VIEWPOINTS
CHILDWATCH
ADWnews MY PART OF THE WORLD
BY MARIAN WRIGHT-EDELMAN
BY M. ALEXIS SCOTT
December 6 - 12, 2012
Determined to Make a Difference This year, New York is facing the worst homeless crisis since the Great Depression. The city’s homeless population included a record-breaking 42,888 children. The many ways poverty scars a child today and long into the future are well-documented. Children who have to navigate the harsh reality of homelessness on top of poverty often fall through our already porous safety nets and disproportionately drop out of school and then too often drop into the prison pipeline. The New York Department of Education tracks these students, and according to Wayne Harris, “the data spoke about how two-thirds of [homeless] high school males aren’t even making it to the 12th grade, never mind graduating—two-thirds aren’t even making it, because of obvious reasons. They have to work. A lot of them leave the family structure because it’s one less person to feed in the household. Then we also were moved by the data that spoke about how many of them wind up in prison industrial complexes as well. So we said we’ve got to do something about this.” Harris saw the need and decided to make a difference. The result is a program supporting homeless youths in Brooklyn called Safe In My Brother’s Arms (SIMBA). “We went to the shelters, identified some . . . young men—and we just created a safe space . . . for high school homeless males to come support each other, receive a little bit more intensified services around education, some social emotional supports, and even some supports for parents.” SIMBA includes educational and youth development and college and career readiness programs. Young people receive after-school academic support such as tutoring and help preparing for SAT exams and the statewide standardized Regents exams. “We were shocked ourselves at our retention rate . . . They felt so safe that they really stayed in the program, and since then, you know, it really took on a life of its own,” Harris said. One of Harris’ success stories is Raymond Perez, a senior at New World High School in the Bronx, who is already taking classes at Hostos Community College. Raymond is one of this year’s recipients of the Children’s Defense Fund-New York’s annual Beat the Odds® awards, which provide a minimum $5,000 college scholarship, guidance through the college admission process, and an invitation to join CDF’s leadership development training programs, to high school seniors who have overcome tremendous adversity, demonstrated excellence, and given back to their communities. In Raymond’s case, this adversity included a new beginning in the United States that was far from an American dream. Two-and-a-half years ago, Raymond’s mother finally received the visas that allowed their family to move from the Dominican Republic to join her new husband in New York. Raymond’s stepfather became abusive. His behavior escalated to the point where Raymond’s mother needed to flee with Raymond and his younger brother, and the three of them wound up homeless. But Safe In My Brother’s Arms and Wayne Harris as a mentor made a big difference in Raymond’s life. Raymond increased his academic success despite being homeless. He was invited to become an intern with the program and serve as a tutor of others. Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org.
ADWnews Founded August 5, 1928; Became Daily, March 12, 1932 W.A. Scott, II, Founder/Publisher, August 5, 1928 To February 7, 1934 C.A. Scott, Publisher February 7, 1934 to July 26, 1997 M. Alexis Scott, Publisher July 26, 1997 to Present
Happy 99th Birthday to Mother Mary Hughes “Mother” Mary Hughes has begun the countdown to her 100th birthday celebration. Mother Hughes celebrated her 99th birthday on Dec. 9 (her actual birthday is Dec. 8) at a gathering of friends and family at Frank Ski’s restaurant. The celebration was put together by her son Herbert J. Bridgewater, writer of the former Social Swirl column for the Atlanta Daily World. Bridgewater, well known around town for his charitable and community volunteer efforts, said this party was the kick-off for the big 100th birthday celebration. As she has for the last 74 years, Mother Hughes is donating boxes of clothing to charity -- one box for each year she has been on Earth. Bridgewater recalled her early years for those gathered, including Clayton Commission Chair Eldrin Bell, Fulton School Board member Catherine Maddox, East Point Fire Chief Rosemary Cloud, TV and real life Judge Glenda Hatchett and radio personality Frank Ski. She was born Dec. 8, 1913 in Maxie, Ga., in Oglethorpe County, and both her parents died before she was a year old. She was taken in by the White family that her mother worked for, but ran away from the abusive family at 11 years old. She ended up in Atlanta and attended Booker T. Washington High School. She went on to become a registered nurse, worked for the late Grace Towns Hamilton – the first woman to head the Atlanta Urban League and the first Black woman to be elected to the Georgia General Assembly. From there her love of the Atlanta community continued and in 2005 at the age of 91, she became the oldest person to graduate from the Interdenominational Theological Center with a certificate in Theology. Known as a very good cook, her friends conspired with Bridgewater to gather her handwritten recipes and produce “Heartwarming Recipes from Mother Hughes’ Kitchen.” The book was presented at the party and will be made available shortly. All proceeds from sales of the book will go toward a scholarship fund. Judge Hatchett read a letter of congratulations from Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Frank Ski’s family came by for hugs and kisses. Bridgewater announced that Judge Hatchett, Frank Ski, Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran and Congressman John Lewis will be honorary chairs for the 100th birthday celebration that will be a big gala at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Atlanta. I was privileged to be among the guests for this year’s celebration of a life well lived. I look forward to being with Mother Hughes to celebrate 100. M. Alexis Scott is publisher of Atlanta Daily World.
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