Urban Issues Breakfast Forum focuses on education
The all-star edition
The Urban Issues Forum is presenting s special “all-star week” forum to discuss the strategy for educational success in African American youth. James Shelton III, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement with the U.S. Department of Education, former NBA star Jalen Rose, and LAUSD Superintendent (in waiting) John Deasy, will join join successful public school operators and advocates to discuss how to fast-track educational success in the Los Angeles Black community.
The forum will be held on Feb. 18 from 9-11 a.m. at the California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles. Breakfast and admission are free, but parking is $8.
Reservations are required, and can be made by calling (323) 789-6224.
The Urban Issues Forum, founded by author and syndicated columnist Anthony Asadullah Samad, is a non-profit organization that promotes issues advocacy and educates the public and critical events, social, and economic policy issues.
Of all the provocative images that emerged from the counterculture era of the 1960s and 1970s, none was as compelling as that of a striking young philosophy professor, her hair fashioned in a perfectly coiffed Afro, with clenched fist held high in perhaps the ultimate symbol of Black militancy.
In 1961 the Freedom Riders were young, unafraid and bold enough to believe they could make a difference and combat Jim Crow segregation and bigotry in the Deep South.
The four courageous California college students—Edward Johnson, Robert Farrell, and Helen and Robert Singleton—participated in the rides, seeking to improve the lives of their southern brothers and sisters while clearly endangering their own.
“Kid’s rights—that’s what my administration is going to be all about.” That’s the word from John Deasy, Ph.D., who spoke at a recent Urban Issues Breakfast Forum that focused on the education of African American children in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Legendary civil rights and political leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., speaking at the Urban Issues Forum on Monday, drew a comparison between the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s to the Occupy movement of today.
Jackson was the keynote speaker at the monthly event, and by way of metaphors explained the correlations between the Civil Rights Movements of 40 years ago and the biblical movements for social justice.
Although initially somewhat subdued, the audience warmed up to Jackson with chants and frequent “amens.”
The NBA lockout was finally resolved two weeks ago, ending our “basketball jones” depression.
Even though college basketball has been “poppin’,” we still need our daily dose of funks, dunks, shakes and bakes that comes with professional basketball. So now the NBA is back and commissioner David Stern hasn’t cut us any slack, as the talent of the league has sought to test their value in the market before the 66-game season starts.
