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NYC Spends $4.6M to Offer Mental Health Services for Pre-K and Daycare Centers

By goodblacknews on July 28, 2016
NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpi
New York’s First Lady, Chirlane McCray, says it is vital to act early on mental health issues and that “it is easier to grow a healthy child than to mend a broken adult.”  (JOE MARINO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)

New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray said the network fits into the administration’s larger, ThriveNYC project to boost mental health across the city.
“Everyone will face hardship. That is a part of life,” McCray said. “By acting early to help our youngest New Yorkers understand and manage their emotions, we can better equip them to handle stress, prevent or lessen the severity of future mental health challenges, and set them up for success. It is easier to grow a healthy child than to mend a broken adult.”
Under the program, staffers at nearly 400 pre-kindergarten and day care sites will get added training and classroom materials to support kids’ mental health.
Staffers at the pre-K and day care sites will also be able to refer kids to the seven Mental Health Network clinics, where those kids will have priority for services.
More than 3,000 kids and their families are expected to take part at first in the project that eventually aims to give mental health services to any of the city’s 100,000 universal pre-K students and city day care users who might need them.
The locations of the clinics are still to be determined, but there will be two in Bronx, two in Brooklyn and one each in the other three boroughs.  The city schools have also invested $47 million in programs to improve school climate and boost students’ mental health under the de Blasio administration.
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said pre-K staffers will be better equipped to help students build strong foundations for success in school and life thanks to the training they will receive under the Mental Health Network.  “Teachers and school administrators play an important role in nurturing a child’s social and emotional growth,” Fariña said.

No Charges? UNACCEPTABLE: Texas Family to Sue After No Indictment of Police Officer in Pool Attack On Teens

By goodblacknews on June 27, 2016


article via newsone.com
The family of 15-year-old Dajerria Becton plans to pursue a civil lawsuit against former McKinney, Texas police officer Eric Casebolt for slamming her to the ground during a pool party.
A grand jury decided last week not to indict Casebolt, saying there was not enough evidence of criminal wrongdoing, despite the video showing the former officer slamming and sitting on the young woman and even drawing his gun on two other teenagers who attempted to help her.
Casebolt resigned from his position in the McKinney Police Department four days after the altercation took place at a pool party in 2015.
mckinney-texas
On Monday’s edition of NewsOne Now, Becton family attorney Kim Cole spoke with guest host Avis Jones-DeWeeverabout the lawsuit against Casebolt and the McKinney Police Department, and addressed Becton’s condition since she was brutally assaulted by the former cop.
The charges filed include assault, battery, unlawful detention, and infliction of emotional distress.
Cole considers their chances of receiving justice through a civil suit greater than criminal litigation, “because the standard of proof is lower than of a criminal case.” She also emphasized the effect of the jury pool’s impact on receiving justice in cases involving police misconduct and said, “I think that is problematic in a lot of cases across the U.S. as well…The jury pools are rarely diverse.” 
Cole said the McKinney case is “indicative of a much larger problem in this country.”
When asked how Becton is doing, Cole said, “Physically, she has healed,” and then added, “she is struggling emotionally … with all of this being back in the media again it’s difficult, it’s tough for her.”
Cole concluded, “This is something that will follow her for the rest of her life.”
Source: Texas Family To Sue After No Indictment In Pool Attack On Teens | News One

EDITORIAL: Disadvantaged Fathers Should Be Supported, Not Stigmatized

By goodblacknews on June 19, 2016

DDG Still.jpg
by Omar Epps, Malik Yoba and Emily Abt

The image of the “deadbeat dad” has been and remains pervasive but there are millions of men in America who live in defiance of this stereotype. Our film “Daddy Don’t Go” was born from these parallel and enduring realities: that one in three American children is fatherless but there are also countless fathers fighting to be active in their children’s lives who deserve to be seen.

In an effort to better understand the obstacles these men face, we followed four disadvantaged dads –Roy, Nelson, Omar and Alex – over the course of two years as they struggled to be present fathers. The issues in the film are close to our hearts. Omar is the product of a fatherless household but now a proud father of three.  Malik credits his own father with being the inspiration for his perseverance during a tough custody battle. Emily’s grandfather was excluded from her father’s life for his inability to pay child support.  So we were all deeply committed to exploring the issue of fatherlessness when we began making the film three years ago, what did we learn along the way?
Persistent unemployment is a major problem for disadvantaged fathers.  All four of the fathers in “Daddy Don’t Go” very much wanted to work but struggled to get and keep steady jobs.  They are certainly not alone in this struggle.  Working, in America, is in decline. The number of men ages 25 to 54 who are not working has more than tripled since the late 1960s.
Making this film had us yearning for the work programs of the New Deal era when millions of men were given the opportunity to work and provide financial security for their families. Our current government has made great efforts to enforce child support payments but where are the large-scale job programs for disadvantaged men that could really make a difference?
Our second big take-away from making “Daddy Don’t Go” is that while there have been vast improvements; our family court system still treats men like second-class parents.  Child support payments are mostly shouldered by men but only 18% of fathers have custody of their children.  This means that a man’s financial role in his child’s life continues to be prioritized above his emotional one.

FATHER'S DAY: Powerful Photos That Challenge Prejudiced Notions of Black Fatherhood

By goodblacknews on June 19, 2016
These Powerful Photos Will Challenge All Your Notions of Black Fatherhood
Image Credit: Campaign for Black Male Achievement

If You Were Gifted Solar Panels in Oakland, Prince Likely Paid for Them

By goodblacknews on April 25, 2016

Prince performs at the 19th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Monday, March 15, 2004, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. (photo via sfgate.com)
Prince performs at the 19th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Monday, March 15, 2004, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. (photo via sfgate.com)

article by Katie Dowd via sfgate.com
In the days since the death of music legend Prince, stories of his secret, wide-ranging philanthropy efforts are finally being told.  Two of Prince’s major charitable endeavors were centered in the Bay Area: bringing solar panels to Oakland and helping young people of color learn how to code.
In an interview with CNN, political activist Van Jones revealed that, while he was the face of environmental group Green For All, Prince was the driving force and checkbook.
“There are people who have solar panels right now on their houses in Oakland, California that don’t know Prince paid for them,” Jones said.
But that wasn’t all. Prince also helped found #YesWeCode, an initiative to help young people from “low opportunity backgrounds” learn the necessary skills for jobs in the tech sector.  “He insisted we create ‘Yes We Code,'” Jones told USA Today, “so that kids in hoodies could be mistaken for kids in Silicon Valley.”
In fact, Jones says that concerts in Oakland (and other cities) were a “cover” so he could visit and check in on charitable organizations and local community groups.
“He did not want it be known publicly, and he did not want us to say it. But I’m gonna say it because the world needs to know that it wasn’t just the music,” Jones said. “The music was just one way he tried to help the world, but he was helping every day of his life.”

24 Year-Old Stefun Darts Pays Off Grandparents Mortgage, Sends Them On Vacation to Bahamas

By goodblacknews on March 27, 2016
Stefun Darts and grandparents (photo via facebook)
Stefun Darts and grandparents (photo via facebook)

article by Shenequa Golding via vibe.com

Stefun Darts ate microwave pizza for months on end just to be able to give his grandparents the surprise of their lives. The full time college student and founder of the non-profit Caring Heart Youth presented his grandmother and grandfather with a check on March 20th for $15,000 to pay off their mortgage.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Marilyn Roberts, Stefun’s grandmother said. “To have a grandson like that is truly a blessing.”
For more than 20 years, the Roberts have being paying their mortgage on time every month and were well on their way to paying off their house. However, it would’ve taken another four years to do so, which is when Darts stepped in.

The Obamas Return From Cuba in Time to Celebrate Easter Sunday in Historic Virginia Church

By goodblacknews on March 27, 2016


ALEXANDRIA, VA — President Obama and his family are celebrating Easter Sunday morning at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Old Town Alexandria, according to TIME magazine and other media reports.  It’s the second year in a row the first family has worshiped at the church on Easter Sunday.
Source: Obamas Celebrate Easter Sunday in Old Town Alexandria…

This Artist's Drawing of The Obamas Is Absolute Perfection – Clutch Magazine

By goodblacknews on March 13, 2016


We’ve been a fan of Nicholle Kobi’s art for a while now, but her recent drawing of the Obamas at the recent White House State Dinner is absolute perfection.
Source: This Artist’s Drawing of The Obamas Is Absolute Perfection – Clutch Magazine

Young Gifted and Black: 10-Year-Old Genius Harold Branch IV Finds Niche in School for the Gifted

By goodblacknews on March 11, 2016

Harold Gregory Branch IVarticle by Robin White Goode via blackenterprise.com
At 9, Harold Gregory Branch IV—whom everyone knows as Quatro—took the ACT and scored a 21. Yes, that ACT. He ranks in the top 10% in math in the nation. As far as giftedness, he is in the 99th percentile of the 99th percentile.
Now 10, Quatro is blessed in that he attends a private school for gifted kids on a college campus. Every day he tells his parents that he loves school. His first reading assignment? The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
Quatro’s parents have been strategic about his education. One of the first things his mother said to me is that she and her former husband co-parent. Here are some ways Harold Branch and Rayco Branch work together to develop their son’s potential.

  • Lay the foundation. They agreed to invest in their children’s (the Branches also have a gifted daughter) early education, rather than saving for college. “At 5 he started the Abacus rogram and piano.”
  • Sacrifice. They prioritize spending on their children’s education. “We may sacrifice new shoes or a new car or a stylish purse, but Quatro’s in the Abacus program that everyone else said they couldn’t afford.”
  • Take responsibility. “In this country the education system is broken,” says Harold, “but for people of color it’s devastating. Our state is 47th in education in the nation, so we expected the school to provide the skeleton, and we provide the rest. Rayco is an award-winning educator. She always had the kids doing worksheets that had them two years ahead.”

Janelle Monae, Jesse Williams, Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler to Headline #JUSTICEFORFLINT Benefit on Feb. 28

By goodblacknews on February 23, 2016
Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler in Hollywood on Dec. 14, 2015. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Disney)

article by Jaimie Etkin via buzzfeed.com
On Feb. 28, comedian Hannibal Buress, Creed director and co-writer Ryan Coogler, singer Janelle Monae, Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams, Selma director Ava DuVernay, and other entertainment notables will be joining forces onstage for a free event in Flint, Michigan, BuzzFeed News can exclusively reveal. The Buress-hosted gathering, dubbed #JUSTICEFORFLINT, is open to the public and presented by Blackout for Human Rights, an activist collective founded by Coogler which is devoted to addressing human rights violations in the U.S.
For almost two years, Flint’s residents — many of whom are black and impoverished — have been subjected to massive lead and bacterial contamination in Genesee County’s water supply, and forced to avoid tap water.
#JUSTICEFORFLINT will take place at the Whiting Auditorium (1241 E. Kearsley St.) on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m. ET to raise both awareness and funds for those affected by the water crisis. It will also be live-streamed via revolt.tv, and donations will be collected at the event and via text. Along with all the star power, organizers have also invited members of the Flint community to share their stories with the audience.
“With the #JUSTICEFORFLINT benefit event we will give a voice to the members of the community who were the victims of the choices of people in power who are paid to protect them, as well as provide them with a night of entertainment, unity, and emotional healing,” Ryan Coogler told BuzzFeed News in a statement. “Through the live stream we will also give a chance for people around the world to participate, and to donate funds to programs for Flint’s youth.”
Though the event does coincide with the Academy Awards — which largely snubbed Creed in nominations and did the same with DuVernay’s Selma last year — Coogler said Feb. 28 was chosen because it fell on the final weekend of Black History Month, and that the date overlap was a coincidence.
The idea for #JUSTICEFORFLINT emerged at Blackout’s last event #MLKNOW held on Martin Luther King Day (Jan. 28), which took place at Riverside Church in Harlem and drew more than 2,200 attendees and nearly half a million views online.
To read the full article, go to: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jaimieetkin/ryan-coogler-justice-for-flint-event?utm_term=.yt20eLa7#.wo7RP0QW