Greetings!
This week we celebrated Rev. Martin Luther King's birthday. Next month is Black History Month. As you know, our mission to build community keeps us focused on learning about each other, sharing our heritage, and appreciating our differences. This issue shares some of the ways we do this in our youth programs.
But we've learned that knowledge is not enough to overcome the barriers that divide us. We have to build bridges. We offer ten things you can do to build bridges personally, for your family, and/or your organization.
|
| January Headlines |
Skating on to College - The McKee After 3 participants kicked off their winter break with a visit to the College of Staten Island campus. They learned about how to apply, where to find tuition assistance, and what college life was all about. They followed it up with ice skating at the rink in Clove Lakes Park. See pictures and read more on the blog.
Over 400 students participated in the Step UP, Speak Out Youth Summit at the College of Staten Island -- almost a hundred of them were NY Center youth. Our Curtis step team performed. Everyone participated in the workshops. Many were inspired by college president Morales when he shared his story of growing up in the South Bronx.
Elementary School students have dreams, too. The 2nd and 4th grade after school classes read Martin Luther King's 'I have a Dream' speech and talked about what it meant to them. They translated their own dreams for the world -- peace, good neighbors, more animals, more recycling, and a world where people use words instead of weapons -- into a great poster.
Our first graders have been dancing their way around the world -- the Tarantella, Horah, Irish jig, Mexican hat dance, polka, merengue, and country line dances.
The third grade after school book club has been reading its way around the globe. For Black Awareness, they read Shades of Black: a Celebration of Our Children.
Currently Recruiting - Are you interested in a new opportunity? Know someone who is? The best employees come to us through people we know. We're looking for people to fill the following positions:
- Site Supervisor for high school level after school program. Full-time; MSW and relevant experience preferred.
- Personal Advocates - Full-time and part-time after school. BA in social work or other human service field and youth development experience preferred.
- Career and Education Counselor, full-time, masters-level and related experience preferred
- Internship and Job Developer, full-time, masters-level and related experience preferred
- Tutors, part-time. Bachelor degree required; certified teacher preferred.
If you know someone interested in one of these positions, have them email their resume to Candace Gonzalez.
|
|
Ten Ideas to Celebrate Black History Month (and increase social capital)
|
1. Visit
the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
on-line. Add your memories to the Memory Project. Encourage your students and
colleagues to add their memories, as well.
2. Start a
monthly lunch gathering/discussion group at work. In February, choose a topic
related to African American history or current events.
3. See a
relevant movie with family, friends, your club, church, or class and discuss it
afterwards. Students from McKee After 3 are seeing Denzel Washington's new film,
The Great Debaters. Or you could rent a classic like To Kill a Mockingbird.
4. Extend
or accept an invitation to share a meal with a person from a different
background.
5. Invite
African American friends, colleagues, program participants to bring old family
photographs and share them and their stories with you.
6. Visit an
African American historical site you haven't been to before. Invite someone
you'd like to know better to join you. In NYC there are many sites, like Sandy Ground
on Staten Island
7. Arrange
an exchange program, service day, or potluck between an African American
congregation, club, group, or family and another non-African American.
8. Collect
at least one oral history from an older African American
9. Share
the work of your favorite African American musician or artist with others who
may not be familiar with them.
10. Join
the movement to abolish the 'n' word. Some of the things you can do:
- If you haven't already, make a personal
commitment to stop using the N word.
- Only purchase the radio versions of songs.
- Start a writing campaign at your school to request
both artists and record companies stop using the N word.
- If you are a parent, teach your children about
the history of the N word.
- Do not fight or argue over the N word. Debate
and Educate.
You'll find additional suggestions on the website. Note: If you're planning your calendar for 2008, you can focus on women
in March, Asian Pacific people in May, Hispanics from September 15-October 15, and
Native Americans in November.
|
Curtis Black Awareness Club Presents --
|
|
 On
Wednesday afternoons the members of the Black Awareness Club at Curtis High
School start gathering outside Greg Hutchins'
office. They want to get on with their rehearsals. February 27th is
approaching fast and they have lots to do.
This is the
third year that the club has presented a school-wide assembly during Black
History Month. The members plan and execute the assembly themselves. This year
there will be poetry, a 'Did you know' segment, a performance by the step team,
and, Greg hopes, a special segment by the new Men's club.
Who joins a Black Awareness Club? Girl's are more apt to get involved with organizations. Greg explained about the 45
members who are about 95% female. Many of their parents immigrated here from Liberia, Nigeria,
and Guyana.
But this year the club, and the assembly, is diverse in other ways, too.
Early this
fall the club members realized that they were 'preaching to the choir.' They
wanted others - non-African Americans - to learn about the rich contributions
that their ancestors have made to this country and the world. So they held a
membership meeting with a challenge - each person would bring one person of a
different background.
The
membership meeting was a real United Nations. So many people came they moved to
the cafeteria. Participants shared information about their backgrounds and
discovered how many of them came from multi-cultural families. Several of the
newcomers - Irish, Hispanic, Asian, Italian -- have stayed with the club and
will be on-stage at the assembly.
What's
next?
A second 'Abolish the N Word' campaign. Last year their buttons became a
fashion statement, although the word is still very prevalent. The generation
gap looms large when discussing this issue. But, club members plan to design
and make new buttons this year. And Mr. Hutchins says, they bring enthusiasm to
everything they do. So, he has hope.
Greg
Hutchins wears many hats at the NY Center's After School Program at Curtis High
School. Some of them include advisor to the Black
Awareness Club, the Men's Club, coach of the step team, and counselor to many.
|
Your Future Now
|
 Hey, you there! Yeah
you, walking into school. You there, sitting at your desk. You-the
student-trudging through classes: it's time to think about what you're
going to do next. Soon you'll be on to bigger and better things, right? But, how are you going to get there? Like, what's your next step? Are you ready for what awaits you after that diploma is in hand? Do you know how much your future is going to cost? Here are some fun facts:
Michael DeVito is the Career and Education Advisor at our Young Adult Borough Center.
| |
|
Please help us expand our circle of friends. Use the "Forward email" link below to send this newsletter to someone you think would be interested. Your friend's address is protected. We don't keep it and won't use or sell it. |
|
|
| ON MY MIND
Dom's Wanderings |
 |
|
Over the
holidays my family had the opportunity to visit with my wife's cousin, an Air Force
colonel who has lived and traveled all over the globe.
People gathered around
him as he expounded on his take on world politics - all Muslims are 'emotional
nuts' out to get the good guys - us. He spoke as an expert - one who knows
because he's been there.
(Rest
assured, readers, I argued for a different perspective.)
The
leadership of the Mosaic Coalition has been in conversation about its
direction. We're entering a new strategic planning phase to move from our short
term goals to a longer term vision and plan. The episode with my cousin just
underscores for me how important this initiative remains.
The
conversations with my cousin and with the Mosaic Coalition have made me reflect
on how the Coalition has influenced my views and enriched my life. I'd like to tell
you about two of them.
Through our
study circles, I invited six Staten Island
leaders I didn't know from various ethnic and cultural groups to meet together
at my home. We met three times to share our experiences living on the Island and focus on what we could do to foster tolerance
and understanding.
Today, six
years later, I count these leaders among my friends and colleagues. We take
counsel with one another as issues emerge and support one another's
initiatives.
The second
-- my wife and I, both practicing Catholics, visited our neighborhood Mosque -
accepting an invitation issued at a Mosaic Coalition meeting.
First, we
were asked to remove our shoes, an alien act for a Catholic in church. Then, Mary
Ann was directed to the women's section. Without my wife for support,
surrounded by men in their cultural garb, I felt like a stranger in a strange
land -- until Fawzi Saleem said, "Dominick, is that you?!"
That evening I had the
opportunity to share a meal and religious service with my neighbors - and to
learn about their customs first hand. Both Mary Ann and I treasure the
evening.
What we
struggle with now is how to make experiences that build bridges across
cultural divides, like these, available to others, many others. And, how to
persuade our constituencies to take advantage of the opportunities the
Mosaic Coalition can provide.
Building
social capital takes place by expanding the number and diversity of the people
you can count on as friends and colleagues, and the number who can count on
you.
Join me
this month in doing at least one thing to celebrate Black History Month while
building your circle.
All the
best,
Dom
|
| Complete the Survey |
 |
|
You can still take our totally unscientific survey. It shouldn't take more than 2 minutes to complete the 5 questions, unless you decide to write a lot in the feedback box.
We'll publish the final results next month. You can check out the responses to-date here.
|
| Our Calendar |
ACT Classes - helping separating or divorcing parents understand how to help their children cope with the changes. Visit our calendar for this month's dates.
Monday Feb. 4th
NY Center Board Meeting
Wednesday, Feb. 27th
Curtis Black Awareness Club Assembly
|
|
|
