It is an ugly truth: parents of African American children live with the constant fear that our children, especially our sons, may have an encounter with the police that ends in their arrest, or even worse, in their bodily harm. We know we need to have “The Talk” with them about what to do if they are ever stopped, [...]
As you probably know if you've been paying attention to the news recently, Trayon Christian is a 19 year old Black college student who is suing the NYPD and Barney's--one of NYC's luxury department stores--for wrongful arrest after he purchased a $350 Ferragamo belt in the store using a debit card. Christian was stopped by police as he tried [...]
When is it good to help our boys, and when is it better to let them fail? In yesterday's New York Times Motherlode Blog, found here, a mother writes passionately of her need to help her middle school son with his schoolwork despite hearing from his teachers that she shouldn't because "we want to see what your child can [...]
Inspiration for today's post came in a conversation this afternoon with a dear friend about a documentary film she is producing about Paul Williams, the renowned African American architect. She described interviewing an African American architect who worked with Williams. This architect came from a family of doctors and lawyers, and my friend asked him how he came to [...]
Ebony Magazine has been running a series of special reports on "Saving Our Sons" in recent issues. Part three of this series in the July 2013 issue focuses on how parents can prime their sons for success in the classroom. Pick up this issue and read this report, as it is chock full of interesting and informative advice about [...]
As we continue to hear news from Boston following the multiple explosions that have rocked that city, we should be mindful that our children are hearing this news as well. GCP covered the topic of how to talk with your children about tragedy after the Newtown massacre ("How Do We Talk to Our Children About Newtown?" December 17, 2012); [...]
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Earlier today ESPN released their on camera interview with Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware, his first after breaking his leg during Louisville's game against Duke on Sunday. [...]
As college admissions results roll in, here's some good news to consider: For the fourth year in a row, all of the 167 seniors in Chicago's Urban Prep Academies schools have been accepted into four year colleges or universities. The Urban Prep Academy network has expanded since GCP reported their success last year ("And Now For Some Good News [...]
Today's post comes from Rachel Christmas Derrick, a widely published writer and communications consultant specializing in socio-economic development, youth empowerment, and education. Rachel originally posted this piece on The Independent School Diversity Network's website. You may recall that Wendy Van Amson, one of the co-founders of The Independent School Diversity Network (ISDN), was the very first person GCP interviewed [...]
Let me start by stating the obvious: the sexual assault of the inebriated young woman in Steubenville, Ohio by two high school athletes was a heinous act for which punishment is just and proper. This is a tragic case in which everybody lost. A young woman will be haunted by the sexual assault itself, by the knowledge that online [...]