Atlanta

Oct 20 2011

Program to raise parents’ awareness of learning challenges facing children

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Tavis Smiley Foundation announced today it will host a series of parent education seminars nationwide to give parents tools and information on how they can ensure their child’s success in learning.

The Too Important to Fail Parent Education Summits will kick off in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 29 with six other cities scheduled throughout spring 2012. These include: Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, and Montgomery, Alabama.

Terri Schichenmeyer  |   OW Contributor
Sep 15 2011

Author Kelli London

You’ve always secretly loved this time of year, even though everybody else seems to grumble about it.

Back to school. Back to homework and getting up early to hit the books. Back to boring classrooms. Grrrr.

You grumble along, but the truth is that back-to-school season is exciting. You get to see friends you didn’t see over summer, the clothes and kicks everybody’s rocking, and boys—the ones who were nerds last spring—who suddenly became oh-so-fine.

Aug 30 2011

Accused of shooting Julian Jones

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Javaris Crittenton was being held today in a downtown Los Angeles jail in connection with the killing of a 22-year-old mother in Atlanta.

Crittenton was arrested about 8 p.m. Monday at John Wayne Airport in Orange County after checking in for a flight to Atlanta, according to Laura Eimiller of the FBI.

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
Mar 31 2011

Young girls need foundation to get ready for leadership training

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, one key concern to keep in mind is making sure that the development of Black girls, who can serve as future leaders, is taking place.

And while it is critical to include girls identified by and involved in informal training programs operated by organizations such as the Helping our Teen Girls (HOTGIRLS) of Atlanta, Black sororities and other nonprofits, it is also vital to nurture those who through their own independent actions demonstrate leadership potential and capabilities.

Terri Schichenmeyer  |   OW Contributor
Jan 13 2011

Author: Rebecca Burns

In days of old, when someone messed with a king, the challenger was usually thrown into a dungeon without trial or jury. Justice was swift and mercy was rare.

That’s because, oftentimes, the king held things together. Loved or hated, he was a force to be reckoned with. He had power and powerful friends, and messing with him wasn’t advised.
On that subject, little has changed through the centuries, as you’ll see in “Burial for a King” (c.2011, Scribner, $24 / $28.99 Canada, 256 pages, includes notes) by Rebecca Burns.

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.”