HISTORY AND ART INEXTRICABLY INTERTWINED: WORKS FROM PORTFOLIO OF HUMANITARIAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR, ARTIST MR. DAVID S. GREENE TO BE FEATURED AT UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA’S ROTUNDA ON SATURDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2023

           Artists are storytellers.  Humanitarian, author, educator, and artist Mr. David S. Greene, through his vibrantly hued and masterfully crafted portfolio of paintings, offers poignant stories of unsung heroes struggling to achieve economic and social justice that spans five (5) decades.  On Saturday, 18 November 2023 from 1:00 P.M. through 5:00 P.M. at the Rotunda located at 40^th and Walnut Streets on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, three (3) works from Mr. Greene’s expansive portfolio will be displayed as a component of the “Self-Taught Artists” Exhibit.   In May  2023 numerous works from Mr. Greene’s expansive portfolio which incontrovertibly demonstrates that art and history are inextricably intertwined were displayed at the Rotunda on the University of Pennsylvania Campus, and at other venues that include the West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship (August 2023); and East Parkside Residents Association, North Star Park (June, 2022; May 2023). 

           Masterfully crafted paintings that comprise Mr. Greene’s expansive portfolio tell the stories of the unsung heroes that he and his wife Janet Wells Greene, Ph.D. have worked with and advocated for and their collective fight for economic and social justice in West Virginia, Ohio, and Harlem in New York City.  Collectively and individually, through their work which spans five (5) decades, Mr. and Mrs. Greene have quietly and unceremoniously helped to co-create history by providing platforms for the underserved and disenfranchised members of our society to exercise their constitutional rights; co-founding alternative educational institutions that foster equitable societal change; and moving us to “step outside of ourselves” and understand our “connectedness” to each other.  

          David S. Greene is an educator, author, and artist who co-founded several alternative educational institutions, including the Southern Appalachian Labor School (1979) in West Virginia; the Paulo Freire Institute for Popular Education and Social Change (1997) in New York City; and the Freedom School (http://www.thefreedomschoolin lickingcounty.org/aboutus) in Licking County, Ohio,  Mr. Greene’s powerful literary work,  “Unfit to be a Slave, A Guide to Adult Education for Liberation” which was published in  2015, describes his work as a social activist and the lessons learned from experience and his co-workers in industry and community.  More recently, Mr. Greene has focused on the development of Critical Class Consciousness and Emerging Leadership.   

          Janet Wells Greene, Ph.D. is a labor historian; adult educator; co-founder of The Freedom School in Licking County (Ohio);  faculty member of The Southern Appalachian Labor School (West Virginia);  and Co-Director of Development for the Highlander Center for Research and Education (Tennessee).   She was also an Assistant Professor of Labor Studies at the Harry Van Arsdale Center for Labor Studies at Empire State College (SUNY) and Historian and Director of the Library of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York. 

           Mr. and Mrs. Greene’s empowering and transformative work which spans fifty (50) years has been captured on an award-winning film documentary entitled, “Revolutionary Hearts” which is directed by Peter Kinoy and Mary Lutz.  Through “Revolutionary Hearts” (https://vimeo.com/772215531), the extraordinary lives of Mr. and Mrs. Greene – and the stories of the unsung heroes with whom they worked and advocated for are chronicled.   The epic film documentary which is scheduled for screening in Venice, Italy in July 2024 at The  Way Of Art Film Festival, has been screened at the  People's Forum, New York City (March 2023); Ohio University International Film Festival (April 2023); The Freedom School in Licking  County, Ohio (April 2023); Block Island Public Library, Rhode Island (July 2023); the House Of Umoja, Inc., a globally acclaimed institution headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 2022; September 2023); and by the Put People First-Pennsylvania Non Violent Medicaid Army Leadership Team (July 2023).

           An overview of the body of work that spans fifty (50) years created by David S. Greene and Janet Wells Greene, Ph.D.  – which  encompasses publications and media -- is excerpted below:

 Publications

 "Schools for Liberation: Creating Leadership for a New World," authored by Janet Wells Greene and David S. Greene and published in Tricia Kress, Christoper Emdin and Robert Lake, eds., Critical Pedagogy for Healing:  Paths Beyond "Wellness," Toward a Soul Revival of Teaching and Learning,  Bloomsbury Press, 2022.

  “From Forge to Fast Food:  A History of Child Labor in New York State, Volume One: Colonial Times through the Civil War, authored by Janet Wells Greene (Council for Citizenship Education, Russell Sage College, 1995 - https://eric.ed.gov/?id= ED393723.

 "Cameras in the Coalfields:  Photographs As Evidence For Comparative Coalfield History," (https://www.gbv.de/dms/goettingen/388459824.pdf)  in Berger, Croll, and LaPorte, eds.; Towards a Comparative History of Coalfield Societies  (Ashgate Publishing Company, 2005).

 "Strategies for Survival, Women's Work in the Southern West Virginia Coal Camps," authored by Janet Wells Greene and published in West Virginia History 49 (1990) - https://archive.wvculture.org/history/journal_wvh/wvh49-4.html.

 

Media

 Fleisher Art Memorial, Social Activism Through Art:  Art Sparks with David Greene, January  2021 -  https://youtu.be/t2R3zxg4CFI?si=yakICUlBEfvBy Lkf.

West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, Mine Wars Forum with Janet Wells Greene, Season 4, Episode 3, January, 2023 -  https://www.youtube.com/live/ EXcSvbexc0E?si=GR4Z6RcnTocDfR5n. 

Landscape of Lost Arts: The Building Trades in New York City by Janet Wells Greene - https://www.laborarts.org/exhibits/buildingtrades/index.html.

       When asked about their work,  David S. Greene and Janet Wells Greene had this to say:

“Our work as educators is inspired by Paulo Freire and Myles Horton.  As working class people, we have been confronted by many social and economic challenges that made it necessary for us to create new spaces for learning.  Our goal has always been education for liberation and community empowerment. Central to our practice is the conviction that all education for liberation must be built on lived experience.  By listening to and learning from the people, education can be transformed from a tool for elitism to a tool for democracy and healing.  Can you start a school or space for learning in the community where you live?  We think the answer is ‘Yes!’” 

STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION | THE POWER OF LIFER PRISONERS: A LIFERS, INC. PA PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE

STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION | THE POWER OF LIFER PRISONERS: A LIFERS, INC. PA PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE 

Author:  Kevin Saleem Mines

               President, SCI Phoenix Lifers, Inc.

               (www.lifersincpa.org)

Available at Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/stories-transformation-power-life-prisoners/dp/BOCFOV1GX4)

 

Under the most egregiously restrictive and traumatic set of circumstances,  many incarcerated United States citizens serving life without parole sentences quietly and unceremoniously positively impact the lives of other incarcerated United States citizens and society.  Operating with limited resources and under unconscionable restrictive time constraints, many incarcerated United States Citizens serving life without parole sentences research, design  -- and with assistance from community stakeholders -- co-facilitate and co-implement research-driven and solutions-based initiatives that address gun violence, the “school-to-prison” pipeline; recidivism; Fatherlessness; and the reduction and eradication of an expanding crime economy which helps to fuel the current out-of-control gun violence emergency.  For over three (3) decades,  SCI Phoenix LIFERS, Inc has produced a research body of written work and research-driven, solutions-based Public Safety Initiatives that address gun violence, the “school-to-prison” pipeline, recidivism, Fatherlessness and eradication of an expanding crime economy which helps to fuel the current out-of-control gun violence emergency.   The positive and transformative impact of the gentlemen who are members of SCI Phoenix LIFERS, Inc. upon other incarcerated United States citizens and society are chronicled in  STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION | THE POWER OF LIFER PRISONERS: A LIFERS, INC. PA PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE (https://www.amazon.com/stories-transformation-power-life-prisoners/dp/BOCFOV1GX4),  

 

Through a moving and powerful literary work, STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION | THE POWER OF LIFER PRISONERS: A LIFERS, INC. PA PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE ( https://www.amazon.com/stories-transformation-power-life-prisoners/dp/BOCFOV1GX4), we are afforded an opportunity to bear witness to the positive and transformative impact that many incarcerated United States citizens in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania -- many of whom are from Philadelphia and African Americans serving life without parole  -- have and continue to have on other incarcerated United States citizen and on our society.  Let’s keep in mind that   African Americans comprise approximately 11% of the entire population in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.   Yet, the majority of incarcerated United States citizens serving life without parole sentences in prisons throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are from Philadelphia and also are African Americans.   (See “The Other Death Penalty: How Philadelphia leads America in Life Without Parole Sentences” at https://www.pennpoliticalreview.org/2021/03/the-other-death-penalty-how-philadelphia-leads-america-in-life-without-parole-sentences; “Pa. Leads Nation In Life Without Parole Sentences; Report” at https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/09/pa_leads_ nation_in_life_withou.html.

 

STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION | THE POWER OF LIFER PRISONERS: A LIFERS, INC. PA PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE ( https://www.amazon.com/stories-transformation-power-life-prisoners/dp/BOCFOV1GX4) is recommended reading for, among others, reentry professionals, educators, school administrators, members of the judiciary,  legislators, public policy analysts, journalists, Fatherhood Advocates and Practitioners; Restorative Justice Advocates and Practitioners; Criminal Justice Reform Advocates and Practitioners; Prison Reform Advocates and Practitioners; community stakeholders; the Interfaith Community; legal professionals; law enforcement professionals; social services professionals and providers; health and medical care professionals and providers; family members and loved ones of incarcerated United States citizens.

 

To learn more about the Lifers Inc. PA Public Safety initiative visit: https://lifersincpa.org,   or contact Mr. Kevin Saleem Mines, President of SCI Phoenix LIFERS, Inc., by sending correspondence to Mr. Mines, addressed as follows:

 

SMART COMMUNICATIONS/PA DOC

Mr. Kevin Mines (AY5941)

SCI Phoenix

Post Office Box 33028

St. Petersburg, FL  33733

 

HOUSE OF UMOJA INC. MARKS SIXTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF LEADERSHIP FOR PHILADELPHIA’S NATIONAL MILLION FATHERS MARCH IN PHILADELPHIA WITH CO-SPONSORSHIP WITH THE FATHER’S DAY RALLY COMMITTEE AND JOINT FOCUS ON IMPROVING ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS LITERACY AND BROKERING PEACE

*5625 West Master Street (David Fattah Way) * Philadelphia, PA 19131 * (215) 473-5893 * Website  https://houseofumoja.net * E-Mail:  falakafattah@aol.com 

CONTACT: 

Anthony Bannister-Fattah, Philadelphia Coordinator -  2023 National Million Father March

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, Advisor – 2023 Philadelphia National Million Father March

House of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail:  falakafattah@aol.com

 

Bilal Qayyum

President

Father’s Day Rally Committee

Co-Sponsor 2023 Philadelphia National Million Father March

(215) 667-9870

E-Mail: bilalqayyum@comcast.net

 

          PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA --The House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.net) marks its sixteenth anniversary of leading and organizing the City of Philadelphia’s observance of the 2023 National Million Fathers March in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a co-sponsorship with the Father’s Rally Day Committee (https://fathersrally.com)  and a joint focus on improving the English and Mathematics literacy skills of children in Grades K through 12 who are enrolled in schools throughout the City of Philadelphia and brokering peace in the nation’s sixth largest metropolitan area.  An internationally acclaimed institution that has a 55-year successful track record in addressing and reducing violence and positively transforming the trajectory of the lives of over 3,000 adolescent males,  the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.net) became the City of Philadelphia’s organizer and leader for the National Million Father March commencing in 2007.    For three (3) decades, the Father’s Day Rally Committee (https://fathersrally.com) has championed African American Fathers in Philadelphia who quietly and unceremoniously positively shape the minds and souls of their children and simultaneously make  invaluable contributions and selfless sacrifices that strengthen and empower the communities in which they live and work The National Million Father March is an initiative created by the late  Mr. Philip Jackson and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (www.blackstarproject.org; www.fathers incorporated.com) that   encourages all Fathers nationwide to take a proactive role in the education of their child.  It is estimated that approximately 197,288  students enrolled in the School District Of Philadelphia will return to the classroom on  Tuesday, 5 September 2023 – the first day of the 2023-2024 academic year.

           On Friday,  1 September 2023 at 10:00 A.M. (E.S.T.), the House Of Umoja, Inc. will host a press conference at 5625 West Master Street (David Fattah Way) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to launch the City of Philadelphia’s observance of the 2023 National Million Fathers March.  Fathers, Father Figures, community stakeholders, educators, school administrators, City and State legislators, business community members, clergy, social services professionals and providers, health and medical professionals and providers, members of the electronic and print media, Fatherhood advocates and practitioners, and public policy professionals are encouraged to attend the press conference scheduled to commence at 10:00 A.M (E.S.T.) on Friday, 1 September 2023 at the House Of Umoja, Inc. at 5625 West Master Street (David Fattah Way) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   The press conference will  provide Fathers and Father Figures with an opportunity to receive instructions and a registration kit in preparation of Philadelphia’s sixteenth observance of the National Million Father March which is scheduled to occur on Tuesday, 5 September 2023.  

          Fathers in neighborhoods throughout the City of Philadelphia are being encouraged to:

 ·   Escort their child to school on Tuesday, 5 September 2023

·  Meet their child’s teachers and the principal of their child’s school 

·         Foster a parent-teacher-school administrator partnership that positively enhances their child’s learning environment, creates and supports a “school-to-work” curriculum, disrupts the current “school-to-prison pipeline” curriculum, and exponentially improve proficiency levels in English and Mathematics 

·         Conduct “listening sessions” with their child that provide their child with an opportunity to talk about  their daily experiences at school – e.g., their interactions with their classmates and teachers, their favorite subjects, their least favorite subjects, the physical condition of the school building – e.g., leaking ceilings, dysfunctional bathrooms, lack of heating, lack of supplies – textbooks, computers, etc.  

·         Obtain a copy of their child’s roster and the academic calendar for their child’s school, and the school’s budget for the 2022-2023 academic year.   

·         Commit to read with their children of all ages, custodial and non-custodial fathers.  

· Review their child’s homework assignments on a daily basis.  

·         Review their child’s English and Mathematics literacy test scores.  

·         Move their child to embrace nonviolence and peace by encouraging their children sign the Imani Pledge™ (https://houseofumoja.net/imani-pledge.html).

             Leading by example, the House of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.net), the City of Philadelphia’s Coordinator for the 2023 National Million Father March and The Father’s Day Rally Committee (https://fathersrally.com), on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, will ring in the 2023-2024 academic year with a symbolic march to Overbrook High School, located at 5829 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fathers are being asked to assemble at the House of Umoja, Inc.’s office located at 5625 West Master Street (David Fattah Way) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania no later than 7:00 A.M. (E.S.T) ) on Tuesday, 5 September 2023 .  The symbolic march  will commence at 7:00 A.M. (E.S.T.) at the House Of Umoja, Inc. at 5625 Master Street (David Fattah Way) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and conclude at Overbrook High School which is located at 5829 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

          Cognizant of the lackluster academic performance of children enrolled in the School District Of Philadelphia which is evidenced by declining scores in Reading and Mathematics Literacy Skills proficiency state-wide and national tests, the Philadelphia National Million Father March -- under the leadership of the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.net) and co-sponsorship of the Father’s Day Rally Committee (https://fathersrally.com)  will continue to focus on improving Reading and Mathematics literacy skills of all children attending Philadelphia’s schools during the 2023-2024 academic year..  An alarming lackluster academic performance of Philadelphia’s school children has been graphically explored  by CBS News (see “Philadelphia Schools Near Bottom In Academic Performance,” at https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/ news/philadelphia-schools-national-assessment-of-educational-progress-nations-report-card/) and the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, a non-partisan, non-profit news site that focuses on state government and state policy issues (see “Philadelphia Student Scores On State Reading And Math Exams Down From Pre-COVID Levels”, at https://www.penncapital-star.com/education/philadelphia-student-scores-on-state-reading-and-math-exams-down-from-pre-covid-levels/). The House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.org) in its leadership role for the City of Philadelphia’s observance of the National Million Father March, monitors the academic performance and Reading and Mathematics Literacy Skills proficiency levels of children enrolled in the School District Of Philadelphia on annual basis.  In response to the alarmingly consistent academic underperformance of Philadelphia’s children together with a disturbingly consistent decline in state-wide and national tests that determine the Reading and Mathematics Literacy Skills proficiency levels of children enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia, the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.net) is working to identify and help address the underlying causes of the downward decline in education for school  children in the nation’s birthplace and sixth largest metropolitan area. 

           “An urgent need exists to examine, understand, and holistically address the intellectual, psychological, and spiritual impact that the current gun violence emergency is having on our children.  The current gun violence emergency is traumatizing everyone -- including and especially our children.   How is the current gun violence emergency affecting our children’s ability to learn?   We need to connect the dots between the traumatizing impact that the current gun violence emergency has had and continues to have on our children and their consistent academic underachievement and poor performance on state-wide and national tests that measure their proficiency levels in English and Mathematics literary skills.   An article published on the website of Education Week at https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-this-is-what-happens-to-a-students-brain-when-exposed-to-gun-violence/2022/06 that is entitled, ‘This Is What Happens To A Student’s Brain When Exposed To Gun Violence’ comes to mind.  Among other things, the article points out that for our children,  ‘the experience of, or excessive worry about, toxic stressors like gun violence affects three key brain functions which students depend on for learning.’ The article further states that  ‘ . .  .  the brain’s emotional response function goes into overdrive: It shows heightened reactions to emotional stimuli and has greater difficulty disengaging from them, ultimately resulting in greater reactivity to threat and therefore greater perceived stress. Because the brain’s emotional processing areas are also critical for perspective-taking, social interactions, and for attention, learning is impaired.’  Let’s be clear, our children are bright, willing to learn, and quite teachable.   One could say that the consistent academic underperformance and the disturbingly consistent decline in state-wide and national tests that determine the Reading and Mathematics Literacy Skills proficiency levels of school children in Philadelphia is actually a very telling verdict on the current gun violence emergency in Philadelphia which is entering its third consecutive year.  When our children do well, our families, our neighborhoods, and our city does well.    So goes the children, so goes the village,” Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, the CEO and President of the House Of Umoja, Inc. remarked. 

 

           Established in 1968, the House of Umoja, Inc.’s successful track record of transforming the lives of and working with over 3,000 youths has moved universities and institutions that include, but are not limited to, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Prevention and the Center for Disease Control, to seek the expertise of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah and her late husband Mr. David Fattah in the areas of gang reduction, youth programming, and community organizing.  Former United States Presidents The Honorable James Earl Carter and the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan have recognized the House Of Umoja, Inc. for its pioneering work which has been documented in published articles such as A Summons To Life, by Robert Woodson of the American Enterprise Institute in 1981 and The Violent Juvenile Offender by Paul DeMuro and Richard Allison of the National Council On Crime And Delinquency in 1984. 

 

             For further information about Philadelphia’s observance of the 2023 National Million Father March, contact the House of Umoja, Inc. at (215) 473-5893 or send an e-mail to falakafattah@aol.com, or visit the organization’s website at https://houseofumoja.net.

            For further information about the Father’s Day Rally Committee, visit its website at https://fathersrally.com; call its office (215) 667-9870; or send an electronic mail communication to:  fdrc2022@gmail.com or bilalqayyum@comcast.net.

            For further information concerning the National Million Father March and Fathers Incorporated, visit its website at www.fathersincorporated.com or send an e-mail to:  info@fathersincorporated.com.

NATIONAL MEN OF COLOR ASSOCIATION AND NATIONAL BLACK AUTHORS TOUR PUNCTUATE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA’S 19 JUNE 2023 JUNETEENTH OBSERVANCE WITH COLLABORATIVE INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL EVENT -- ““OUR BLACK LIVES: MINDFULNESS OVER MATTER FOR ENVISIONING OURSELVES WHOLE”

CONTACT;

Dr. Maurice Henderson

Founder and President, National Men of Color Association

Founder, National Black Authors Tour

267-349-5661

E-Mail:  mauricebrianhenderson@yahoo.com 

          PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- On Monday, 19 June 1865,  United States Major General Gordon Granger, Commanding Officer of the Military District of Texas issued General Orders No. 3 to force the State of Texas to emancipate approximately at least 250,000 souls of African descent -- men, women, and children -- who were still enslaved throughout  the Southern state, despite the execution and issuance  of the Emancipation Proclamation on 22 September 1862 by United States President The Honorable Abraham Lincoln which became the law of the land in the United States on 1 January 1863.  More than 2,000 Federal soldiers of the 13^th Army Company, many of whom were African Americans who fought for the Union during the American Civil War, along with Major General Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas  to issue General Orders No. 3 and to meet any resistance to the implementation of General Orders No. 3.with unbridled military force.  Nearly one hundred and fifty-six years later,  the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives respectively passed the Juneteenth National Independence Act on 15 June 2021 and 16 June 2021 which was signed into law on 17 June 2021 by the 46^th President of the United States The Honorable Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. which established Juneteenth as a federal holiday. 

          The City of Philadelphia launched its observance  of the Juneteenth national holiday on Monday, 5 June 2023, with the raising of the official Juneteenth Flag at City Hall.   During the ceremony, Mrs. Opal Lee, a community activist, organizer, and retired educator from Fort Worth, Texas, whose fervent advocacy for the enactment of legislation establishing Juneteenth as a national federal holiday in the United States gained national attention and  ultimately transformed Juneteenth into a national federal holiday, was feted by Philadelphia City Council and The Honorable James Francis Kenney, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.  Known as the “Grandmother Of Juneteenth,” Mrs. Lee, who is 96 years old, was presented with a Philadelphia City Council citation and a proclamation from Mayor Kenney which designated Monday, 5 June 2023 as “Opal Lee Day” throughout the City of Philadelphia.  

         A collaborative interactive virtual observance of the Juneteenth national federal holiday will be orchestrated on 19 June 2023  from 6:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) through 9:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) by the National Men Of Color Association which was established in 2019 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the National Black Authors Tour.  The interactive virtual observance which is entitled, “Our Black Lives:  Mindfulness Over Matter For Envisioning Ourselves Whole” punctuates the City Of Philadelphia’s Juneteenth celebrations.  “Our Black Lives:  Mindfulness Over Matter For Envisioning Ourselves Whole” which is a collaborative observance of Juneteenth on Monday, 19 June 2023 from 6:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) through 9:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) presented by the National Men Of Color Association and the National Black Author Tour will be aired by Master Griot Radio (https://www.blogtalkradio,com/nbbta) which is featured on numerous platforms that includes but are not limited, to Stitcher (https://www.stitcher.com);  Spreaker (https://www.spreaker.com); Podchaser (https://www.podchaser.com); and Zeno Radio (https://Zeno.fm). 

        To register for “Our Black Lives:  Mindfulness Over Matter For Envisioning Ourselves Whole” which is a collaborative interactive virtual observance of the Juneteenth national federal holiday staged by the National Men Of Color Association and the National Black Authors Tour from 6:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) through 9:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) on 19 June 2023, visit the following link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kd-CgqT8jGtII EEamB26r3_UUXpL8Df a8.   Registrants will receive a personal link which will connect them to “Our Black Lives:  Mindfulness Over Matter For Envisioning Ourselves Whole” which features an expansive dialogue which is themed “Black Love -- Lost, Strayed, Or Stolen”.  The expansive dialogue themed “Black Love -- Lost, Strayed, Or Stolen” is followed by an interactive and profound interview with prolific and award-winning  filmmaker Mr. Nazir Alston (http://www. nkacreations.com) and his father Mr. Robert Hershey Alston, an actor, director, and producer.     Mr. Robert “Hershey” Alston is the co-producer of  “AWAKEN: A Tale Of Inner City Violence, Crime, And Its Impact” (2019);  and producer of “Men Of Understanding”  (2016); and “The Vigilante Chronicles” (2018). The Father and Son team will explore their award-winning and hauntingly profound  film documentary -- "District Greenwood: the Amalgamated People" -- which enjoys a No. 1 rating on AfroLand TV’s Top Ten List  (https://www.afrolandtv.com/).   AfroLandTV, which is backed by Comcast NBC Universal (https://corpoorate.comcast.com/policy/nbc universal-transaction), is founded by Mr. Michael S. Maponga of Dallas, Texas who serves as its Chief Executive Officer. 

        “District Greenwood:  The Amalgamated People”, the hauntingly profound and award-winning film documentary produced by  Messrs. Nazir Alston and Robert Hershey Alston  pays tribute to Greenwood District's historic and thriving Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma and simultaneously unearths the horrific  21 May 1921 through 1 June 2021 massacre of at least 300 souls of African descent and the total destruction of homes and businesses owned by souls of African descent which resulted in homelessness for at least 5,000 souls of African descent  committed by Caucasians.  After perpetrating a massacre of innocent Africans and the total destruction of their homes and businesses, Caucasian politicians and businessmen rezoned the area once known as the "Black Wall Street" to prevent reconstruction of businesses and homes by souls of African descent -- a number of whom were also of Native American ancestry..  At the time of the massacre, approximately 10,000 souls of African descent resided in the Greenwood District.

         Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the sixth largest metropolitan area of the United States, the National Men Of Color Association was established in 2019  by Dr. Maurice Henderson who serves as its President.  Under Dr. Henderson’s leadership, the National Men Of Color Association has been featured in a plethora of articles published and distributed by the independent, alternative, and mainstream print media; on WPHL-TV/Channel 17’s public affairs program, In Focus, hosted by Ms. Jennifer Hall-Lewis, an Emmy nominated journalist and Director of Community affairs at WPHL-TV/Channel 17; and on WPEB-FM  88.1.  An award-winning author and prolific poet and playwright, Dr. Henderson is also the Founder of the National Black Authors Tour.

          The National Men Of Color Association basked in the international spotlight in 2019 when it was bestowed with the International Men’s Day L.T.. Henry “Transcending Boundaries” Award -- Certificate of Recognition.   International Men’s Day, which was inaugurated in 1999 by  Jerome Teelucksingh, Ph.D., a Men’s Issues Thought Leader and faculty member of the History Department at the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago is observed annually on 19 November of each year by over ninety (90) nations.   A global observance which shares a 48-hour partnership with Universal Children’s Day which is celebrated on 20 November of each year and is recognized by the United Nations, International Men’s Day celebrates and honors the valuable contributions that Men make to families, communities, and our world.   The late Mr. L.T. Henry, for whom the International Men’s Day Award was named, envisioned a world in which Men -- particularly, Men who are Fathers -- would transcend the boundaries of geography, politics, culture, economics, class, language, religion, and ethnicity to support one another, create lines of communication with one another, and work together to overcome and eradicate obstacles which they confronted on a day-to-day basis that made it difficult for them to positively shape the minds and souls of their children, strengthen their families and empower the communities in which they lived and worked.  Mr. Henry affixed the title of IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® (https://globalfather hooddialogue.blogspot.com) to his vision, which has facilitated and moderated a global dialogue on Fatherhood and Men’s Issues for two (2) decades.  During his lifetime, Mr. Henry was a classically trained jazz musician who performed briefly with The Philadelphia Orchestra; former drummer for internationally acclaimed songstress and television and film actress the late Ms. Della Reese, success motivation and sales instructor; photojournalist; and author of a Fatherhood book -- In Search Of Fatherhood®. 

      For further information regarding the collaborative interactive virtual observance of Juneteenth -- “Our Black Lives:  Mindfulness Over Matter For Envisioning Ourselves Whole”  -- staged by the National Men Of Color Association and the National Black Author Tour on Monday, 19 June 2023 from 6:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) through 9:00 P.M. (E.S.T.), contact Dr. Maurice Henderson at 267-349-5661 or electronic mail at: mauricebrian henderson@yahoo.com.  

          To learn more about the National Men Of Color Association and the National Black Authors Tour founded respectively by Dr. Henderson, call 267-349-5661 or send an electronic mail communication to: mauricebrianhenderson@yahoo.com.

        To learn more about Juneteenth, visit the website the website of the Juneteenth Foundation at https://thejuneteenthfoundation.com/ or call the Juneteenth Foundation which is based in Washington, D.C. at (202) 677-3593.

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