I learned about the Million Father March a couple of years ago and now it’s finally my turn to participate. The Black Star Project is encouraging fathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, godfathers, cousins, babies’ daddies and other significant male caregivers to take their children to school on the first-day-of-school of the 2010-2011 school year. When men are involved in the educational lives of their children, children perform better in school.
Next Monday, my oldest son starts his first day of kindergarten and I’m planning to be there for him on his first day of school. The role of the traditional dad has expanded and fathers are a lot more active in the lives of their children. Sure you have your deadbeat dads out there, but I’ve seen a difference since my son was born. I’ve seen dads at the doctor, the daycare and have even seen dads changing diapers in the restroom.
Kids these days have a lot to deal with in school and I’m sure it helps to know they have the support of their father (or male role model). So whatever grade they’re in, take a little time out of your day to take them to school. And when they come home, talk about their day and get involved. It makes a difference and shows them how much you care.
I’ll be the first to admit that my kids love going to McDonald’s. From a very early age, both of them could identify the logo as we drove down the street and this was amazing because it showed how powerful the McDonald’s brand really was. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has long opposed the deceptive marketing of unhealthy foods to children. That is why they decided to sue McDonald’s if they continue to use toys to market the Happy Meal to young kids.
Now, I’m all for keeping kids healthy, but this is ridiculous. While my boys enjoy getting the toy in their Happy Meal, they usually end up playing with it for less than a day. After that it ends up broken, lost or left in the car (which causes it to be thrown in the trash).
McDonald’s is the king of brand marketing and they should not be blamed for what they do best. It’s up to the parent to decide when, if and how often their child should eat at McDonald’s. And even if the CSPI, sues, wins and gets the toys banned, I doubt consumption of Happy Meals will decrease.
CSPI, please trust the parents to make the best food decision for their children. We know the food is far from healthy and filling up the U.S. Court System with these types of lawsuits is a waste of time.
Earlier this week on TV One I watched “Wattstax”, a 1973 documentary by Mel Stuart that focused on the 1972 Wattstax music festival and the black community of Watts in Los Angeles, California. The 1972 concert was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots. Tickets were only $1, yet it featured some of the top black entertainers of our time.
It was an interesting documentary, but there was one part that really stuck with me. At the start of the concert the National Anthem was being sung. But no one stood and no one cheered. People just sort of sat around until it was done. It wasn’t until the “Black National Anthem” was being sung that people proudly stood with fists in air. This was a time when black people felt like the country they helped build didn’t show them the respect they deserved.
Now go back fifty plus years to to the “New Negro Movement”. A time where Harlem Renaissance hot spots like the Cotton Club showcased some of the best black performers that New York City had to offer. Musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday graced the stage for an audience that didn’t see them as equals. It was a time when black authors like James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes wrote poems and songs that told of the struggles Black Americans faced in a society separated by race.
Due to the literary and musical genius of those who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance, we are able to see what it was like to be black in the 1920s. The books, poetry and music written are just as much of the black culture today as it was back then. We owe them our gratitude and need to make sure their legacy is never forgotten. There’s a lot of history in Harlem and there’s no time like the present to learn more about the impact it’s had on our culture. All you have to do is open a book and read.
Ahead of Memorial Day, the President asks all Americans to join him in remembering and honoring our men and women in uniform who have died in service to the country.
The President goes through the benefits in health insurance reform that are already kicking in for young adults, retirees, and families, and says more benefits are coming down the pike.
I received this in an email. For more information visit www.KidsForKing.org.
Due to a recent request, the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation has decided to extend our submission deadline for the Kids for King Education Initiative.
The deadline for children to submit their entries is now April 30, 2010.
A few days ago, we heard from a group of teachers who want their students to participate, but they had just found out about the Kids for King Education Initiative. They realized there was no way their students could meet the deadline and be eligible for the free trip to Washington, DC, and they wanted to know if there was anything we could do.
We considered extending the deadline only for them, but in the end, that isn’t fair to anyone else who may have only recently learned about the Initiative.
That is why we have decided to make the new deadline - April 30th - apply to everyone equally.
So you now have one full additional month for us to receive your child’s:
Essay
Work of art
Video
Once the submissions are finalized on April 30th, we will begin the judging immediately.
Shortly after that, winners will be announced in the three age groups.
Remember, this year’s award winners will receive free trips to Washington, DC (with one parent or guardian) to participate in our 2011 Dedication Ceremony - a once-in-a-lifetime event that will provide priceless memories for everyone involved.
So please, if you haven’t already downloaded your Kids for King Education Packet, download your packet and get started today.
No, this isn’t a bootleg shirt I printed up marking the much needed overhaul of our health care system. This is actually a legitimate shirt from barackobama.com marking the historic vote in the House to send health reform to the President.
I received an email from the website asking me to co-sign the bill along side President Obama’s name to show my pride in helping bring about this great achievement (I’m still not sure what I did). I usually read over and delete these emails, but I couldn’t help adding my name to the list of those who would also sign. After submitting my name I was sent to the usual donation page with a chance to order the shirt.
When I saw it, I couldn’t help but laugh because the best way to piss people off even more is to wear around this shirt to really rub it in. Nevertheless, I donated the $25 to get one because this really is history in the making and he’s going to need that money in a couple of years. Growing up, I used to wonder what major events would shape our society and this is one of those events. Will it work? I have no clue. But I do know something needs to be done and this is the first step in getting the ball rolling.
I admire the tenacity of the president and despite the drama in Congress, he was determined to make it happen. Most of the people complaining will probably benefit from these changes and what’s a couple of more trillion dollars to an already high national debt? The debt was already on the rise before Obama got in office, so my kids were going to pay for it either way.
A friend of mine asked for help in spreading the word to get votes for the MLK Park Project in Winnsboro, Texas. The three playground projects with the most votes will receive equipment grants worth up to $5,000 for improvements. You can vote every day and the contest ends March 31st, so click to submit your vote for the MLK Park Project now! You don’t have to sign up for anything and it only takes a second out of your day.
The goal of the project is to:
To help better establish a small park that needs improvements and also let the community be aware that the park exist. No one would know if the sign was not visible. An old swing set was donated, but it is not safe enough for neighborhood children to play on. The park needs something that the children and families in the whole community can come out and enjoy.
The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. Mid-March the census forms will be delivered to every residence in the United States and Puerto Rico. When you receive yours, just answer the 10 short questions (they say it take around 10 minutes) and then mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope provided. If you don’t mail the form back, you may receive a visit from a census taker, who will ask you the questions from the form.
The majority of the country will receive English–only materials. Households in areas with high concentrations of Spanish-speaking residents may receive a bilingual (English/Spanish) form. Any personal data you provide is protected under federal law.
Please take the time to fill out the Census and mail it back because the information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. People from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more. It also helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:
If you are in need of a job, the U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers right in your own community. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. For more information on the job opportunities they offer, visit http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs.
Today is the day the new rules for banks issuing credit cards to consumers take affect. Since the initial signing of the bill I’ve had the interest rate for two cards jump to 29.99% and a business card canceled because I didn’t use it enough. It doesn’t matter how good your credit score is anymore, which proves that no matter what their commercial says, your welfare is the last thing on their minds.
I’m no personal finance coach, so I thought I’d share an article I read by personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary regarding some of the loopholes in the credit card law. There’s also a fact sheet about the Credit Card Act on the White House Website. The best thing to do and my personal goal is to pay off all the credit cards. But if you’re not in a position to do it, know the law so they won’t take advantage of you.
