July 2: Anniversary of LBJ's Signing of Civil Rights Act of 1964

"On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson finally signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964—one of the most important pieces of legislation in US history, which outlawed racial segregation in public places, abolished the South’s discriminatory Jim Crow laws, and introduced equal rights for all Americans applying to register to vote. The bill, initially put forth by President Kennedy in 1963, was by no means a final solution to the problem of social division in America—while it allowed African Americans the right to apply to vote, it notably lacked provisions to make the requirement tests for registration fair and democratic—but its passage was a victory for the civil rights movement and its supporters.

Today, to celebrate the bill’s anniversary, we feature a portfolio of images from photographer Dan Budnik, a member of Magnum Photos and close friend of Bruce Davidson, who was introduced to some of the leading figures from the civil rights movement by his art teacher Charles Alston in the early 50s."

www.nowness.com/day/2010/7/2/701/on-this-day--the-signing-of-the-civil-rights-act?ecid=soc1268#close

Soccer gives homeless new goals

A new soccer program in Washtenaw County is helping homeless get off the streets and re-enter society. From the Detroit News:

On this soccer team, accomplishment isn't measured by goals scored or shots blocked.

It's how many months a player remains sober. Or whether he receives a GED. Or finds a home.

For a team of homeless people, sometimes just showing up is a small victory.

"After so much heartache and chaos and pain, to have so much fun on a soccer field, you don't even know what it means," said David Altherr, 53, who became homeless after seven drunken-driving convictions.

Project Outreach Team (PORT), a Washtenaw County agency that provides services for the homeless, formed the soccer team in 2007 as a way to reach a population that prefers to be left alone.

Once PORT gains players' trust, it learns what type of therapy and other help they need.

Washtenaw isn't the only place doing it. A growing number of cities around the country have formed a 20-team league that plays a national tournament July 30 in Washington.

An international contest, the Homeless World Cup, is in September in Rio de Janeiro.

Soccer gives the homeless a relaxing way to dip their toe into the mainstream after being away a long time, said Linda Bacigalupi, a PORT jail diversion specialist who is one of the team's coaches.

It also teaches confidence, discipline and other traits that could help one re-enter society, she said.

"They say they feel like this is their family," she said. "That makes it worth it 10 times over."

Read the full article: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20100630/METRO/6300357/1408/LOCAL/Soccer-gives-homeless-new-goals#ixzz0sLbIfJVJ

Quality Childcare and Pre-School: An Essential part of Development for Low Income Children

"Every year, more than three million children enroll in a public kindergarten program. A momentous time in their young lives, each child enters with different strengths, weaknesses, skills and needs. Some differences are to be expected as normal variations in development, but unfortunately, socioeconomic factors appear to contribute significantly to a school readiness divide.

For example, research has shown a significant achievement gap already exists between low-income children and their more affluent peers at kindergarten entry. Researchers have identified gaps in a number of critical areas, including cognitive development, social-emotional development, and health status. One study found that the average cognitive scores of our nation’s most affluent children are 60 percent higher than those of our poorest children before they enter kindergarten. Furthermore, low-income children are more likely to attend lower-quality schools, making it unlikely that these gaps can be closed later through schooling alone."

A new white paper from Child Trends entitled Early Childhood Highlights addresses the importance of quality child care and pre-school programs in the development of children, especially children from low-income homes.

The paper includes a table which compares early childhood emphasis state by state. The 7 page paper plus state by state comparison chart can be found at:

www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2010_06_18_ECH_SchoolReadiness.pdf

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Host Annual Powwow Gathering

"The past and the future merged Saturday as the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi hosted its annual powwow gathering on the tribe's Pine Creek Indian Reservation.

The event marks an acknowledgment of the simple ways of the past and a way for a tribe with an ever-expanding reservation and a modern casino to honor traditions that go back to "time immemorial," as Tribal Executive Director Aaron Payment described them."It's important to make sure that we don't forget the older days of our ancestors and what struggles they had to go through," Tribal Council Vice-Chairman Jamie Stuck said. "We have it much easier today and we need to be thankful to our ancestors for the path that they provided and started for us.""

www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20100627/NEWS01/6270321/Powwow-honors-past-looks-ahead-to-future

June 23: 47th Anniversary of Martin Luther King "I have a dream" Speech in Detroit

On this day, June 23, 47 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered a speech in Detroit. Some two months later, he would stand in front of the Lincoln Memorial and give his famous "I have a dream" speech. But as his speech in Detroit shows, the dream speech was rooted in the Motor City:

"And so I go back to the South not in despair. I go back to the South not with a feeling that we are caught in a dark dungeon that will never lead to a way out. I go back believing that the new day is coming. And so this afternoon, I have a dream. (Go ahead) It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day, right down in Georgia and Mississippi and Alabama, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to live together as brothers.

I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that one day, [Applause] one day little white children and little Negro children will be able to join hands as brothers and sisters.

I have a dream this afternoon that one day, [Applause] that one day men will no longer burn down houses and the church of God simply because people want to be free.

I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that there will be a day that we will no longer face the atrocities that Emmett Till had to face or Medgar Evers had to face, that all men can live with dignity.

I have a dream this afternoon (Yeah) that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin. [Applause]

I have a dream this afternoon that one day right here in Detroit, Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them and they will be able to get a job. [Applause] (That’s right)

Yes, I have a dream this afternoon that one day in this land the words of Amos will become real and "justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I have a dream this evening that one day we will recognize the words of Jefferson that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I have a dream this afternoon. [Applause]

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and "every valley shall be exalted, and every hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." [Applause]

I have a dream this afternoon that the brotherhood of man will become a reality in this day.

And with this faith I will go out and carve a tunnel of hope through the mountain of despair. With this faith, I will go out with you and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. With this faith, we will be able to achieve this new day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing with the Negroes in the spiritual of old:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God almighty, we are free at last! [Applause]

The full text of the Detroit speech can be found at:

www.mlkonline.net/detroit.html

Richland Farmers Market now accepts donations, will soon offer online ordering and EBT

The Richland Farmers Market is finding more ways to make fresh food accessible, especially for low-income residents. From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

The market will be collecting food for Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes, introducing an Electronic Benefits Machine and will soon feature an online service that allows farmers to tell shoppers what produce they would be featuring at upcoming markets.

“We really want to be a place that everyone wants to come to and has the option to purchase fresh food,” said Brook Wilke, co- manager of the market. These changes “will go a long way in helping support our mission at the farmers market.”

Wilke said the idea to have a box where farmers can put their

overflow, or customers can generously contribute, came from one of the market’s proponents, Rev. Ericka Parkinson-Kilbourne of First Presbyterian Church.

“It wouldn’t be possible without all of her work,” Wilke said.

Wilke said anyone could place any kind of food in the box, which would be delivered to Loaves and Fishes to help feed people in and around Kalamazoo. Currently, they collect around 10 pounds of food at every market.

LocalOrbit.com is a website that allows farmers to post each week the types of produce that will be available. Customers can visit the website and either order for delivery, or order and pick up at the farmers market.

Read the full article:
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/06/richland_farmers_market_now_ac.html

Program which Donates Refurbished Computers to Needy Families Expanding into Cass County

"Berrien County’s Bridges to Digital Excellence (BDE Technical Services), 175 W. Main St. in downtown Benton Harbor, has been around since 2003, when it started as a program of the Council for World-Class Communities, but will become more familiar (in Cass and Van Buren Counties) as the non-profit 501(c)3 recycler elevates its profile in Van Buren and Cass counties to bridge the digital divide between business and technology."

Bridges to Digital Excellence refurbishes computers that are donated by businesses and individuals and then donates these to families in Benton Harbor and other communities which may not have access to home computer technology.

"“In the Cass County area, we’re going to be piloting a program this fall,” (BDE CEO) Chapman said. “My committee on the Computers in the Home (CIH) program will be outreaching to a school here and we’ll be giving away our first nine or 10 computers this fall when school starts up.”

To date, Chapman related, more than $2.5 million in refurbished computers and software have been donated to individuals." Before families may receive a donated computer, BDE also provides computer training for those families in downtown Benton Harbor.

Earlier this year, Bridges to Digital Excellence also initiated a program of recycling of computers and other electronics. Their employees are hired through Michigan Works.

www.dowagiacnews.com/2010/06/20/bde-expanding-to-cass-county/

Nationally: More Families Homeless & on the Streets

"The Great Recession drove more families into homeless shelters in 2009, a new federal report has found.

Some 170,000 families needed shelter last year, up from 159,000 in 2008, according to an annual survey from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. There were 535,000 people in those families.

Over the course of the past year, the number of people in homeless shelters dipped slightly to 1.56 million, from 1.6 million a year earlier. This translates into one of every 200 Americans."

money.cnn.com/2010/06/16/news/economy/homelessness/index.htm

Help wanted with Kalamazoo's third annual 'Family Reunion'

From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

KALAMAZOO — Donations, volunteers and community organizations wishing to share information about their services are all being sought by organizers of Kalamazoo’s third annual Ultimate Family Reunion.

The free, public fun-and-food event is slated to run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 7 at Spring Valley Park.

The 2010 theme is: “As a Community, We Win in 2010.” The event is again sponsored by Mothers of Hope, an organization founded to empower women recovering from substance abuse, restore families and enhance community life.

Organizers Gwen Hillman, Mothers of Hope chairwoman, and Kalamazoo City Commissioner Stephanie Bell, the group’s program development chairwoman, say they need everything from picnic volunteers and cash, to food donations and sporting goods contributions to make the summer event a success.

“The primary goal of this year’s event is to provide an opportunity for community members to connect with resources within the community for the building of strong community ties,” Bell said. “As in years past, we desire to hold an event that will provide a safe, welcoming environment for families within the overall community ... of Kalamazoo.”

A small registration fee charged to agencies and programs that wish to distribute information about their services will help underwrite some of the costs.

In addition, Mothers of Hope is seeking help with the following:

• Vans to transport people who park in off-site lots to and from the reunion.
• Donations to purchase food and suppliers who are willing to offer at least one free food item throughout the day. They also seek donations for stages, portable restrooms and sound equipment.
• Volunteers to cook and/or serve food at the event.
• Bottled water.
• Praise teams, choirs and entertainment groups.
• 50 fishing poles and volunteers to assist children from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The donated poles will be raffled at the end of the day.
• Tennis rackets and balls, plus volunteers to oversee tennis from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. That equipment also will be raffled with proceeds used to pay reunion expenses. A group is also needed to organize softball games at 1 and 4 p.m.
• Additional picnic tables and trash cans for the event and volunteers to help with clean up.

Organizers also plan three-on-three basketball tournaments and a dance contest.
For more information, to donate or to volunteer, contact Bell at 269-760-5969 or e-mail stephny4@yahoo.com.

Read the full article: http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/06/help_wanted_with_kalamazoos_th.html

Incarceration: the Platinum Revolving Door

Each year, America spends about $68 billion to incarcerate and supervise more than 7 million people. Yet criminologists say our burgeoning penal system – which has tripled in size over the past 25 years – does little to improve public safety. What it has been most successful at is promoting poverty.

With the highest incarceration rate in the world, the U.S. releases more than 700,000 inmates each year, almost all of them barred from solid jobs because of their crimes.

The story of one of those individuals is highlighted in this story:

John Page knows this through bitter experience. A drug addiction and subsequent crimes led to eight years in a Seattle-area prison. Afterward, though welcomed home by friends, and sober, he found himself permanently marked by his past. Despite a college education, solid office experience and a lifelong ability to connect with people, Page, 46, discovered that the only work he could get upon release was an $8-per-hour job cleaning buses at night.

“I’d had all these expectations,” he said. “I was aiming for jobs with the city, jobs with the county.” No employer would give him a second look.

“It was horrible,” he said.

Even now, four years later, Page still feels the chill of incarceration. He winces to recall the day he was invited to meet the managers at a Seattle utility company. His preliminary tests had so impressed Human Resources that a job seemed assured, company staff said. Dressed for the interview, Page arrived to fill out the paperwork – checking “yes” when asked whether he had any criminal history. Immediately, the smiles and first-name familiarity vanished, as did the $35,000-a-year position. Page was left to cobble together a living through part-time contract work.

“It really hurt,” he said. “Yes, I was in prison, but that wasn’t all of my experience.”

A dignified man whose face sags at the memory of his addiction and subsequent crimes, Page has since rebuilt his life, working in the last four years at a car dealership, communications firm and civil rights organization. Next month, he starts as a program coordinator with Seattle’s Defender Association – his first full-time job with benefits since the 1990s.

Moving up from the low-income apartment that has been his home since release is Page’s next goal. But he stalls, paralyzed by the idea of filling out a rental application.

“You go into a leasing office and tell them ‘Yes, I have some stuff in my background, some robberies.’ They take your $35 application fee and then say they can’t take you in,” he said. “I don’t want the anxiety.”

Many believe this is just as it should be: Break the law and you must pay.

Read the full story: http://www.equalvoiceforfamilies.org/pages/grantee_in_the_news/IncarcerationPlatinumRevolvingDoor.html