Parents of teenaged Black boys know about the conversation we are obligated to have with our sons as we send them out into a world in which they can be misjudged and endangered simply because they are teenaged Black boys. Because we need them to stay safe, we know we have to tell them what to do and how [...]
Could it be that here in NYC, where we have had crazy cold weather for what seems like forever, that Spring is in the air? The last couple of days with temperatures in the 50's has had us hoping that Spring is truly in the air. And so we offer a series of Spring poems: "Spring for Lovers" by [...]
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an international economic organization of 34 countries, has recently released the results of its global study of gender equality in education, and the news is not good for boys: they are "significantly more likely" than girls to be less engaged with school and have poor academic achievement. The OECD suggests several [...]
How focused are you on the toxins around you and your sons in your home? The Center for Disease Control has a list of over 200 products that you should avoid. This list can be overwhelming, and avoiding all these products seems pretty unrealistic. However, we thought these were worth mentioning: Plastic food containers: We all use plastic containers [...]
"Little Ballers", Crystal McCrary's wonderful documentary, follows a group of young AAU basketball teammates (including her son Cole) as they pursue their hoop dreams and a championship season. It premiered on Nick Sports TV (a programming block on Nicktoons) last week and will be shown again tonight at 9pm and tomorrow (March 1) at 10pm (EST). McCrary gives us [...]
Last night was Oscar night, and the two highlights of the evening came courtesy of "Selma". First, we were treated to John Legend and Common's amazing performance of the song "Glory", which was nominated in the Best Original Song category. Then, when they won the Oscar for "Glory" (to no one's surprise), they gave acceptance speeches which were, well, [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday celebrates the work of Elizabeth Alexander--highly respected poet, essayist, playwright and teacher. Professor Alexander was recently named a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, as well as the inaugural Frederick Iseman Professor of Poetry at Yale University. She is the former Chair of the African American Studies Department at Yale University. In 2009, she composed [...]
A recent NYTimes article tells a great story that is right up our alley at GCP. Chris Lewis is a 6'9" high school junior at Milton High School in Milton, Georgia. A power forward, he is one of the top basketball juniors in the nation. He has been recruited by colleges since he was in middle school, and as [...]
NYTimes columnist Charles Blow writes today of getting a call on Saturday that his son, a Yale junior, had been held at gunpoint that evening after leaving the library. By the Yale Campus Police. Apparently they were responding to a burglary call on campus and determined that he fit the description of the alleged burglar. According to Blow, a [...]
Today 12 additional cities joined the #SelmaForStudents movement and announced their success in raising money to send students to see the movie "Selma" for free. Read about it here. African American leaders, now joined by generous citizens of all hues, are working together across the country to ensure that the next generation understands and appreciates the important history of [...]