we continue this journey, we are all continually inspired by the spirit and energy of the young Africans we are meeting with and we are looking forward to what tomorrow brings.

    Kristina Schake is Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady.

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  • In Soweto with First Lady Michelle Obama: A Day of Memory, Inspiration, Friendship

    Posted by Tina Tchen on June 23, 2011 at 10:53 AM EDT

    Watch the First Lady's full remarks here.

    The First Lady and her family spent Wednesday, June 22 in Soweto, Johannesburg -- the sprawling South African township of over a million, once home to such giants as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and scene of so many dramatic events of the struggle against apartheid -- including those that occurred at Regina Mundi church, where the First Lady gave the keynote address at the US-sponsored Young African Womens Leaders Forum. Regina Mundi, like Soweto itself, was the beating heart of the anti-apartheid movement, a place where those involved in the struggle gathered to find faith, build support and makes plans to free their country. On June 16, 1976, 35 years ago this month, as Soweto's youth came together to demonstrate against apartheid laws, police opened fire, killing some, wounding others, and leaving bullet holes in the walls of sacred Regina Mundi, where a group of students sought refuge. That day, now called Youth Day in South Africa, galvanized the anti-apartheid movement and international awareness of the struggle.

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