A Message for the Kids: ‘If You Dream It, You Can Do It’
Growing up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by goodness. I was a good kid from Hollis, Queens. I got good grades, had loving parents and felt connected to my neighborhood. When Run D.M.C. formed in 1981, none of us could have imagined the success and adoration that we received and would come [...]
FinalCall.com: Min. Louis Farrakhan and Dr. Boyce Watkins Speak to Crowd on Wealth, Education, Family and Community
CHICAGO (FinalCall.com) – Dr. Boyce Watkins opened the forum on economics, education and family by offering a stark tale of conditions faced by Black America and what was at stake. He recounted his daughter sharing sad news: A 3 year old had died when a teenager unloaded a gun into a home following an argument. [...]
Do We Hate Our Children?
Great societies value their children. They implement as a matter of course policies and practices that support each child’s healthy development, guarantee the fulfillment of a basic level of need, and in the best of all worlds, provide the tools with which talents can be developed, dreams can be nurtured and potential has, [...]
Child abuse linked to asthma in black women
Physical and/or s****l abuse may be potential asthma causes in black women. In fact, abuse may more than double the odds of a child having asthma. Researchers have made a connection between childhood abuse suffered by African-American women and asthma, which develops later in their lives. As part of the Black Women’s Health Study [...]
Creating a World of Possibilities: One Man’s Ode to Motherhood Inspires Global Philanthropy
The Modification in Mother-Baby Statistics Initiative’s (MIMSI) inaugural fundraiser marked the official launch of the organization’s work which is dedicated to promoting maternal-child health around the globe. With a mission to “reduce maternal morbidity and mortality through the introduction of technology and transportation to enable women from remote areas to gain access to [...]
Creating ‘ladders of opportunity’ in Harlem and communities across the country
A child’s zip code should never determine her destiny. But today, a child’s health, educational outcomes, and lifetime economic opportunities are often negatively impacted when she grows up in a high poverty community. Harlem Children’s Zone is working to change that. This week, I visited this neighborhood nonprofit, with its president and CEO, [...]
7-Year-Old Boy Handcuffed for 10 Hours Over $5, Mom Sues for $250M
One Bronx police officer made the poor decision to handcuff a seven-year-old child in a dispute over $5, according to the child’s family. Officers hauled a terrified Reyes out of class, handcuffed him like a hardened criminal, and “interrogated” him for 10 hours. Reyes’ mother, Frances Mendez, snapped the chilling photo (left) of the boy [...]
We Cannot Stop Until Children Stop Dying From Gun Violence
On Saturday, January 26, I and many others will gather on the National Mall for the March on Washington for Gun Control. We are calling on members of Congress and state legislators to passcommon sense gun safety laws to stop the epidemic of preventable child and adult gun deaths. Others are marching in Boston, San Francisco, [...]
Eyes Wide Shut: The Need for Parental Involvement in Today’s Educational System
By Tyra Seldon, Ph.D. Two of the fastest growing industries in America are the prison industry and the educational industry. Yes, education is an industry. There is a consumer and a product. In the intricate nuances of educational policy and legislation too often we forget that many of our young people are, frankly, [...]
Can a Hungry Child Learn Well? Probably Not
Imagine how hunger affects your progress at work; now imagine being 7 years old, hungry every day and haunted by the fact that how you do on a math test could determine whether your family gets dinner next week. Legislation proposed by two congressmen last week would make such a scenario all too [...]
April 14, 20131 CommentRead More