GBUL to Host "State of Black Baltimore 2008 Conference: When is Enough Really Enough?"
Greater Baltimore Urban League to Host
“The State of Black Baltimore 2008 Conference:
When is Enough Really Enough?”
Covering Education/Lead Associations, Gang Violence, Historic View of Baltimore as Region’s Economic Engine, Spur of Teen Violence, Childhood Obesity, Unique Education Challenges of Juvenile Offenders, “Black Men And Media:
From Birth to Obama” …and other related topics ...
Covering Education/Lead Associations, Gang Violence, Historic View of Baltimore as Region’s Economic Engine, Spur of Teen Violence, Childhood Obesity, Unique Education Challenges of Juvenile Offenders, “Black Men And Media: From Birth to Obama” …and other related topics. Featuring 18 essay presentations to serve as key discussion points.
18 essay presentations to serve as key discussion points
(BALTIMORE - May 6, 2008) - The Greater Baltimore Urban League presents the “State of Black Baltimore 2008: When is Enough Really Enough?” on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel, 700 Aliceana Street from 1 to 5:30 p.m. A Pre –Dinner Reception (5:30-6-30 p.m.) and the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Dinner (6:30-9:00 p.m.) will follow. The cost for the reception and dinner is $125.00
“We’re looking at Baltimore, with an emphasis on its minority population, from a broad and in-depth approach; from a historical, current, and future perspective; and from a cause-effect as well as problem-solution point of view,” said Urban League Executive Director and Forum host J. Howard Henderson. “This assembled cross-section of men and women reflecting on the State of Black Baltimore provides a truly rich perspective on Baltimore, its hopes, dreams, as well as its areas of concern. And, while our city has some unique situations, one can cut-and-paste without great difficulty Baltimore’s state and solutions road map with that of many other U.S. cities.”
The Foreword was written by well-known Baltimore businessman Otis Warren, who notes, “Baltimore is celebrating the historical election of four African American women. We have a Mayor, President of the City Council, Comptroller, and State’s Attorney who are directing our top departments and are truly making a difference. What better time to come together as a community, a city, and a people to take responsibility for our destiny.” He goes on to say that as a businessman in the city, he is concerned about the readiness of the workforce in the next decade. “At the same time, we live with great possibility,” said Warren.
The State of Black Baltimore Conference: When is Enough Really Enough? will be moderated by XM Radio and Syndicated Talk Show Host Joe Madison, with brief remarks by National Urban League President Marc Morial. The keynote address at the dinner later the same evening will be given by Susan Taylor, Former Editorial Director for ESSENCE Magazine.
The president’s overview and 18 essays will serve as the conference’s platform and key discussion points. The conference will consist of two panels of contributors to the report who will speak about their work followed by a limited number of questions and answers which will be moderated by Mr. Madison. Comments from Mr. Morial will follow. Copies of the report will be available for sale at the conference.
Among the array of contemporary report topics will be…
- The associations of lead poisoning and crime, poor education performance and other indicators
- The importance of preparing Black teens for Baltimore’s economic challenges of the future
- The impact of gang violence on neighborhoods and the entire city
- The recent trend of teen violence, especially in schools
- The April 2008 release of The Blueprint, outlining child obesity trends and impacts, the prevalence among females, and “real costs”
- How historically minority business development is tied to politics and public policy in Maryland, outlining the underlying economic and corporate trends in the state and region
The State of Black Baltimore also presents:
- A report on how the 630,000 people released from prisons every year are hamstrung by many current state and federal laws, interfering with the ex-offenders’ rights and obligations, and creating rehabilitation roadblocks, while adding to the recidivism rate.
- Green Collar Jobs for Black Baltimore by Roderick C. Willis will demonstrate the need for Black Baltimore and its business community to “be part of the engine and not the caboose” in creating “Green Collar Jobs” and encouraging Black entrepreneurs to start or participate in green businesses
- In Securing the Pipeline, Omar S. Muhammad delves into how African-American entrepreneurs can garner resources to become successful “pipeline” producers, employing future entrepreneurs, and how entrepreneurship can be used as a tool to develop Baltimore’s respective communities, especially targeting the 40-and-under group.
- Jake Oliver’s essay, Higher Education issues facing Baltimore & Maryland’s African American Community towards the future, lays out possible next steps for the State of Maryland relative to education including: Racial and ethnic minorities represented all of the enrollment growth in the State over the past 10 years; half of the public high school students in Maryland in 2003 were minorities; and African Americans and Hispanic will constitute 80 percent of the growth in high school graduates in 2008
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The Eager Street Academy Impact Paper by Dr. James I. Scofield will cover the unique challenges of the Academy for juvenile offenders. For example, the need to preclude ordinary teaching implements such as pens, pencils, and protractors, and the importance of accessing the true education level of each student, and identifying truancy causes related to both family circumstances, and or the student’s own volition. This is discussed in the context of sometimes very bright students who can redirect their lives to become contributors to their communities.
A complete essay listing is as follows:
Essay 1 Recreating a Community of Learning – Working With The Greater Baltimore Urban League to Educate our Community by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
Essay 2 Our Great Kids Deserve Great Schools by Dr. Andres Alonso
Essay 3 Black Men and The Media: From Birth to Obama by Sean Yoes
Essay 4 Getting the Lead Out: Using Macro Solutions to Lower Crime and Increase Educational Test Scores in Baltimore, Maryland by Raymond A. Winbush, Ph.D. & Tracy Rone, PhD
Essay 5 How Did We Get Here? Understanding The Evolution of Gang Violence and Potential Remedies for Consideration by Johnny Rice, II
Essay 6 Baltimore Ex-Offenders: Re-Entry, Reality, and Responsibility by Janet D. Spry, Ed.D, LCPC, CRC, and CVE
Essay 7 Health Disparities in Baltimore: A call for leadership by Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam
Essay 8 The State Of Black Baltimore's Health by Michelle A. Gourdine, M.D.
Essay 9 Disparities in Infant Mortality in Baltimore City by Alma Roberts, MPH, FACHE
Essay 10 The State of Oral Health Care for Baltimore City African American Population by Nathan L. Fletcher, D.D.S.
Essay 11 Is public health the bottom line? 2008 RealityCompass for Childhood Obesity and Prevention in Baltimore City by Rena G. Boss-Victoria
Essay 12 Eager Street Academy Impact Paper by Dr. James I. Scofield
Essay 13 Solution-Focused Action: Plausible Contributions for Urban HBCU's to the Urban Human Condition by Beverly J. O Bryant, PhD, LPC, NCC, NCSC
Essay 14 Higher Education Issues facing Baltimore & Maryland African American Community Towards the Future by Jake Oliver
Essay 15 Politics, Public Policy and Minority Business: The Greater Baltimore Dynamics by Lenneal Henderson, Ph.D.
Essay 16 Securing the Pipeline by Omar S. Muhammad
Essay 17 Green Collar Jobs for Black Baltimore by Roderick C. Willis
Essay 18 The Foreclosure/Mortgage Crisis in Baltimore by Stephen Trye
And an AFTERWORD by R. V. (Ray) Haysbert, Sr., former part-owner of Parks Sausages
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The STATE OF BLACK BALTIMORE CONFERENCE/Forum 2008:
“When is Enough Really Enough?”
Thursday, May 8, 2008
1 - 5:30 pm
Welcome:
J. Howard Henderson, President & CEO, The Greater Baltimore Urban League
Greetings:
Raymond V. Haysbert, Chairman of the Board, The Greater Baltimore Urban League
Marc Morial, President & CEO National Urban League
Opening Remarks:
Otis Warren, Jr. Realtor
Conference Moderator:
Joe Madison, Host, “The Black Eagle” XM Satellite Radio
Panel #1
“Improving African-American Health One Body at a Time
1:15 pm — 2:15 pm
Panelists:
Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam
Michelle A. Gourdine, M.D.
Alma Roberts, MPh, FACHE
Rena G. Boss-Victoria
Tracey Rone, Ph.D.
Johnny Rice
Panel # 2
“Education: Turning the Key to Economic Empowerment”
2:20 pm — 3:20 pm
Panelists:
Dr. Andres Alonso
John (Jake) Oliver
Dr. James I. Scolfield
Dr. Beverly J. O’Bryant
Sean Yoes
Dr. Janet Spry
Panel #3
“Reframing the Politics of Business & The Business of Politics”
3:25 pm — 4:25 pm
Panelists:
Lenneal Henderson, Ph.D.
Omar S. Muhammad
Roderick C. Willis
Stephen Tyre
Raymond V. Haysbert, Sr.
Otis Warren, Jr.
Closing Summations:
4:25 pm - 5:25 pm
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