Honor Roll

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
Jun 9 2011

Cynthia Stafford: a rags to riches story

When her brother was killed in a car crash, Cynthia Stafford made it a point to do whatever she could to do to help keep his family together. That help ended up meaning fighting for custody of her brother’s five children (ages 3-10) to prevent them from being split up into foster homes. At the time, she didn’t have the means to care for the children, but even still, opted to quit her job to become a full-time parent and raise them. Stafford always had faith that she would find a way to care for the children.

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
Jun 2 2011

Organization strives to make parent involvement the law

Tony Hicks, founder of the Black Parent Union, is an educational consultant specializing in parent and community involvement, who has worked in the public schools for more than 24 years. He has worked in the classroom, serving on councils/committees, coordinating the activities of parent liaisons, conducting workshops, training staff, hosting a cable television show, and leading instructional audits.

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
May 19 2011

Non-profits assistance spans continents

Two Los Angeles-based organizations are working to improve the quality of life in the Motherland, specifically Cameroon, where the rates of HIV infection, maternal mortality and lack of access to healthcare and education are major issues. Additionally, about half of Cameroonians lack sustainable access to safe sanitation while over one-third lacks sustainable access to safe water.

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
May 12 2011

Having suffered, he reaches out to others who suffer

The HIV rate continues to climb at terrifying rates for African Americans, and suicides continue to soar for teens and young adults around the world. According to the Centers of Disease Control, in 2007, African Americans accounted for 46 percent of people living with HIV infection, and approximately 233,624 Blacks died from AIDS.

AIDS is the third leading cause of death for both Black men and women ages 35-44.

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
May 5 2011

Keeping our kids on horses and off the streets

The Compton Jr. Posse (CJP) was developed to provide inner-city youth with year round, after school alternatives to the lure of the gang and drug lifestyles.

For more than 20 years, the Compton Jr. Posse has given inner city kids hope by teaming them with horses, and through equestrian activities, youth develop responsibility, discipline and self-esteem. They also learn to set and achieve both academic and career goals.

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
Apr 28 2011

New website expands organization’s efforts

Educating Young Minds (EYM), a nonprofit corporation, is also a multicultural learning environment where at-risk students are nurtured to help them grow academically, emotionally and socially. The organization’s mission is to empower young people with the skills, ability and confidence to enroll in, succeed at, and graduate from college.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.