african american

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
Jun 12 2009

Organization pushes the importance African American fathers

During slavery, a black child was more likely to grow up with both parents than he or she is today.

That shocking statement from the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) in part underscores why the organization recently launched a campaign called “What’s Your Legacy” to encourage African American fathers between ages 18 and 40 to think about the benefits of marriage for their children.

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
Jun 5 2009

Medical pipeline prepares thousands of minority students

John A. Davis is not a medical doctor but in 1970, he made diagnosis about a problem he saw.

“I was working on a behavior science module here (at USC) with medical students to get them to be culturally sensitive to their patients. My secondary job was to recruit black students for the medical school. But what I found was there were not enough students out there interested, so I hit upon the idea of developing our own,” explained Davis.

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
Jun 5 2009

Newest scores show African American students continue to lag behind

They can memorize the lyrics to hundreds of songs, easily master and create complicated dance routines, and navigate the intricacies of the Internet without blinking an eye.

Yet African American children post scores on the Academic Performance Index (API) behind students who are learning English as a second language. In fact, the California Department of Education just released its 2007 API base scores, growth targets, and school rankings, and state-wide African American students scored lower than all subgroups except disabled students.

Gail Choice  |   OW Contributor
Jun 5 2009

Expanding your library

By now your DVD library should be rich with great films, documentaries, and past television shows that reflect the best and most controversial of African American life in America. Come June 10, more great films can be added to your collections.

BET’s American Gangster: The Complete Second Season arrives in stores June 10. This well made, incredibly interesting and mind-blowing documentary will have you going back to look at it again and again.

May 22 2009

Parents protest; Council seeks details

A coalition of African American and Latino parents from schools throughout the region gathered at the Los Angeles Unified School District Seven office on Western Avenue and 106th Street Friday morning, to protest removal of Carol Truscott and Scott Braxton. The parents claim the two are being used as scapegoats in the matter of how Steven Rooney, a former Markham administrator, was returned to a school site, after allegations of improper conduct with a student surfaced.

Across Black America

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

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”