ESSENCE
And Big Brothers Big Sisters
Partner To Help Youth
UrbanMecca.com
- July 2, 2006
ESSENCE
magazine and Big Brothers Big Sisters have joined
hands in a landmark recruiting effort to secure
needed male mentors for African-American youth.
ESSENCE will launch the initiative July 1 - 3 during
its Empowerment Seminars at its annual Essence Music
Festival, at Reliant Park in Houston. The goal of
the initiative, according to ESSENCE, is to rally
an expected 250,000 festival attendees to demonstrate
their love and concern for African-American children
by committing to work with trusted national organizations,
in particular Big Brothers Big Sisters, to mentor
and strengthen African-American youth.
The
Festival, known as "the party with a purpose,"
is the nation's largest annual African-American
event as well as the largest gathering of musical
talent in the world.
"With
all of us standing together, linking arms and aims,
we will create a new future for the many vulnerable
African-American children," said Susan Taylor,
Editorial Director, ESSENCE Magazine. "The
ESSENCE family is so looking forward to working
with Big Brothers Big Sisters."
"The
shortage of adult, caring male mentors, particularly
African-American men, is a threat to our communities,"
said Judy Vredenburgh, president and CEO of Big
Brothers Big Sisters of America, the largest youth
mentoring organization in the country. "We
need to break the cycle of violence our young people
see in their lives and help them fulfill the promise
and possibilities they so rightly deserve. We know
that the Big Brothers Big Sisters form of mentoring
can do that. That's why we are thrilled to partner
with ESSENCE Magazine in its ESSENCE Cares! initiative."
Other
prominent individuals and organizations that will
lend support to the African-American male mentoring
recruitment effort are:
*
Thomas Dortch of 100 Black Men of America, an organization
devoted to improving the quality of life within
black communities and enhancing educational and
economic opportunities. 100 Black Men of America
will be organizing fraternal groups at the festival
to enlist two million African-American men to mentor
boys, including enlisting men for BBBS.
*
Alpha Phi Alpha, the African-American fraternity
that has supplied voice and vision to the struggle
of African Americans and people of color around
the world, with whom BBBS has a longstanding partnership.
*
The Twenty-First Century Foundation, an organization
whose mission is to advance strategic Black philanthropy.
The
ESSENCE Cares! initiative features a lineup of speakers
and performers including: Yolanda Adams, John Hope
Bryant, Common, Angela Davis, Michael Eric Dyson,
Thomas W. Dortch Jr., Marian Wright Edelman, Danny
Glover, Bruce Gordon, Congressman Alexander Green,
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Jamie Foxx,
Terrence Howard, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Bishop
T.D. Jakes, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Mathew
Knowles, Queen Latifah, Congresswomen Barbara Lee,
Sheila Jackson Lee and Maxine Waters, Donnie McClurkin,
Mo'Nique, Marc Morial, Shemar Moore, Nas, Kevin
Powell, Jill Scott, Reverend Al Sharpton, Iyanla
Vanzant, Reverend Dr. Renita Weems, Terrie Williams
and many others.
Big
Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and
most effective youth mentoring organization in the
U.S. It has been the leader in one-to-one youth
services for more than a century, developing positive
relationships that have a direct and lasting impact
on the lives of young people. In 2005, Big Brothers
Big Sisters served 234,000 children, ages 6 through
18, in all 50 states. The national offices are located
in Philadelphia, PA. To volunteer or donate, visit
http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.
Via
PRNewswire
©
Copyright 1998-2006 UrbanMecca.com
