THURSDAY, MARCH 7 - 13, 2013
14A The Tennessee Tribune
Project Return to Open Clothing Giveaway NASHVILLE, TN — Project Return, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Nashville, announces the opening of Better Suited on March 9th at nine o’clock. Sponsored by Men’s Wearhouse and hosted by the Ray of Hope Community Church, Project Return’s Better Suited will provide clients — persons previously convicted of felonies and now returning to the community — with clothing suitable for interviews and other important civic occasions, after release from prison. The opening of Better Suited supports Project Return’s provision of wraparound services that increase the chances of a successful reentry, thereby reducing the rate of recidivism for its clients. Gaining and keeping employment is the essential component of a successful return to the community after incarceration. The process of finding work generally requires a professional appearance and confidence; both of which can be accomplished thru the offerings of Better Suited. Men’s Wearhouse holds annual suit drives and donates to Project Return the proceeds. Volunteers and congregants of Ray of
Hope Community Church will operate the program, assisting clients weekly with selection of clothing. According to Bettie Kirkland, Executive Director of Project Return: In many cases, when folks get out of prison, they stand at a fork in the road, and the clearer path may be the wrong one. Project Return situates itself at thatfork, giving ex-offenders the tools and the opportunities to get on the right path — toward employment, stability, and productivity. With help from Men’s Wearhouse, their access to like-new clothing is a great boost to their return to our community. Clothes don’t make the man, but they do make him better able — ‘better suited’ — to move forward with confidence. This program is a great example of collaboration between a nonprofit agency, a community institution, and a local business, to help those in need and make our community a better place. About Project Return In Davidson County, Project Return has, since 1979, been addressing the employment challenges and other difficul-
ties faced by persons returning to our community with criminal backgrounds. Through job readiness training; assistance with re-acquiring ID documentation; the provision of emergency financial assistance, food, and clothing; the disbursement of bus passes; child support services; alcohol and drug counseling; referrals for housing and medical care; and longer term case management, Project Return prepares the formerly incarcerated for a successful reentry that includes — the most important critical prediction of success — finding and keeping a job. In 2013, Project Return will begin a Transitional Employment Program to employ recently incarcerated individuals through contracted work with local business in Nashville. The participation in this program by a typically unemployable population will prepare them for gaining permanent employment with vocational and soft skills, a recent work history, and a reference base. About Ray of Hope Community Church Located at 901 Meridian Street, Nash-
ville, Ray of Hope Community Church has a vision of empowerment for individuals and families, and dedicates itself to outreach in service of the community. For more information about Ray of Hope Community Church, visit wwwlayofhopenashville.org/. About Men’s Wearhouse Founded in 1973, Men’s Wearhouse is one of North America’s largest specialty retailers of men’s apparel with 1,239 stores. The Men’s Wearhouse, Moores and K&G stores carry a full selection of designer, brand name and private label suits, sport coats, furnishings and accessories and Men’s Wearhouse and Tux stores carry a limited selection. Tuxedo rentals are available in the Men’s Wearhouse, Moores and Men’s Wearhouse and Tux stores. Additionally, Men’s Wearhouse operates a global corporate apparel and workwear group consisting of TwinHill in the United States and Dimensions, Alexandra and Yaffy in the United Kingdom.
Lipscomb Student Producers Receive Award
NASHVILLE, TN — Five Lipscomb University student producers have been awarded a national Gracie Award for Outstanding Public Service Announcement (PSA). The spot titled, “Guess Who?,” is one of five in a series of videos created by Lipscomb students on behalf of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in partnership with the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and ITVS’ Women and Girls Lead campaign. The student-produced video competed against professional local, online and public media nationwide to earn one of 54 Gracies in that category. The Gracies are given annually by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM). It was the only winner in the PSA category. “In a year with a record-setting number of entries, your submission displayed superior quality in writing, production and programming,” wrote alliance officials in the congratulations letter. The spot titled, “Guess Who? The Racecar Driver and the Pilot,” highlights two women in non-stereotypical careers usually associated with men: an airline pilot and a race car driver. The spot aired on Nashville Public Television (NPT) in October 2012 and is scheduled to be aired nationally in April. Guess Who is an education program created by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media designed to
teach children age 6-9 through the use of video and education curriculum how to challenge gender stereotypes. Lipscomb University was selected along with student producers at Boston University, the University of Southern California, Webster University, and Columbia College to each create a children’s educational program to be aired nationwide as part of ITVS’ Women and Girls Lead campaign, a public media campaign designed to celebrate, educate and activate women, girls and their allies across the globe to address the challenges of the 21st century. For 60 years, AWM has served as the voice and resource for women in the media, and has been a leader in celebrating and honoring programming created for women, by women and about women for more than three decades. The Gracies work to encourage the realistic and faceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs. The video was created under the advisement of NPT and was produced by Lipscomb communications students: Jason Michael Fox, junior from Nashville; Kathryn McKinley, senior from McMinnville; Kyrsten Turner, junior from Lawrenceville, Ga.; Marlee Vogel, junior from Kingsport; and Brynn Watkins, junior from Freeburg, Ill. In addition to traveling to Atlanta and Bowling Green, Ky., to film their two role models, the students used stop-
motion animation in the video and conducted in-studio interviews with second-graders. The kids’ comments and surprised reactions reinforced today’s conventional wisdom that pilots and race car drivers are all men. “The Gracie Award is an overwhelming testament to the hard work and diligence these students displayed in creating the ‘Guess Who?’ video,” said Jimmy McCollum, acting chair of the Lipscomb communication and journalism department. “The project required hundreds of hours of shooting and editing and provided a rare, holistic experience for our communication students. They had a hand in everything from meeting with clients, developing the concept, shooting video in-studio and on-site, and editing.” The “Guess Who?” video premiered in May 2012 for a local audience when Academy Award®-winning actor and Institute Founder Geena Davis, along with the Institute’s Executive Director Madeline Di Nonno, visited the Lipscomb campus as part of a fundraising luncheon held by the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership. The video’s producers will be honored at the June 26 Gracie Awards Luncheon at the New York Hilton Hotel in New York City.
AFRICOM’s Apologies Are Not Enough in Mali number of years. Some of that has occurred in Howard University is Mali, and some of it was regarded by many as the Malian officers coming cradle of the Black Powto the U.S. for trainer movement. It is the ing, to include Captain alma mater of Kwame Sanogo, who was – led Ture (Stokely Carmithe military coup which chael) who is often overthrew the constitucredited with populartionally elected governizing the slogan “Black ment. That’s very worriPower” as a rallying cry some for us.” for militant struggles Ham goes on to exfor self-determination plain that in the afterand justice. It is ironic math of the coup, U.S. then that General Carter Mark P. Fancher military leaders have Ham, outgoing head of evaluated the training U.S. Africa Command program, and they have noted that its fo(AFRICOM), selected Howard as a cus is heavy on use of weapons and maplace to confess one of AFRICOM’s many sins against the African continent. chinery. “We didn’t spend, probably, the AFRICOM was established during requisite time focusing on values, ethics the George W. Bush administration to and a military ethos that says when you ensure that armed force will be avail- put on the uniform of your nation, then able to maintain U.S. access to Africa’s you accept the responsibility to defend oil and other natural resources. AFRI- and protect that nation, to abide by the COM’s modus operandi has been to train legitimate civilian authority…” and use the armies of African countries Meanwhile, as the U.S. military conas proxies in missions that would, if car- tinues to provide logistical support to ried out by U.S. troops, prompt global French and Malian troops, a French news condemnation. service reports: “In northern Mali, the Amadou Sanogo is among the many country’s army frequently turns to torAfrican soldiers trained by AFRICOM. ture and murder against people suspectSanogo is a captain in Mali’s military, ed of backing armed Islamist groups…” and not long ago he led a coup that not There have also been allegations that only displaced Mali’s government, but forces in Mali who claim to be Muslim also created enough chaos to give secessionist forces in the northern part of fundamentalists have carried out amputhe country, along with external extrem- tations and other tortures against civilists an opportunity to capture and hold ians. General Ham may regard all of this as considerable territory -including the legendary town of Timbuktu. France then “worrisome,” but when AFRICOM’s deintervened militarily as countless civil- cisions and actions trigger a deadly disians made their best efforts to cope with ruption of an entire country, it’s simply not enough to say I’m sorry. misery, death and trauma. Mark P. Fancher is an attorney who During a speech at Howard, General Ham was asked about Mali. He said: writes frequently about armed con“…[W]e have had a U.S. training effort flicts in Africa. He can be contacted at with the Malian armed forces for some mfancher@comcast.net By Mark P. Fancher
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