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07 September, 2023

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

 


30 August, 2023

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 (seePhiladelphia 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.

13 June, 2023

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 13th 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 46th 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.

 #          #          #

29 May, 2023

HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC. CELEBRATES ITS 55TH YEAR OF CULTIVATING HOPE AND PEACE IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA: UNVEILS PLANS FOR SEPTEMBER 2023 PHILADELPHIA COLLARD GREENS CULTURAL FESTIVAL AT WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY 2023 - 10:00 A.M. PRESS CONFERENCE

House Of Umoja, Inc 

5625 West Master Street (David Fattah way)

Philadelphia, PA  19131

(215) 473-5893

Website:  www.houseofumoja.net

E-Mail:  falakafattah@aol.com

 

CONTACT:

Baba Hakim Tendaji

Coordinator, Philadelphia Collard Green Cultural Festival

Site Manager - House Of Umoja, Inc.

House Of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail:  falakafattah@aol.com

 


Your food is supposed to be your medicine and your medicine is supposed to be your food. ~African Proverb --

 

        PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA)  --  As it celebrates its 55th anniversary, the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://www.houseofumoja.net), which has brokered peace and invested in the future of children and youths in the City of Philadelphia for five (5) decades, by providing life lines for approximately at least 3,000 adolescent males and positively transforming the trajectory of their lives, continues to cultivate peace and hope in the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States.  On Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 10:00 A.M. at 5625 Master Street (David Fattah Way), the House of Umoja. Inc. will convene a press conference to unveil plans for the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival scheduled for 1 September 2023 through 2 September 2023.  The Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival (https://www.house ofumoja.net/collardgreenfest,html), which is a component of a series of events planned to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the House Of Umoja, Inc., was founded by Dr. Mama Nobantu Ankoanda, an educator, former principal and founder of African-centered community based institutions in 1998 in Palo Alto, California as a means of raising funds for the Shule Mandela Academy.  It was exported to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the House Of Umoja, Inc. by  Baba Hakim Tendaji, a Philadelphia native who relocated to California for a brief time, and who served on the original Collard Greens Festival Committee in East Palo Alto, California (https://www.collard greenscultural festival.com/about).

 

              “When I moved from California back to Philadelphia and reengaged with the House of Umoja, I felt that the House of Umoja would be a great home for and steward of the Collard Greens Cultural Festival for the City of Philadelphia.  Creating a strong culture-based community that is focused on accessible holistic health and wellness, and impacting youth and young adult street culture with more positive alternatives that serve their interests and needs are among the things I want to accomplish with the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival.  Our children and our youth must be presented with an alternative to the culture of street life and the tools to develop better ways of healing.  I am reminded of an African proverb which counsels us that food is our medicine and our medicine is food.  Through the Philadelphia  Collard Greens Cultural Festival, our children and our youth will learn that what we eat and what we put into our bodies impacts our physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being.  A balanced and healthy diet which includes vegetables -- collard greens, as an example -- is a component of accessible holistic health and wellness.  Collard greens serve as one of the many healthy foods that should be our medicine, and our medicine should consist of healthy foods that include collard greens.  From a cultural perspective, collard greens or Sukuma, which is the Swahili word for collard greens, is prominently served at meals that include fish or meat  or the main ingredient in stews in many African nations -- the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Benin; Nigeria; Tanzania; and Kenya,” explained Baba Tendaji who serves as the Coordinator of the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival under the umbrella of the House Of Umoja, Inc..

 

          “For fifty-five years, the House Of Umoja, Inc. has cultivated hope and peace throughout the City of Philadelphia.  Through the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival, the House Of Umoja, Inc will continue to work to cultivate hope and peace in the nation’s sixth largest metropolitan area.  Poverty, poor nutrition, lack of cultural identity, dysfunctional family units, and a lack of hope are some of the underlying causative factors of the current gun violence emergency that plays out on the streets and in public transportation facilities in our great city. A recent report issued by the American Medical Association which was recently brought to my attention pointed out overt racism is the source of early deaths for African Americans.  It is not difficult to see how this occurs.  African Americans are more likely to live in environmentally toxic communities as they reside in older homes with old pipes through which water flows that taints their water supply while African American children attend classes in old buildings which have asbestos and old pipes that provide a tainted water supply.  Most African Americans live in food deserts -- residential areas in which major food stores that could provide them with access to healthy foods -- fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc.  are not accessible.  Then there is the issue of health disparities that encompass lack of access to expedient and high quality medical care and preventative health protocols for African Americans and the failure of health and medical professionals to administer to African American patients the proper medical protocols mandated by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address life-threatening medical conditions and diseases  It is not difficult to understand why there is such a pervasive lack of hope in the African American community.    The foods, cultural events, and workshops presented by the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival will help address many of the causes of the pervasive lack of hope in the African American community. If there is no hope, there will be no peace.  The mission of the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival of  the House Of Umoja, Inc. is to cultivate hope and peace and move communities and our city to cultivate hope and embrace peace,” remarked Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the House Of Umoja, Inc.

 

          Established in 1968, the House of Umoja, Inc. (https://www.houseofumoja.net)  is an  internationally acclaimed institution that has, for five decades, designed and implemented timeless Global Models for eradicating violence, fostering community development, creating economic sustainability, and addressing many of the key challenges that prevent boys and adolescent males from reaching their full potential and maturing into productive and successful adults.  Its successful track record of positively transforming the lives of approximately 3,000 male adolescents and  reducing gang violence, moved universities and institutions to seek the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise.   The Office of Juvenile Justice and Prevention and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)  were among the institutions that sought the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise on gang violence reduction, youth programming, and community development.   Former United States Presidents The Honorable James Earl Carter, Jr. and the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan recognized the House of Umoja, Inc. for its pioneering work that has been documented in published articles such as “A Summons To Life,” by Robert Woodson of the American Enterprise Institute (www.aei.org)  in 1981 and “The Violent Juvenile Offender,” by Paul DeMuro and Richard Allison of the National Council On Crime and Delinquency (www.nccdglobal.org), in 1984.

          To register or learn how you can become  a volunteer or vendor for the 1 September 2023 through 2 September 2023 Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival which is hosted by the House Of Umoja, Inc and coordinated by its Site Manager, Baba Hakim Tendaji, visit the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s website at  https://www.houseofumoja.net/collardgreenfest,html .  Alternatively, you may contact the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://www.houseoumoja.net) by calling (215) 473-5893 or by sending an electronic mail communication to:  falakafattah@aol.com.

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

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