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The City of Chicago and Chicago Foundations Should Fund and Support One of the Best Mentor Programs in the Country for 600 Black Boys!!!
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2015-16 Concerned Christian Men Summer Camp Award Winners with Annual Celebration speaker Virgil Jones, CEO of Bottom Line, Inc. and CCM Volunteers
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The
Concerned Christian Men
(CCM) Mentor Program
Greetings to you all. On behalf of the Concerned Christian Men, I thank you all for your support of our organization this past year. The 2015-16 was an outstanding year in many respects. Our Man-Boy Leadership Institute flourished as we developed a clearer focus on Entrepreneurship and on producing Documentaries that address issues affecting our community. Our boys ran school stores at St. Paul and Langford, and showcased their film making skills in producing several documentaries.
Our Summer Camp was an inspirational success! The theme for the camp was Servant Leadership (Mark 10:42-45) and 50+ campers and CCM Volunteers returned from Beechpoint Christian Camp, located on the shores of Dumont Lake in Allegan, MI, inspired, reinvigorated and ready to serve. And our Annual Celebration, held in June at Apostolic Church of God was truly a celebration, honoring the 50 boys who rose to the top and were recognized as Achievers among the 600+ boys who participated in program.
CCM was presented with quite a challenge: a change in leadership at the top just weeks prior to the initiation of our 1st Man Boy Breakfast of the year. (In addition, we do not have a permanent home despite earlier agreements with a school.)
A one-two punch such as this may have floored some organizations but certainly not the" Tough Men for a Tough Mission" who serve a mighty God. Several folks stepped into the breach and in short order we have crafted a leadership team that we believe will take us and our boys to even higher levels of service and achievement.
- Long-time CCM member Raymond Dozier has stepped into the role of Executive Director of the Concerned Christian Men. Ray is highly qualified and highly motivated. He has a BA, a Master's in Education, several years of experience working with CPS, and his son Imir has been in the program for 7 years. He will be working full time in the role.
- Former program participant and now Man Boy Breakfast host George West has agreed to serve as the Assistant Director of CCM. We are especially proud and pleased that a son of the program is now the Man in the program. George has his BA, is about to complete his MBA, and has excellent skills in systems management and development, talents sorely needed at CCM. And despite the fact that he is heavily in demand professionally (he just received a new promotion at work) and personally (he is getting married this month!), he has committed several hours each month in support of CCM.
We are blessed to have these two talented and committed men in our ranks who with enthusiasm have stepped up their commitment. In addition, several other CCM Men have answered the call and we are rapidly getting back on track.
While the team was ready and raring to go for staging the Man Boy Breakfast for September, the membership and leadership made the difficult but wise decision to cancel the September Man Boy Breakfast. Instead, we want identify a new permanent home for the Man Boy Breakfast.
So now the search is on for a new site for October. Stay tuned for the update. No doubt, we will have a site for the October 15th Man Boy Breakfast. We ask for your prayers and support as we work to make clear the path that He has set out for us. Keep the faith! Be back at you soon,
Carlton L. Guthrie
Chairman, Concerned Christian Men
Tough Men for a Tough Mission
email: cguthrie@detroitchassis.com
Phone: 313-433-2224
Fax: 313-925-1691
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Reading at Grade Level by Third Grade Matters
(Major correlation among students who do not read at grade level by the fourth grade and not graduating from high school, living in poverty later in life, being at risk for prison as well as lacking success in college and business.)
In 2010 and again in 2013, the Annie E. Casey Foundation published a KIDS COUNT special report, Early Warning: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters, to launch the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. Early Warning summarized the research basis for focusing on grade-level reading proficiency as an essential step toward increasing the number of children who succeed academically, graduate from high school on time and do well in life and the workforce.
Our report by Leila Fiester, Early Warning Confirmed: A Research Update on Third-Grade Reading, found that the newest research reaffirms Early Warning's premises and heightens the sense of urgency around third-grade reading proficiency. Early-grade reading proficiency in the United States continues to be unacceptably low for students from low-income families and children of color. In 2011, 82 percent of fourth-graders from low-income families - and 84 percent of low-income students who attend high-poverty schools - failed to reach the "proficient" level in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The share of low-income black, Hispanic, and Native American students who scored below proficient on the NAEP reading test was very high (88, 86 and 87 percent, respectively) and much larger than the share of low-income white or Asian/Pacific Islander students (74 and 72 percent). New research has helped quantify and reinforce the correlations that Early Warning drew between poverty, failure to read proficiently and failure to graduate from high school.
Sociologist Donald Hernandez found that children who do not read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers. Black and Hispanic children who are not reading proficiently in third grade are twice as likely as similar white children not to graduate from high school (about 25 vs. 13 percent). When we add poverty to the analysis, the findings are even more sobering.
Three years after the publication of Early Warning and the start of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a wealth of new research supports the GLR Campaign's goal and sense of urgency. It reaffirms the hypothesis that third-grade reading proficiency is crucial for continued academic success and to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, and the key factors in addressing the problem. The knowledge base continues to grow. And with each new finding, we gain more insight, resources and confidence for the challenge of helping more children, especially those from low-income families, read at grade level by the end of third grade.
Click Here to Read Executive Summary of this Report on Third Grade Reading.
Click Here to See Video on Reading at Grade Level by Third Grade.
This story was brought to our attention by Mr. Marc Sims.
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From The Black Star Project's
Families Matter Program
CIRCUIT COURT 
OF COOK COUNTY
ELDER JUSTICE CENTER
FREE SENIOR ENRICHMENT SEMINAR SERIES:
Adult Day Care Services:
Making the Right Choice
Topics to Include:
- Types of adult day care services
- How to choose the right service for your needs
- Payment options
SPEAKERS:
Winnie Lam - Education Chair,
Illinois Adult Day Service Association
Chinese American Service League
and
Carolyn Hicks - Executive Director
Renaissance Adult Day Services, Inc.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m.
Richard J. Daley Center
50 West Washington Street
Courtroom 2005
TO REGISTER CONTACT:
The Circuit Court of Cook County Elder Justice Center
(312) 603-9233
Hon. Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County
Hon. Patricia Banks, Presiding Judge, Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division
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WE THE PEOPLE ASK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OR EXPLAIN A POSITION ON AN ISSUE OR POLICY:
Grant Marcus Mosiah Garvey a Posthumous Presidential Pardon of His Wrongful 1923 Conviction
Created by M.C. on August 29, 2016
The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey should be posthumously pardoned for his wrongful conviction for use of the mails in furtherance of a scheme to defraud. During a time when Blacks were seen as second class citizens, Garvey led a mass movement to elevate the Black community through economic empowerment and independence. He was convicted after being targeted by J. Edgar Hoover and deprived of a fair trial. His sentence was later commuted by President Calvin Coolidge on recommendation by the U.S. Attorney General and with the support of 9 of the 12 jurors who voted to convict. Garvey never abandoned his movement to empower people of the African diaspora and he was recognized as a forebearer of the Civil Rights Movement by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. Today, his legacy is celebrated the world over.
Note: The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey inspired the creation of The Black Star Project with his Black Star Steam Ship Line and his other work to improve and advance Black people.
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- Men and Women, Do You Want to Earn $42 Per Hour?
- Do You Want A Career with a Long, Positive Future?
- Are You Willing to Work Hard and to Learn?
- Do You Want Wonderful Benefits?
If so, call The Black Star Project to
attend a session by IBEW Local 134 to tell you about how you can become a Chicago-Area
Electrician
Thursday, September 29, 2016
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
The Black Star Project, Suite 2B
3509 South King Drive
Chicago, Illinois
Space is Limited
Please call 773.285.9600 today to RSVP for this once in a lifetime opportunity!
Serious Inquiries Only!
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Several Hundred Black Fathers at Chicago's Catalyst Circle
Rock Charter School for
2016 Million Father March
Black Fathers Are Not the Problem,
They Are the Solution!
"Tens of thousands of Black fathers in Chicago participated in the 2016 Million Father March with little acknowledgement from media and no acknowledgement from government. In a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black fathers were rated best in numerous categories in comparison to fathers of other races. Can Black fathers do more? Yes they can! But so can Latino, Jewish, Chinese and White fathers. To improve our communities and to help stop the violence in our communities, Black fathers need help with their massive unemployment, their unfair and un-godly hyper-incarceration, major economic disinvestment in their communities, their receiving a third world-type education, their living in the most segregated city in America, and so, so much more. When we fix these things, we will also fix the issue of violence in Chicago's Black communities. The Campaign for Black Male Achievement was a major sponsor of the 2016 Million Father March."
Phillip Jackson
The Black Star Project
773.285.9600
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University of Chicago 3rd Best University in America But Only Has
1% Black Male Enrollment
The University of Chicago was recently announced as the third best university in America in the 2017 Rankings of the U.S. News and World Report. In a country, the United States, with 7% Black Males; in a state, Illinois, with 6% Black Males; in a city, Chicago, that is 35% Black; in a part of Chicago, the south side of Chicago, that is 80% Black; how can the University of Chicago only have one percent of Black males enrolled at their university? This is not acceptable.
The University of Chicago has studied Black violence, Black families, Black youth, Black education, Black economics, Black gangs, Black housing, Black politics and every other aspect of the Black community. The University of Chicago has helped to create policies and programs for Black people, some of them injurious to Black people, but they cannot figure out how to get more than 1% of Black male students on their campus. Are they trying?
The University of Chicago has also become the number one developer in poor, south side Chicago communities which includes land acquisition of and real estate development in those Black communities?
How can the University of Chicago be the third best university in America and they can't even figure out how to get more than 1% of Black males on their campus as students?
Please see listing below of Black males enrolled in the 21 largest Illinois universities and colleges for 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015 according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education:
| University/College Name | 2015 | 2014 | 2012 | 2011 |
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| Bradley University | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| University of Chicago | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2 |
| Loyola University Chicago | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| University of Ill. Champaign | 2 | 2 | 2.1 | 2 |
| Northwestern University | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | 2.3 | 2 | 2 | 2.1 |
| University of Ill. Chicago | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Illinois State University | 3 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| Lewis University | 3 | 3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| DePaul University | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| Northeastern Ill. University | 4 | 4.1 | 4 | 3.4 |
| University of Ill. Springfield | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| Roosevelt University | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| Southern Ill. Univ. Edwardsville | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| Northern Illinois University | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.3 |
| Columbia College | 6.1 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 7 |
| Eastern Illinois University | 6.4 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 4.9 |
| Western Illinois University | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6 | 5.1 |
| Southern Ill. Univ. Carbondale | 7.1 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 8.1 |
| Governors State University | 8.6 | 8.7 | 7.8 | 7.5 |
| Chicago State University* | 18.5 | 18 | 20.4 | 20.9 |
*Chicago State University has one of the smallest student populations of the 21 largest universities in Illinois. Chicago State University is also in danger of closing because of lack of state and alumni support.
and let him know that you want the University of Chicago to use some of its $8 billion endowment to increase their Black male student enrollment to 10% by the 2018 academic year.
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