- Created on 06 February 2013
College Park to Hold Gun Buy Back Program Saturday
The city of College Park will hold a gun buyback program on Saturday, Feb. 9 on the grounds of the city auditorium – 3631 Main Street. The program is open to residents and offers cash for firearms.
The "guns for cash" program is open to the College Park community; guns may be turned in with no questions asked.
The Mayor and Council approved the program during the Nov. 19 meeting, saying the effort is to rid the streets of guns by allowing an anonymous collection of firearms at the auditorium. The city allotted $20,000 dollars for the event.
Ward II Councilman Joe Carn is excited about reducing the number of guns on the street. "We want to reduce crime in our community and we are hoping residents can use the extra money", Carn said. "No questions asked."
Carn has organized a press conference for 4pm on the day of the event, and expects participation by local clergy and elected officials.
Participants who drop off hand guns that qualify will receive $100 cash on the spot; $150 for rifles or assault-style weapons.
The "no questions asked" policy means that people won't be asked for identification, but guns will be checked against a database for serial numbers before they are destroyed.
"We're hoping for a lot of people to turn in guns," said College Park Police Chief Ron Fears. "It is my hope that this program will raise the consciousness of our citizens about guns."
- Created on 06 February 2013
Health and Human Services Opens New Facility for Families
The newly renovated Oak Hill Child, Adolescent and Family Center, located at 2805 Metropolitan Parkway in Atlanta, officially re-opens Thursday, Feb. 7 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 am. The center sits on a 22-acre campus and will provide coordinated care to children and their families from all over Fulton County.
This is the fourth integrated health/service center the Fulton Board of Commissioners has opened in the four years since pledging to combat health disparities. Formerly a setting for behavioral health care, services at Oak Hill have been expanded to include specialty medical and oral health, an education center, and youth workforce development.
A new addition is a teaching kitchen which will be used to provide nutrition education and healthy cooking classes. The campus also features a garden, a gymnasium and a walk/run track. AARA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funding paid for a majority of the 10-month renovation.
Visit www.oakhillkids.org for further information.
- Created on 01 February 2013
'Legacy of the Emancipation Proclamation' Symposium Planned
According to experts who will speak at an upcoming symposium on the Emancipation Proclamation, one of the most important provisions of the proclamation allowed men of African descent to join the Union Army, thus adding a "powerful ally" to bring an end to the war with a Union victory.
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Lincoln granted freedom to all enslaved persons in all areas of the Confederacy still in rebellion. It did not pertain to any enslaved persons in states under federal control.
The symposium presented by the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Inc., Metro Atlanta Chapter in partnership with the National Archives at Atlanta, will be held on Feb. 9 at The National Archives at Atlanta, located at 5780 Jonesboro Road , Morrow, GA, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The symposium will include presentations by a distinguished platform of speakers including Hari Jones, assistant director and curator of the African American Civil War Museum, Washington, D.C.; Atty. Michael Thurmond, former Georgia Labor Commissioner; and Hermina Glass Avery, research and public historian for the Center of Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta and the CEO and principal researcher at Heritage Row Partners, LLC, among others.
There will also be exhibits showcasing African Americans in military service from the American Revolution to the Gulf Wars; exhibits by 44th United State Colored Troops (Chattanooga); the 9th and 10th CAV (Buffalo Soldiers) Atlanta; as well as genealogists displaying the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on the lives of their ancestors.
A required registration fee of $10 includes lunch. One youth admitted free with a paying adult. Seating is limited. For more detailed information and to register visit www.aahgsatl.org.
- Created on 01 February 2013
100 Black Men Provide Corporate Internship Path For Young Adults
For many young minorities, landing a job in corporate America is dreamed of achievement beyond their reach.
A new partnership with the 100 Black Men of America and INROADS, one of the largest providers of corporate internships, can help make the dream a reality for hundreds of African American young adults.
The initiative, implemented through the 100 Black Men of America's Collegiate 100 Chapters, will provide students from more than 50 Collegiate 100 chaptersthroughout the U.S. with paid internshipand career development opportunities through INROADS.
President and CEO of INROADS, Forest Harper, said that the initiative targets youth who are "underserved" or at a disadvantage not only in climbing the corporate ladder but in simply entering thecorporate workforce. "Underserved to us means any student that is without the mentorship or opportunities that would allow them to get into corporate America." said Harper.
The INROADS program exposes students to a combination of monthly coaching and advice along with online and classroom training combined with a community service component. For more than 40 years, INROADS has offered these resources to the community and currently has nearly 2,000 interns placed with 230 corporations. To date, INROADS has secured over 127,000 students with paid internships. An advantage for INROADS' interns is being connected to its distinguished alumni circle. Students have found a plethora of networking resources through their
alumni association.
Getting connected to INROADS through the 100 Black Men will require diligence on the students' part and a 3.0 grade-point average. Harper said that INROADS does have alternatives for hard-working students who may need extra support.
"Remember that employment is based on the desires of the corporation and what their standards are for success, and part of that is academic achievement. Some of our corporations work with us for students who are under development.
"Somebody may have a 2.8 grade-point average. That doesn't mean that we will turn them away. We will work with them with tutors until we get them to the standards the corporation believes would be successful in the workplace," Harper explained.
The 100 Black Men of America, whose mission focuses on mentoring and preparing students for leadership, viewed this opportunity as a perfect match for what they strive to achieve on a daily basis.
"As part of the 100 Black Men's efforts, we also recognize that we can't just do this work alone," said Curley Dossman, chairman of the National 100 Black Men of America. "The number of African-American youth, especially African-America males, the dropout rate that we've seen, the lack of actual perseverance and matriculation through high school and also through college – in order to get those students to be able to successfully matriculate through high school and college requires a great deal of effort and work."
Dossman added, "An opportunity to collaborate with an organization such as INROADS that has such a long history of working with students and actually placing them and providing them with career opportunities, supports what we are trying to do with our mentoring component and with our education initiative with young people."
Anthony Jeffreys, chairman of the 100 Black Men's Collegiate 100 and who spearheaded the partnership, underscored the importance of indoctrinating Collegiate 100 students to recognize the link between an education and a career. His hope is that INROADS will serve as a "pipeline" in helping the 100 Black Men to develop the next generation of leaders.
For more information about INROADS, visit www.inroads.org or to contact the 100 Black Men's Collegiate 100 organization, contact Anthony Jeffreys at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1-919-802-7863.
- Created on 31 January 2013
Maya Angelou, Judy Smith to Headline Georgia's Week of Soul
Renowned author and poet Maya Angelou and TV's "Scandal" inspiration Judy Smith will headline a week of activities and entertainment during the University of Georgia's annual Week of Soul celebration beginning on Feb. 4. The week's events are sponsored by the University Union Student Programming Board's Committee for Black Cultural Programs.
Angelou's lecture will be held on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Tate Student Center. Advance tickets are $15 for the general public and $5 for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus. Day-of-event tickets are $20.
Angelou is a celebrated poet, novelist, educator, historian, filmmaker and civil rights activist. She is the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. She has served on two presidential committees and has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2011), the National Medal of Arts (2000) and the Lincoln Medal (2008). Angelou has received three Grammy Awards and more than 30 honorary degrees.
Week of Soul concludes on Feb. 8 with a lecture by author and crisis manager Judy Smith at 8:30 p.m. in the Tate Theatre. Smith is the founder, president and CEO of the crisis management firm Smith & Company. Her career is the inspiration for the ABC television series "Scandal."
Smith's lecture is co-sponsored by UGA's Office of Multicultural Services and Programs and the Black Affairs Council. Tickets are $5 for the general public and free for UGA students.
Event tickets are available at the Tate Student Center Cashier Window, open weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. A valid UGACard is required for acquisition of free student tickets.
For updates and more information about Week of Soul events, call 706/542-6396 or see http://union.uga.edu. The University Union Student Programming Board is a registered student organization within UGA's Division of Student Affairs.
Photo: Courtesy of Dwight Carter
