Lillian Swift contributes a piece about the Book Party with Toure at the MAAH Jan 26.
Toure
B O O K PARTY with Toure
contributed by Lillian Swift for AboutBlackBoston.com
Museum of African American History
6pm, Thursday January 26, Beacon Hill
RSVP for admittance, 617.725.0222, x222
Toure has slowly become one of the great forces in journalism and television, as well as more recently with long form novels.
in bookstores
Starting as an intern at Rolling Stone in 1992, he has gone on to host his own show on Fuse, as well as regular contributions to MSNBC. His literary works began in 2003 when he released a collection of short stories entitled “The Portable Promised Land.” He followed that up with a 2004 release entitled “Soul City,” which was based on living in a perfect utopia for African Americans. A collection of Toure’s writings in multiple publications was released together in 2006 with the title “Never Drank the Kool Aid.”
The book party hosted by the Boston African American National Historic Site will be an unbelievable opportunity for locals to engage with a renowned writer and figure such as Toure. The location of the African Meeting House has extra significance for this meeting. The location was once the home to the heart of the local African American community through the 1800’s. The area was filled with schools, meeting houses and apartments in Boston that personified African American living over nearly two centuries ago.
There will be limited space for the discussion event, which will begin on Thursday at 6pm. There will be a small entrance fee which has yet to be announced at this time, but is likely to be a nominal fee for what will certainly be an amazing experience. Most important about this event is the opportunity it presents to celebrate great literary work, but also engage in some excellent discussions about what it is to be black in America in 2012.
- Links to the museum at www.maah.org and to Apartment Finders in Boston are included in this article.
Clemestine may be the 1st African American woman with a DNA marker matching King Tut’s.
This came into the network on January 11, 2012 from Indiana. Clemenstine called last night to announce:
Indiana Family Unlocks Secrets to Their Past with Interesting Implications for African-American Families
One Indiana family has discovered secrets to their family heritage that may have some interesting implications for the African Diaspora.
Clemestine Marshall Carter’s family was in for the shock of their lives when they submitted their DNA for genetic testing, discovering that they had six DNA markers matching those of two well-known Egyptian Pharaohs.
The Marshall family had previously assumed that they, like many African-American families, were of West African heritage; however, some doubts arose and the Carter family tracked down expert help them in their quest to understand their family’s history. Daniel Kolos, an Egyptologist in Toronto, guided them to the Journal of the American Medical Association to unlock the links to their past, which, after months of waiting, they received the results for in early 2011, revealing the six DNA markers that they shared with the Pharaohs of Egypt.
Although many decades have passed since Howard Carter discovered King Tut’s tomb, there has not yet been a living African-American link to the Egyptian royal family. Although the Marshall family is the first to discover a link, they do not believe that they are the last.
Carter believes that when her story comes to light, many other families of eastern, western, and southern African heritage will discover that they, too, have roots in Egypt, raising some interesting questions about the history of the African continent. Africa has always held the key for paleontologists and geneticists to the rest of the world’s history, where it is now commonly accepted that human life began, making the findings of the Marshall family even more intriguing.
# # #
You can write contact@blackboston.com, call 617.942.1301 or TWEET @blackboston to request an interview with Ms. Carter. We’ll ask you a few questions before passing you through. Thank you. William the webmaster/ BlackBoston.com Networks.
STEM studio of AboutBlackBoston.com adds free courseware in science technology engineering mathMUSIC and medicine.
stem guy
STEMM is:
SCIENCE. TECHNOLOGY. ENGINEERING. MATH. MEDICINE
http://boston.blacksoftware.com/stem.html
free STEMM training for African Americans
Paid 2012 residency applications for artists, writers and the GP are being accepted by Provincetown..
Posting 11/3/2011
Contact name: Jay Critchley
phone: 774 840-0458
Dune Shack Residencies
Residency applications for 2012 for artists, writers and the general public are being accepted for the Fowler and C-Scape Dune Shacks in the Cape Cod National Seashore. One to three weeks stays available, including a 3-week $500 fellowship for a visual artist, and two funded weeks for writers.
Contact Provincetown Community Compact, www.thecompact.org
Deadline January 15, 2012.
Roxbury $2.5 mil venture granting Trust Fund with $786k left to spend renews goal to give after your input is received.
THE ROXBURY TRUST FUND COMMITTEE
PO Box 191925, Roxbury, Massachusetts 02119
www.roxburytrust.org
617-442-2992
roxburytrust@yahoo.com
November 2011
Dear Roxbury Residents and Community Organizations,
This is to inform you that the next round for funding from the Roxbury Trust has been suspended to allow the Trust to vet its strategic plan with the community and other key stakeholders.
We know the timing of this announcement could not come at a more difficult time, given the economic challenges we face in our community and the shrinking philanthropy our agencies, organizations and institutions are facing … but we certainly think it is important that we take the time to be strategic in our mission and grant-making, now, more so than ever before.
While the Fund began with an initial endowment of over $2.5 million, it was designed to last for only 7 years. Now, in year 6, the Trustees have been asked to reconsider the Trust’s future. The question is: Could the Roxbury Trust continue to be the recipient of funds dedicated to the development of our neighborhood? Should the Roxbury Trust transition into a community-based foundation? If so, what would be the challenges? The benefits are obvious; we have the opportunity to continue support for youth development, family services, community economic development, and civic engagement for the residents of Roxbury instead of simply spending down the endowment and ending our highly successful grants program permanently in 2012.
Over the coming months we intend to implement the following steps to bring these ideas to the broader community:
- Engagement with the Roxbury Master Plan Oversight Committee for further dialogue and discussion on the need for an ongoing funding entity and strategies for moving forward;
- Secure input and endorsements from elected officials, at both the city and state levels, so we can move forward with a revitalized board of Trustees that reflect Roxbury today;
- Initiate a new Capital Campaign that will secure funding through linkage with large-scale development projects, individual donations, foundation and corporate support;
- Ensure that allocation of funds will continue to be determined by community leaders and residents.
Now is the time for the Roxbury Trust Fund Trustees to hear from the broader Roxbury community so, together, we can move forward with the plan!
For a full report on our grant-making and financial position, please refer to our website www.roxburytrust.org or this document attached.
If you are Black have asthma and take inhaled steriods for your asthma, you may be eligible for testing a new approach to asthma treatment.
Do You Have Asthma?
If you are Black and take inhaled steroids for your asthma (i.e. Flovent, Advair, Symbicort, etc.) you may be eligible for a study testing a new approach to asthma treatment.
This approach uses a medication (Spiriva) that is FDA approved for certain lung conditions but has not been approved for the treatment of asthma.
Participants will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) either to stay on their current medications or to try a combination of their current inhaled steroid and Tiotropium.
To qualify for the study, participants must be 18-75 years old and have been diagnosed with asthma for at least 1 year.
The study involves 4 visits over a 12 month period and compensation is up to $175. For more information, please contact us at 617-732-8201 or email rasingleton@partners.org.
Contact:
617-732-8201
E-mail:
rasingleton@partners.org
Youthbuild USA is recruiting for a new Dir. Of Site Improvement and Technical Assistance. Apply now.
Apply at http://youthbuild.org/apply by Jan 22nd.
Open and Available Position Summary
The Director of Site Improvement and Technical Assistance will work with the Senior Director of Field Services and Technical Assistance to manage the systems and infrastructure of
YouthBuild USA’s national and multi-tiered technical assistance strategy.
YouthBuild USA manages its technical assistance work by grouping sites into various clusters that align with the stages of development of local programs and with their primary areas of interest or
focus. Each one of these groups is managed by a Technical Assistance, or TA Manager.
Developing sites are programs that have been in operation longer than 2-3 years and include a range of program capacities and challenges. They are no longer new to YouthBuild but may be struggling with core issues around capacity, sustainability and program design and management.
Leadership of the developing sites’ TA will include the management of a team of consultants focused on the following: assessment of site needs, development of technical assistance strategy, timely delivery of assistance, coordination of resources, and evaluation of impact.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter and resume to: Job Search, YouthBuild USA, 58 Day Street, Somerville, MA 02144 or you may
apply on-line @ http://www.youthbuild.org/apply. Please apply by January 23, 2012.
In addition, the Director of Site Improvement and Technical Assistance will lead the process of strategizing, piloting and evaluating capacity building interventions designed to impact the effectiveness and outcomes of this group of YouthBuild programs that are in the mid or experienced phases of development.
The Director will work closely with Department of Labor national and regional staff to align technical assistance with DOL priorities for individual sites and for the whole field.
As needed, the Director Site Improvement and Technical Assistance will also be involved in
developing and implementing special initiatives under our contract with Department of Labor,
supervising staff, and managing relationships with site staff and DOL Federal Program
Officers.
Specific Responsibilities Include:
Leadership and management of technical assistance to YouthBuild Developing Sites
Supervise team of consultants with a range of skills sets and expertise;
Supervise Associate Director of Technical Assistance
Develop management strategy, tools and protocols to assist with the coordination of
consultants and staff assisting sites within the group, including monthly trainings and
learning groups;
Facilitate interdepartmental communication including management of regular site analysis and
strategy meetings with representatives from multiple YouthBuild USA departments;
Identify and coordinate resources to further support programs;
Maintain an ongoing virtual community of practice and coordinate the collection of effective
practices to support the design of dynamic content platforms in partnership with the
knowledge management department;
Oversee technical assistance delivery within the requirements of YouthBuild USA’s
frameworks, standards, outcomes and funders;
Oversee completion of required reporting and paperwork;
Monitor and evaluate impact of technical assistance;
Participate in management teams that are involved in analysis of program outcomes and of
effective technical assistance practices.
Budget projections and cost management for developing sites work,
Manage strategic system of outreach to, and cost effective interventions for a broad
spectrum of YouthBuild programs
Maintain systematic outreach and information collection to the larger field of DOL
YouthBuild programs;
Analyze program needs and technical assistance trends and connect to existing YouthBuild USA
resources;
Maintain a strong working knowledge of YouthBuild USA and DOL resources and initiatives such
as the knowledge bank, publications, trainings, workshops;
Explore the use of technology and other innovations for addressing recurring TA needs and
trends;
Design and manage an overall system and tracking mechanism for program needs and responses
integrated across multiple departments and initiatives.
Staff the Technical Assistance committee of the YouthBuild USA Affiliated Network
Develop and implement special initiatives designed to increase performance outcomes
throughout the field,
Liaison to the Department of Labor
Participate in Regional calls and Content Innovation Groups,
Respond to requests for program assistance and intervention at site, regional and national
levels as needed,
Ensure communication, documentation and thorough follow up with all stakeholders;
Maintain ongoing relationships with Federal Project Officers and DOL regional and national
staff as appropriate.
Required knowledge, skills, and experience:
Minimum Qualifications:
A minimum of 5 years management and supervisory experience;
Experience as a nonprofit consultant or technical assistance provider with experience
providing consultative services to organizations in a high performance environment;
Knowledge of organizational systems;
Experience with Web 2.0 and social media;
Strong written and verbal communication skills;
Strong budget management skills;
Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team and communities;
Excellent relationship and project management skills;
Bachelor’s Degree.
Desirable knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Demonstrated experience with increasing programmatic outcomes in a high performance
environment;
Experience working in the fields of youth and community development, workforce development,
or alternative education;
Experience leading and supervising virtual teams;
Knowledge about the management of public contracts;
Previous experience with the YouthBuild model and/or Department of Labor;
Master’s degree.
Travel required.
This position will be based in Somerville, MA.
If you are interested in learning more about YouthBuild USA, please visit our website at
www.youthbuild.org.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter and resume to: Job Search, YouthBuild USA, 58 Day Street, Somerville, MA 02144
or you may apply on-line @ http://www.youthbuild.org/apply. Please apply by January 23, 2012.
YouthBuild USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.
Are Southerners Racist? Part I
After engaging in a very long conversation with a friend of mine about the South, I have elected to devote my next 3 – 4 post on the topic of the racist South. 1. Are southerners racists? 2. Is the South racist? Historically, the South has resisted the notion of progressive change; traditionally speaking, the South has not embraced legislation that empowers the poor, gays/lesbians, and blacks. It would not be wholly inaccurate to conclude that southerners’ sense of disdain towards Barrack Obama in 2008 …
TV documentary seeks unemployed recent college graduate to interview and feature on air.
UPDATE: January 9, 2012 14:46)
Thanks everyone for applying. Positions have been filled at this time. You can get on our mailing list at the web form Black Boston area casting calls and open auditions to be notified about future opportunities. Most are for non-actors, real people.
Thank you
- the webmaster
