Black Star Project Joins Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement

The Black Star Project Joins Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement   Focus will be on the Million Father March and recruiting Black men as tutors and mentors in the lives of young Black males     Chicago, January 22, 2009-The Black Star Project will receive $50,000 from the Open Society Institute to support the Million Father March and a school-based rogram that engages Black men as mentors and tutors in the Chicago Public School System. The grant was awarded through OSI's Campaign for Black Male Achievement, a three-year grantmaking initiative to address, and help reverse, the ways in which African American boys and men are stigmatized, criminalized and excluded from the U.S. economic and political mainstream.   Even as Americans elected their first Black president, the end of 2008 saw an onslaught of dire reports on the educational, social and economic outcomes for Black males in America. Sky-high dropout rates for high-school students, an out-of-control murder rate for 14- to 17-year olds and a 72 percent unemployment rate for high-school dropouts paint a bleak forecast for young Black men.   The Black Star Project has joined with the Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement to address these issues.  With the support of the Campaign, Black Star will expand its successful Million Father March and also launch an initiative that uses school-based strategies to recruit Black male tutors and mentors.  Research by the National Fatherhood Initiative shows that children, male and female, perform better in school, at home and in life when their fathers take an active and positive role in their lives.  Additionally, Black male tutors and mentors provide measurable guidance for Black boys and young Black males in America.   "Black Star's combined strategy of national advocacy to increase fathers' participating in their children's education and local recruitment of male tutors will have a positive impact on young Black male students and their fathers," said Shawn Dove, manager of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement. "The Open Society Institute is proud to support The Black Star Project's efforts to improve life outcomes for Black boys and men."   Black Star Project programs include the Million Father March, which in 2008 occurred in 475 cities with 600,000 men taking their children back to school on the first day; the Fathers Club, where Black men and their children enhance bonds around educational, recreational and sporting venues and events; the Men in Schools Program, where men serve in schools as mentors, tutors, reading coaches, chaperones, hall guards, lunch-room monitors and playground supervisors, as well as board members; and Take a Black Male to Worship Day, where members of churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and other faith bodies invite young Black males into their worship services.   To learn more about the Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement please click on http://www.soros.org/initiatives/usprograms/focus/cbma.     Phillip Jackson is the founder and executive director of The Black Star Project in Chicago, Illinois. For more information about its work to educate and save a generation of young Black men, please call 773.285.9600, email blackstar1000@ameritech.net or visit www.blackstarproject.org.       Studies show...fathers  matter significantly!         63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census)  90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: Center for Disease Control) 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Source: Criminal Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26, 1978.)  71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: National Principals Report on the State of High Schools ) 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes (Source: Rainbows for all God`s Children.) 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988) 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Source: Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections 1992) These statistics show that children from a fatherless home are:   5 times more likely to commit suicide 32 times more likely to run away 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders Boys are 14 times more likely to commit rape 9 times more likely to drop out of high school 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances 9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution 20 times more like to end up in prison Fatherlessness is the single most important sociological issue of our day.  So how do we reverse the trend? All Pro Dad hopes to be a part of the solution. Click on Http://www.allprodad.com/ and find out more about us and how you can help be part of the answer.   Join The Black Star Project's  Fathers Club at the Museum of Science and Industry     Calling All Fathers, Stepfathers, Foster Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles, Brothers, Godfathers, Cousins, Mentors and other Male Caregivers! Join us at The Museum of Science and Industry     on    Saturday, January 31, 2009 10:00 am - 3:00 pm - FREE   at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois   Bring as many children as you can--grandchildren, nieces and nephews, younger siblings, or other children to this and future bi-monthly Fathers Club events as you can!  Female caregivers and individuals of all races are welcome to participate. To receive FREE admission to the Museum of Science and Industry, please confirm your attendance to this event by calling Bruce at 773.285.9600.  Black Star attendees will be admitted between 10:00 am and 11:30 am.   For more information on becoming a member of The Black Star Project and its Fathers Club, please call Bruce Walker or visit www.blackstarproject.org.    ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE. YOU MUST RSVP TO ATTEND THIS EVENT BY THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2009. The indoor, underground parking cost is $16.00 per vehicle.  You can also use public transportation to get to the museum.   Phillip Jackson, executive director of The Black Star Project, will keynote the Illinois Women in Educational Leadership for Diversity Conference   Friday-Saturday, January 30-31, 2009 Bradley University - Robert H. Michel Student Center - Peoria, Illinois     With this conference we plan to promote a statewide dialogue about best leadership practices to enhance academic learning in diverse environments. We seek to understand policy implications at the local, state and national levels that affect all stakeholders in diverse settings. And we hope that from this dialogue will emerge effective leadership practices to build inclusive learning communities where diversity is valued, respected and promoted.   Click here to view the full flyer         Email Marketing by The Black Star Project | 3473 South King Drive, Box 464 | Chicago | IL | 60616

Dr. Carl Bell's Prescription to Reduce Violence, Take a Black Male to Worship Day

Dr. Carl Bell's Keys to Reducing Violence and Re-Engaging Youth to Society     Dr. Carl C. Bell, M.D., F.A.P.A., FA.C.P. President & CEO Community Mental Health Center of Chicago   For over 30 years, Dr. Bell has practiced psychiatry. As an internationally recognized lecturer and author, he has given numerous presentations on mental wellness, violence prevention, and traumatic stress caused by violence. Most recently, he has participated as the Principle Investigator with CHAMP, an HIV/AIDS youth prevention research project in South Africa. He is the author of The Sanity of Survival: Reflections on Community Mental Health and Wellness and co-author of Suicide and Homicide Among Adolescents. Dr. Bell is also a clinical professor of psychiatry and public health at the University of Illinois School of Medicine.  In recognition of his efforts to reduce violence, he became the first recipient of the American Psychiatric Foundation's Minority Service Award in 2004. He is also the recipient of the American Psychiatric Association's Presidential Award.   Dr. Carl C. Bell's Seven Principles for Changing At-Risk Behavior and Cultivating Resiliency Among Youth   1.      Rebuilding the Village/Reweaving the social fabric/Recreating a sense of community   Reestablishing a sense of community by bringing together churches, schools, and families to create networks, organize resources and establish programs that provide support, safety and security for our youth. A sense of community also reinforces cultural identity.   2.      Providing access to ancient and modern technology to provide practical systems for the application of knowledge  Providing models, tools, skills and techniques to facilitate implementation of the concept or program (for example, mentoring, multi-family groups, how to cultivate resiliency and wellness, and manualized family interventions).   3.      Providing a sense of connectedness   Creating situations, programs and relationships that foster a sense of connection, attachment, and belonging to a larger group or a common goal. This counters feelings of alienation, helps provide feelings of security, and increases self-esteem. Again, reestablishing the village reinforces cultural identity and can be a platform for the delivery of cultural education. Well thought out rites of passage (e.g. the belt system of progression in Japanese martial arts) programs have been very effective in actualizing this principle.   4.      Providing opportunity to learn social & emotional skills    Providing social and emotional skills that people need to interact and communicate with each other. This not only increases self-esteem but effectiveness in relationships as well. These include parenting skills, refusal skills, negotiating skills, the capacity to remain calm in a crisis, and more.   5.      Providing opportunities to increasing self-esteem A.  Giving our children a sense of power (self-efficacy) by showing them they can do things for themselves and positively influence their own lives. For example, adopting healthy behaviors creates both a sense of wellness and an outcome of wellness. B.  Providing a  sense of models to help our young make sense of the world and teaching them how things work. Mentoring is a very powerful model that can be used to achieve this. A strong cultural value system is another. C.  Creating a sense of specialness and uniqueness as an individual or group. Clearly, knowing and respecting your culture gives you a sense of power by virtue of being connected to something valuable and strong. D.  Creating a sense of connectedness - encouraging bonding and connection to a culture, group or an idea. Teaching them their history and cultural significance creates a sense of power from being associated with a rich and powerful legacy. Spirituality is another powerful influence in encouraging connectedness.   6.      Providing an adult protective shield Providing an adult protective shield and monitoring speaks to providing supervision, discipline, and a caring adult presence. These foster a sense of safety and security. The concept of the village with multiple adult figures taking responsibility for the nurture and well-being of the village children is a concept that connects us to our culture and our spirituality. Wellness is also important in this respect. A child can be severely stressed by the illness of a caretaking adult, so it is in the best interest of the adult to adopt behaviors that promote wellness, both personally, and as a model for children to emulate.   7.      Minimizing trauma  Minimizing trauma - Developing an individual's spirituality, a person's sense of self-efficacy, helping create a sense of safety, and providing stress management skills as well as psychological first aid (see attached) to encourage a sense of self-mastery and turn helplessness into helpfulness are all examples of putting this principle into action.     You may contact Dr. Bell at:   Carl C. Bell, M.D. President/C.E.O. Community Mental Health Council 8704 S. Constance Chicago, IL 60617 (773) 734 - 4033 x 204 (office) www.thecouncil-online.org  carlcbell@pol.net   Join the National  "Take a Black Male to Worship" Day on Sunday, March 1, 2009 Phillip Jackson, executive director of The Black Star Project, delivered the Men's Day message at First Wesley Academy UMC in Harvey, Illinois on Sunday, December 14, 2008, as the kick-off of "Take a Black Male to Worship" day.  Please call Rev. Catherine Jackson at 773.285.9600 or email blackstar1000@ameritech.net if you would like for your church, mosque, synagogue or other faith-based organization to participate in this national effort to support Black males on or about March 1, 2009.         Phillip Jackson congratulates Rev. Charles Woolery on a great job of organizing the men of First Wesley Academy to work in the vineyards of young Black males in the city of Harvey, Illinois.   The churches listed below participated in The Black Star Project's "Take a Black Male to Worship" initiative on Sunday, December 21, 2008, or on their nearest day of worship.  If your faith institution did not participate, why not?    City                         Name of Church or Association                   Pastor or Representative Buffalo, New York       Zion Missionary Baptist Church                  Gregory Brice Chicago, Illinois         Pastors of the Englewood Community         Apostle Ulyesses Ruff, Sr. Chicago, Illinois         Gospel Temple Church of God and Christ    Eleder Sidney Grandberry Chicago, Illinois         True Vine of Holiness Missionary Baptist     Rev. Dr. Henderson Hill Chicago, Illinois         Cathedral Missionary Baptist Church           Rev. Otis L. Anderson Jr. Chicago. Illinois         God Seed Ministries                                  Pastor Glenn Bone Chicago, Illinois         Cathedral of Love Church                          Rev. Daniel Allen Chicago, Illinois         Inspirational Deliverance C.O.G.I.C.           Evangelist Shirley Hughes Chicago, Illinois         New Memorial Missionary Baptist Church     Rev. Roosevelt Walker, Jr. Chicago, Illinois         St. Mark Church                                       Rev. Ed Harris Chicago, Illinois         ABBA Church of Renewal Faith                   Rev. Sharyon Cosey Chicago, Illinois         Stone Temple Baptist Church                    Rev. Derrick M. Fitzpatrick Chicago, Illinois         New Pentecostal House of Glory                 Pastor Lafayette E. Young Sr. Cleveland, Ohio         St. James AME Church                              Mr. Steven Sims Detroit, Michigan        Liberty Baptist Church                               Rev. Steve Bland Harvey, Illinois           First Wesley Academy UMC                       Rev. Charles Woolery High Point, N.C.         Temple Memorial Baptist Church                Rev. Thomas A. Bannister Kansas City, Kansas   Cross Roads Christian Cathedral                Pastor P. T. Hood  Los Angeles, Calif.     Higher Order of Discipline Ministries            De'Niece Williams Mooresville, N. C.       St. Paul United Methodist Church                Rev. Donald McCoy Rockford, Illinois        Liberty Baptist Church                               Rev. Herbert Johnson, Jr. Take a Black boy or a young Black man between 2 and 32 years old to worship on Sunday, March 1, 2009.  Take them to any service--morning, afternoon or evening, to your church, mosque  synagogue or preferred place of worship because the battle to save Black boys is also, and especially, a spiritual battle.  This is a national program open to all faiths and denominations.  We have been told that some men and some faith leaders do not know where to find Black boys.  Too many Black boys are on street corners, at night clubs, affiliated (rolling) with street organizations and in prisons and jails.  Many others are struggling in elementary and high schools or are working low-wage jobs.    It is easy to find Black boys who need guidance and support, but it is hard to find Black men who will take an interest in these Black boys.  The harvest of Black boys in America is plentiful, but the laborers--Black men who are willing to work with these boys--are few.   Please ask your faith leader to ensure that your faith-based institution participates in this event.  If you wish to participate in or lead the effort in your city or at your faith-based institution on Sunday, March 1, 2009, or your day of worship near this date, please call Rev. Catherine Jackson at 773.285.9600 for an organizing kit. Attend the New Schools Expo at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois - Saturday, January 31, 2009   Black Parents Must Become Active Managers in their Children's Educational Lives     Please call 1-888-7-MYCHOICE for more information or visit    www.parentsforschoolchoice.org    "Those who control the education of the children, control the future of that race." - Phillip Jackson, The Black Star Project      For more information, please visit: http://www.parentsforschoolchoice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=45  Phillip Jackson, executive director of The Black Star Project, will keynote the Illinois Women in Educational Leadership for Diversity Conference   Friday-Saturday, January 30-31, 2009 Bradley University - Robert H. Michel Student Center - Peoria, Illinois     With this conference we plan to promote a statewide dialogue about best leadership practices to enhance academic learning in diverse environments. We seek to understand policy implications at the local, state and national levels that affect all stakeholders in diverse settings. And we hope that from this dialogue will emerge effective leadership practices to build inclusive learning communities where diversity is valued, respected and promoted.   Click here to view the full flyer U of I Summer "Science of Chocolate" Internships Available to Teens  Unravel the mysteries of chocolate and learn about agriculture, science and food marketing        URBANA - Science-minded high-school students should consider applying for a 15-day summer internship at the University of Illinois, especially if they're interested in chocolate. "Our goal is to introduce the students to many aspects of food science through the study of chocolate. We will teach them to monitor quality changes in chocolate and use scientific principles to investigate changes in chocolate during storage," said Nicki Engeseth, an associate professor of food chemistry in the U of I Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.   Interns will tour the U of I Center for Microanalysis of Materials where U of I food scientists have used nanotechnology to analyze grain size, crystal structure, and roughness parameters of chocolate, all factors that studies have shown influence taste, texture, and the release of flavor compounds, the scientist said. "The students will also learn about the history of chocolate, including fair-trade issues that are relevant today. We'll cover its production all the way from its beginning in the cacao pod to the final product, either milk, white, or dark chocolate, and talk about the differences between them," she said. "Nutritionists and food scientists are also interested in the health benefits of chocolate," she said. "We will demonstrate a nutritional intervention study on the effects of consuming chocolate comparing students to illustrate how such studies are conducted and analyzed."   Engeseth's laboratory also contains tools for making chocolate, including conching, tempering, and molding machines. In the teaching laboratory, students will learn why chocolate behaves as it does during food preparation and compete in an Iron Chef competition. Also planned are a field trip to a local chocolatier to learn how the experts mold some of their more fanciful and fun chocolate creations as well as participation in a sensory panel in which students will evaluate such qualities as flavor, mouth-feel, and graininess, record their impressions, and relate these to other instrumental analyses. As part of the project, Engeseth and Melissa Tisoncik, a graduate student in her laboratory, will conduct a short workshop for high-school science teachers, giving them hands-on experience so they can bring some of the activities back to their own classrooms.   Six interns will be chosen to participate in the program. Housing and meals will be provided through support from a USDA CSREES-sponsored integrated grant proposal, but students will need to arrange their own transportation to and from the university, Engeseth said. Interested students should apply by March 2, 2009, and a decision will be reached by March 23, 2009, according to Engeseth. For more information, interested students should contact Melissa Tisoncik at uiuc.chocolate@gmail.com.   Source: Nicki Engeseth, (217) 244-6788, engeseth@illinois.edu   News writer: Phyllis Picklesimer         Email Marketing by The Black Star Project | 3473 South King Drive, Box 464 | Chicago | IL | 60616