Charles Barkley at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game (photo via newsone.com)
Former NBA baller Charles Barkley is donating one million dollars to Morehouse College, the Historically Black College for men in Atlanta, Ga. The TNT analyst announced the gift during a media conference call for the American Century Championship’s celebrity golf tournament earlier this week.
During the call, Barkley, who reportedly just signed an eight-to-ten year extension with the TV show “Inside The NBA,” said, “I just got a new contract, and my goal is always to give a million dollars a year away to charity.”
In fact, “the round mound of rebound” announced $3 million in gifts that day. Barkley gave Morehouse $1 million, and he also donated $1 million to his own alma mater, Auburn University. He also announced another $1 million to the Wounded Warriors project, a charity for veterans, saying, “I think it’s a joke the way they treat our soldiers.” article by Angela Bronner Helm via newsone.com
Royal Touch Barbershop owner Reggie Ross gives a touch-up to a young customer while he reads in Palm Beach County, Fla. (WPTV SCREENSHOT) An article published in The Root last year about a Florida barbershop that promotes literacy sparked a movement miles away in the cities of Prichard and Mobile, Ala.
Freddie Stokes launched Books for Boys about three weeks ago. He initially intended to establish small libraries, of about 75 books each, in two or three barbershops, but the response to his initiative was so overwhelming that Stokes says he’s now able to establish libraries in at least six barbershops. The first one will open in mid-June.
“We don’t want to stop until all the barbershops in this community have libraries,” he says, with an air of reserved confidence that it will be done.
Stokes is supplying books with which black boys can identify. “When our boys say they don’t like to read, a lot of that is coming from not being interested in reading about characters that don’t look like them,” he explains. His growing stockpile includes biographies, such as Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X, 12 Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope.
In addition to promoting literacy, Books for Boys aims to raise self-esteem. Stokes grew up in public housing and struggled early in school, having to repeat the third grade. A teacher inspired him to read books, including those about successful African Americans, which allowed him to dream big and ultimately achieve his goals.
Books for Boys’ Freddie Stokes (photo: Rodney R. Clifton)
Stokes worked in classrooms for two years through Teach for America, an organization that places recent college graduates and professionals in underserved classrooms. He introduced his students to books with positive black characters and watched their self-esteem grow.
“When I went from the classroom to the courtroom, I was able to connect the violence to a lack of reading and self-esteem,” says Stokes, who is also a criminal defense attorney in private practice.
“After reading the article in The Root, I asked myself, why isn’t this [barbershop libraries] in every community?” he recalls. “Then one day I got an epiphany: Just get up and do the work. We can’t wait on the government to do it for us.”
Stokes admits that he didn’t expect the overwhelming response that he received. Barbershop owners said that they are expecting scores of boys to come in over the summer and would gladly offer them books. Parents, sometimes groups of them, are donating with a request that Stokes open a library where they take their sons. And local professionals are opening their wallets to sponsor barbershops, sometimes with a request that Stokes purchase books that emphasize math and science.
In a few short weeks, Stokes’ grassroots effort raised more than $1,500 on GoFundMe. Folks in the community have also given about $800 in cash donations toward the purchase of books. Stokes hopes that this small effort ignites a larger movement that reaches well beyond the Mobile area. article by Nigel Roberts via theroot.com
99 Year-Old graduate Doreetha Daniels (photo via Facebook)
Talk about a “senior moment.” 99-year-old Doreetha Daniels is no stranger to chasing her dreams. Dulce recently graduated from the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA. According to ktla.com, the 99 year-old was inspired by her grandchildren.
Her son said she persevered through her education despite suffering a couple of strokes and losing her driver’s license.
College officials said Daniels struggled sometimes — especially with computer literacy — at a campus where most students are 18 to 24 years old.
But she just worked harder, according to the college. Twice a week before class, she studied, did her homework and worked with tutors at the college’s tutoring center.
She was touted as “one of the most dedicated and hardworking students” in the statistics class, the college said in a news release.
Doreetha stated, “99, here I am. I accomplished what I wanted to do, and this is my dream come true.”
When she was asked what advice she would to younger generations, Daniels said: “Don’t give up. Do it. Don’t let anybody discourage you. Say that, ‘I’m going to do it,’ and do it for yourself.” article by Courtney Whitaker via madamenoire.com
