Fairfax, VA (BlackNews.com) — The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to provide outstanding low income minority students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest.

Continuing scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

In addition to increasing access to higher education for these underrepresented groups, GMS also provides leadership training. Through participation in a comprehensive leadership development program, Scholars enhance academic and leadership skills, which prepare them to assume important roles in their professions and in their communities.

The deadline for the upcoming scholarship awards is January 11, 2010.

To apply, visit www.blackstudents.com/billgates

Alexandria, VA (BlackNews.com) – A new report by The Vision Council, Making the Grade? finds state laws regarding vision assessments for children entering school are inconsistent, which can impede children’s ability to succeed in school. Since 80 percent of what children learn is through visual processing of information, undetected vision problems among children can severely impact cognitive development. This is particularly a concern for African American children because of the disproportionate rates of vision problems in their community.

Since many health and vision problems such as Glaucoma disproportionately affect African Americans, early detection and treatment of vision problems are key to preventing permanent vision loss in children. According to a survey conducted in 2006, almost one-third (30 percent) of African-American parents report that their child has never seen an eye care professional.

The report by the Vision Council examines the importance of early detection of vision problems for children and provides detailed information on states laws. Since the report was first issued in 2005, 14 states have enacted or enhanced laws regarding vision assessment for school-age children. "Many states are recognizing the critical connection between vision and learning," said Ed Greene, CEO of The Vision Council.

Key findings include:

* Nine states(i) do not require children to receive a vision assessment before starting school or while enrolled;
* Thirty-nine states(ii) (including the District of Columbia) require a vision screening for children entering school, however 32(iii) of these states do not mandate any follow-up care for children who fail the screening; and
* Three states(iv) require all children to receive a comprehensive eye exam by an eye care professional before entering elementary school.

While the report finds that many states are enhancing their requirements for vision assessments, most do not include provisions for adequate follow-up care.

Undetected vision problems can affect children’s cognitive, emotional, neurologic and physical development by potentially limiting the kinds of information to which they are exposed and impacting performance in extracurricular activities like music and sports.

The warning signs of potential vision problems include:

* Squinting, closing or covering on eye
* Constantly holding materials close to the face
* Tilting the head to one side
* Rubbing eyes repeatedly
* One or both eye turn in or out
* Redness or tearing in eyes.

To view the report and an interactive map of the country, showing current vision assessment requirements, visit http://www.thevisioncouncil.org/2020advocacy

Dedicated to enhancing life through better vision, The Vision Council represents the manufacturers and suppliers of the optical industry. We provide a forum to advocate for better vision and to promote quality vision care products and services in the global community.

When Katia Dukes was nine, her father was arrested for killing her mother and sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison. As her father was escorted from the courtroom, young Katia became another silent victim — a child with an incarcerated parent.

Authorities estimate that about 1.2 million inmates, men and women, have children struggling to cope outside the prison walls. Frequently, these children live in foster homes or with an un-incarcerated parent or relative facing severe financial and social strains.

In recent years, the problem has been escalating as the number of women in prison increases. Studies show that about two-thirds of female inmates are mothers of young children. And just like the overall prison population, there are a disproportionate number of Black and Hispanic parents behind bars. In total, authorities estimate there are as many as 1.5 million children of incarcerated parents in the country.

Many of the children suffer as Katia did. She and each of her four brothers and sisters was placed under the guardianship of the state and housed separately with different relatives. Alone and feeling angry, Katia suffered physical and mental abuse, compounding her emotional issues. Despite undergoing counseling that did more harm than good and reaching such a desperate state she contemplated suicide, Katia survived the experience. "I decided that I was going to live and get through this," Katia, now the mother of three, says years later.

Unfortunately, the pain and suffering hasn’t ended for the many other children of incarcerated parents. This is a widespread problem that receives little notice or attention. Headquartered at Morehouse School of Medicine, the National Center for Primary Care recently published a study concluding that parental incarceration has both short- and long-term impacts that adversely affect the emotional health, economic status and development of the children left behind.

The study, entitled "Silent Victims: The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children," found that the immediate impacts include a sense of shame, social stigmatization, loss of financial support, weakened ties to the parent, changes in family compensation, poor school performance and increased risk of abuse or neglect. Meanwhile, longer-term impact includes mistrust of authority, inability to cope with stress or trauma, and criminal activity.

Oftentimes, a major problem is the lack of communication between incarcerated parents and their children.

Once incarcerated, parents are often shut out of decisions regarding their children. While 80 percent of the children of incarcerated mothers live with grandparents or other relatives, those households are usually more than 100 miles away from the prison, making family visits difficult.

Moreover, the strains on the parent-child relations are even more severe for the children forced into foster care. Federal laws require that states seek to terminate parental rights after a child lives in foster care provided by an unrelated person for 15 out of 22 months. So a prison term of two years can result in an inmate’s loss of parental rights. The average term for a mother incarcerated in a state prison is 49 months.

The Community Voices program, which also is housed at Morehouse School of Medicine, is focusing attention on the parental incarceration issue, making it a central theme of its 2009 Freedom’s Voice Conference, which will be held April 30 to May 1 at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta. Key speakers, such as Donna Brazile, a noted political analyst, will discuss how to reform the criminal justice system and social networks to provide more support to these children.

The "Silent Victims" study offered several recommendations, including:

• Law enforcement agencies should develop protocols that protect children when a parent is arrested.
• Prison-based re-entry programs should be mandated to prepare parent-inmates for family unification and to help them improve their parenting skills.
• Prisons should upgrade their parental visitation rooms so they are child-friendly and family- focused.
• Children with incarcerated parents should have access to professional and culturally-sensitive counseling.
• Transportation should be provided that allows children and their guardians to visit parents incarcerated more than 50 miles away.

It’s imperative that these and other measures be swiftly adopted. The barrier to family reunification must be removed, so that children and their incarcerated parents can enjoy healthy relationships. Our criminal justice system seeks to punish and, it is hoped, reform those who break laws. Their children should not be victims.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell is director of Community Voices of Morehouse School of Medicine working to improve health services and health-care access for all Americans.

New York, NY (BlackNews.com) – More than 6.5 million U.S. households — or 5.7 percent of all homes — are not ready for the upcoming transition to all-digital broadcasting and would be unable to receive any television programming at all if the transition occurred today, The Nielsen Company reported today. This is an improvement of more than 1.3 million homes since Nielsen reported readiness status at the end of December.

Percentage of Households that Are Completely Unready For the Digital Transition

Source: The Nielsen Company

Under government-mandated action, all television stations are required to switch to digital programming by February 17, 2009, which will leave viewers without a television signal unless they purchase digital television sets, connect to cable, satellite, and alternate delivery systems or purchase a converter box.

Nielsen is making these estimates available as a public service to the television industry, government policy-makers and local communities. This information is based on the same national and local television ratings samples that are used to generate national and local television ratings. To conduct the survey, Nielsen representatives observed and tabulated the actual televisions used in its samples. Because Nielsen has developed samples that reflect the total U.S. population including African American and Hispanic populations, these household characteristics in the samples can be projected to the whole country.

"Nielsen has been preparing for the transition to digital television for more than two years," said Nielsen Vice Chair Susan Whiting. "Because we recognize that accurate and reliable information on consumer behavior is essential to this transition, we’ve been sharing our data with clients, government leaders and the public so they could track progress to digital readiness."

"There are still millions of people who will be adversely affected because they are not ready for the digital transition. So it’s critical that we provide them with the information and resources they need to stay connected with the world," said Ernest W. Bromley, Nielsen Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council (HLAC).

"Nielsen has played a key role in reaching out to our underserved communities and helping them understand what needs to be done," said Nita Song, Nielsen Asian Pacific American Advisory Council (APAAC).

"It is imperative that we operate at an accelerated pace to educate those who are at the greatest risk of losing their television service — low- income households, large numbers of senior, minority and disabled viewers. These viewers rely on traditional television the most and can least afford to lose their television lifelines. We have a responsibility to make sure that these groups whether in our families, churches or communities are equipped and ready for this transition," said Cynthia Perkins-Roberts, Nielsen African American Advisory Council (AAAC).

Local Market Rankings

Among the 56 local markets that Nielsen measures with electronic meters, the one that is least ready is Albuquerque-Santa Fe, with 12.4% of the households completely unready. The most prepared market is Hartford & New Haven, with only 1.8% of homes unready.

Least Prepared Local Metered Markets Based on Percentage of Households Currently Unprepared for Digital Conversion

Source: The Nielsen Company

For more information on the U.S. state of readiness for digital transition, please visit: www.nielsenwire.com

About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com

United States – January, 2009 - "Our children are crying out for our love, our attention, and our help. There’s a war going on between us and the world. The spoils of war are our children’s hearts, minds, and souls. We no longer have the luxury of leaving our parenting responsibilities to others. As mothers we must become accountable to ourselves, our children, and our God for the blessing He has placed on our lives by giving us these blessings from heaven. If not, we will continue to lose generations of children.

"Young mothers need to understand that parenting is not a joke. There is no glamor to the vocation of motherhood." There are dreams deferred, sacrifices made, and broken promises unrealized. Mother is a verb. It is something you do not just who you are. Your children emulate what they see, therefore, your days of clubbing and hangin’ out with the girl are essentially over, It’s time to grow up and grow up fast. Children are not dolls you can toss to the side when you’re tired of them. They are there forever.

"Many people believe children don’t come with an instruction manual, but I beg to differ. The Bible is a manual for every aspect of your life. For example, in the Old Testament there is the story of Hagar who was a single mother who had a child be a married man. As a result, she was eventually cast away from her home. She was in the desert all alone with her son Ishmael preparing to die: The angel of the Lord appeared to her after hearing her cry and the cry of her son. God delivered Hagar in that instant. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If he heard the cry of a desperate, cast out, discouraged, single mother then, He’ll hear you now."

Cheryl accredits this and other lessons taught to her through her mother’s examples and faith in God for her ability to persevere. "

Cheryl’s new book, The Ministry of Motherhood, discusses her journey from teen pregnancy, domestic violence, and single parenting, to successful mother, author, inspirational speaker and talk show host.

"Being a teen mom was by no means easy. It took digging way down inside and the development of a strong faith to overcome. My mother was no small part of that. She exemplified what it meant to be a mother; patience, unconditional love, dreams deferred, all of the things God required. "

Cheryl Donovan’s life is a true reflection of God’s faithfulness. Cheryl encountered God at an early age. Yet, at the age of 17, she found herself in a constant struggle as a teenage mother. Much of the struggle had to do with the lack of support she received from her estranged husband.

"I received a court order for child support when I got my divorce. I never received a penny," says Lacey-Donovan.

To add insult to injury, Cheryl says she tried to collect money through a private agency and was told everyone was trying to get money from her "ex".

Cheryl’s experience is not uncommon. She believes the attorney general’s office focuses more on mothers on public assistance because the government wants to recoup some of the money it pays out through public assistance.

"Even then, many mothers never receive a dime from the father of their children. Personally, I think the welfare system is designed for failure. If you’re not careful, you can become complacent and live within a generational curse of poverty. Public assistance should be used only as a hand up not a hand out.  That’s why I advocate mothers take a difference approach. You see, I had to learn that Child Support nor welfare were my source. My true source was God. Taking the attention from what my "ex" wasn’t doing and placing it on what God was doing and would do, changed my entire outlook. "

Cheryl says mothers need to stop focusing so much on receiving money from others and begin looking to God for provision and an abundant life. Cheryl says she had to look to God as her ultimate source because without Him she would surely have failed.
"The Bible tells us that God is our shepherd and we shall not want. (Psalms 24) It also tells us that those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. (Psalms 34:10) God came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10 ) It takes an attitude adjustment to believe Him at His word. You must move from a place of material thinking to spiritual thinking. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. (1 Peter 5:6) When you can do this, God can open doors that no man can close.

"When you’re a teen mother, society has already stacked the deck against you. Everyone believes you’ll be on welfare the rest of your life and that your children will become statistics in the penal system. I for one chose to make society out of a liar. Having been a PK (preacher’s kid) I understood some fundamental truths about who I was. I knew that God would not forsake me. I worked hard and sought after God’s will for my life."

Cheryl wants the readers of her new book "The Ministry of Motherhood" to look at her journey from teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, and single parenting, to successful mother, author, inspirational speaker, and talk show host as a lesson in God’s grace, God’s mercy, and God’s favor.

"I chose not to be conformed to thin world which said to constantly engage myself in battle for money from a man who couldn’t even support himself. Instead, I allowed God to transform my way of thinking and my way of acting by reading, meditating on, and following His word. God’s promise to me is to make my way prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8) After my suffering, God has perfected, established, strengthened, and settled me. (1Peter 5:10 )

Cheryl’s two sons are now adults. Each of them is college educated and they both have steady jobs and recognize the importance of giving back.

"My ultimate job was to teach my boys about God and what He days about them. The Bible promises that when you do this your children when not depart from it even when they do everything in their power to deviate from the teachings."
Cheryl says she kept her sons busy in sports, academic pursuits, and church activities.

"I didn’t have much money; in fact I can remember many times sending the gas bill to the electric company in hopes that it would buy me more time until payday. Many times, the reason I didn’t have the money was because I paid for some activity for the boys. But, it was more important for me to keep them from being idol. God always provided.

Cheryl admonishes mothers to spend time with their children. She also believes they should be their children’s biggest advocate.

"My children still don’t believe we weren’t rich. We ate at every kids eat free establishment in the city. But, they learned how to behave when dining in a corporate setting. The thing is, it’s not always about money. If you’re creative and you do your research, you can find ways to spend quality time with your children without breaking the bank."

“I grew up with my children. They taught me just as much as I taught them. I thank God for that opportunity, but, I would not encourage anyone to take the route I took. Being a singe parent is in on way an easy task."

Cheryl Donovan is now an acclaimed author, inspirational speaker and talk show host. She is the founder of Worth More Than Rubies Ministries, a division of Imani Enterprises Unlimited, which provides a platform that finds Cheryl traveling across the country encouraging, inspir
in
g, and empowering women to look inside themselves for change.

To learn more about Cheryl or to have her speak at your next event, visit her at www.cheryllaceydonovan.com or email her at cheryl@cheryllaceydonovan.com.  To order a copy of Cheryl’s new book The Ministry of Motherhood, visit www.peaceinthestormpublishing.com

# # #

About Peace in the Storm Publishing

Peace in the Storm Publishing is a broad-based publisher whose strength lies in publishing quality books to reach the reader’s soul. Our motto is "Giving your Soul a Rise, One Page at a Time." Our mission is to publish entertaining and enjoyable works by gifted storytellers in all genres, including, contemporary fiction, mystery, romance, self help, general interest fiction, street-lit, erotica, non-fiction and Christian fiction.

About Booking Matters

Booking Matters Promotion Agency has successfully promoted hundreds of mainstream and self-published African American authors. With the creation of Booking Matters Magazine, the agency can effectively reach hundreds of thousands of people and promote an unlimited supply of authors between the pages of this unique literary magazine. With your help and never yielding support, Booking Matters Magazine’s reality will remain a success as it becomes a primary resource for many to read, enjoy and network. 

Wynnewood, PA (BlackNews.com) – Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH), a licensed, non-profit adoption agency, will hold a free online webinar on October 13, at 7:00pm EST. Attendees will learn about the agency and their programs. The focus of the webinar will be on their African-American and African-American Biracial Domestic Adoption programs.

Because there is a great need for adoptive families for this program, the webinar is open to anyone living anywhere in the U.S., and will be lead by an AFTH social worker who will be available to answer any questions. A webinar is an online version of AFTH’s free information meetings. Participants are emailed a link and a phone number that will connect them to the presentation.

Registration is required to join the webinar. Online registration is available at www.afth.org/news_events/calendar.php

Adoptions From The Heart, founded in 1985 by Maxine Chalker, MSW, LSW, is a licensed, non-profit agency offering domestic and international adoptions. With 12 offices, the agency is licensed in PA, NJ, DE, VA, WV, CT and NY.

Springfield, PA – Dr. Stephen Jones, an accomplished educator and author, has developed a one-of-a-kind online community for education at www.MyEDUnetwork.com. Comparable to what local PTSA meetings are for, the web site gives concerned parents, educators and students worldwide the ability to connect with each other to address education issues.

“Education is critical to the future of our country’s worldwide competitiveness. When you ask most parents about education, their greatest fear is that their children will be left behind,” says Jones. “This resource that I’ve created will allow experts throughout all fields of education to reach out to students and parents who are drifting in a sea of confusing information.”

Among those invited to the site are school principals, superintendents, teachers, college professors, college faculty, parents, and of course – students of all ages. The invitation is also open to anyone who has a passion for education, including those involved with various school boards across the country.

Jones continues, “Due to the economic crisis, state and federal government officials are making limited investments in K-12 schools and colleges across the country. Even worse, the legacy of teachers, college instructors and K-12 superintendents is slowly fading as these professionals move toward retirement. There seems to be no repository for their knowledge.”

A network focused on education issues is essential and crucial because it provides a comfortable environment that encourages ones to ask valuable questions, and exchange unique solutions. Those interested in becoming active participants, should sign up free at: www.MyEDUnetwork.com

ONE MILLION FATHERS ASKED TO LEAD THE NATION BACK TO SCHOOL THIS FALL

300 Cities Could Participate in the Largest, Organized Back-to-School Effort in U.S. History

Chicago, IL (BlackNews.com) – "Education has become a matter of national security. Because we cannot control our schools, we cannot control our economy. And because we cannot control our economy, we cannot control and protect our quality of life in America," says Phillip Jackson, Executive Director of The Black Star Project, U.S.A. The Black Star Project is sponsoring the Million Father March 2008 on the first day of school in nearly 300 cities across America. The Million Father March has become a special day that fathers and men use to make a commitment to their children, their families, their communities and their country with their dynamic presence at a school. This is the real fathers’ day!

The Million Father March 2008 will play-out at thousands of schools across America and in other parts of the world. About 300,000 men from 127 cities participated in the Million Father March in 2006. An estimated 400,000 men in 238 cities participated in 2007. This year, an estimated 500,000 men from 300 cities are expected to participate. The Million Father March also provides an escort of safety, support, and encouragement to children of all ages on their first day of school. Jackson says, "Gang recruitment, bullying and random violence goes way down on any day that a group of men are at a school."

Research shows that children whose fathers take an active role in their educational lives earn better grades, get better test scores, enjoy school more and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. Additionally, children have fewer behavior problems when fathers listen to and talk with them regularly and are active in their lives. A good father is part of a good parent team and is critical to creating a strong family structure. Strong family structures produce children who are more academically proficient, socially developed and self-assured. Such children become adults who are valuable assets to their communities. "Better parents produce better communities, better schools, and better students with higher academic achievements," says Jackson.

Participants in the event include fathers, grandfathers, foster fathers, stepfathers, uncles, cousins, big brothers, significant male caregivers and friends of the family. Although this event is created by Black men, women and men of all races are also encouraged to take their children to school on their first day. Businesses are asked to give fathers and men 2 hours off that morning to take their children to school. Men will also be encouraged to volunteer at schools throughout the year. A special effort will be made to coordinate Latino Fathers in La Marcha de Padres.

Since schools across America and the world start the new school year on different days and months, the March will be a rolling event that takes place on the first day of this school year in cities, villages, and towns between August 7, 2008, and October 13, 2008. The 2008 Million Father March is managed by The Black Star Project, U.S.A. in partnership with the National PTA and the National Fatherhood Initiative. Please visit our website for complete information at www.blackstarproject.org. You may also email blackstar1000@ameritech.net or call 773-285-9600 for more information.

Cities Participating in the Million Father March 2008

Albemarle, NC
Albuquerque, NM
Apex, NC
Asheboro, NC
Asheville, NC
Atlanta, GA
Atlantic Beach, NC
Baltimore, MD
Beaumont, TX
Belmont, NC
Bessemer City, NC
Bettendorf, IA
Beverly Hills, CA
Black Mountain, NC
Boone, NC
Brevard, NC
Burlington, NC
Camden, AL
Camden, NJ
Carrboro, NC
Cary, NC
Chapel Hill, NC
Charlotte, NC
Charlottesville, VA
Chicago – Northside, IL
Chicago – Southside, IL
Chicago – Westside, IL
Chicago Heights, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Clayton, NC
Clemens, MI
Clemmons, NC
Cleveland, OH
Clinton, NC
Columbus, OH
Compton, CA
Concord, NC
Conover, NC
Cornelius, NC
Dallas, TX
Danville, IL
Davenport, IA
Davidson, NC
Des Moines, IA
Detroit, MI
Dothan, AL
Dunn, NC
Durham, NC
Eden, NC
Elgin, IL
Elizabeth City, NC
Elon, NC
Enterprise, AL
Fayetteville, NC
Ford Heights, IL
Forest City, NC
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fuquay-Varina, NC
Garner, NC
Gastonia, NC
Geneva, AL
Goldsboro, NC
Graham, NC
Greensboro, SC
Greenville, NC
Hamlet, NC
Hartford, CT
Harvey, IL
Havelock, NC
Hazel Crest, IL
Henderson, NC
Hendersonville, NC
Hickory, NC
High Point, NC
Hillsborough, NC
Hillside, NJ
Holly Springs, NC
Hope Mills, NC
Huntersville, NC
Indian Trail, NC
Indianapolis, IN
Inglewood, CA
Inland Empire, CA
Jackson, MS
Jacksonville, NC
Joliet, IL
Kalamazoo, MI
Kannapolis, NC
Kernersville, NC
Kings Mountain, NC
Kinston, NC
Knightdale, NC
Laurinburg, NC
Lenoir, NC
Lexington, NC
Lincolnton, NC
Lithonia, GA
Little Rock, AR
Los Angeles, CA
Lumberton, NC
Madison, WI
Matthews, NC
Mebane, NC
Memphis, TN
Mint Hill, NC
Moline, IL
Monroe, NC
Montgomery, AL
Mooresville, NC
Morehead City, NC
Morganton, NC
Morrisville, NC
Mount Airy, NC
Mount Holly, NC
Muskogee, OK
New Bern, NC
NYC – Brooklyn, NY
NYC – Manhattan-Harlem, NY
NYC – Queens, NY
NYC – Staten Island, NY
NYC – The Bronx, NY
Newark, NJ
Newton, NC
Oak Island, NC
Oak Park, IL
Oakland, CA
Oxford, NC
Ozark, AL
Panama City, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Pinehurst, NC
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, OR
Prince George’s County, MD
Reidsville, NC
Releigh, NC
Riverdale, IL
Roanoke Rapids, NC
Robbins, IL
Rochester, NY
Rock Island, IL
Rockford, IL
Rocky Mount, NC
Roxboro, NC
Sacramento, CA
Salisbury, NC
San Diego, CA
Sanford, NC
Sauk Village, IL
Selma, NC
Sere Kunda, The Gambia
Shelby, NC
Siler City, NC
Smithfield, NC
Southern Pines, NC
Spring Lake, NC
Springfield, IL
St. Petersburg, FL
Stamford, CT
Statesville, NC
Suffolk, VA
Summerfield, NC
Tallahassee, FL
Tampa Bay, FL
Tarboro, NC
Thomasville, NC
Topeka, KS
Trinity, NC
Tulsa, OK
Wadesboro, NC
Wake Forest, NC
Washington, D.C.
Washington, NC
Waukegan, IL
Waynesville, NC
Weddington, NC
Whiteville, NC
Wilmington, NC
Wilson, NC
Winston-Salem, NC