posted October 8, 2007
A total of 275 students and African American males from all across Hamilton County and some from Walker County, Ga., participated in the African American Dress for Success Day at UTC on Monday.
Greeting both students and participants was Vice Chancellor Dr. Richard Brown. Dr. Brown told the group, “Welcome home. UTC is your campus.”
The event was planned by UTC instructor, Dr. Jean Howard-Hill, who said it was not just her, but rather it was a “village approach” to addressing "the saggy pants issue" within the African American community.
Others taking part included Hamilton County School Supt. Dr. Jim Scales and School Board member Jeffery Wilson, County Attorney Rheubin Taylor, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga Warren Logan, Chattanooga Gas President Larry Buie and Rev. Paul McDaniel.
Among some of the others were Howard High School Coach Alvin Tarver, Stan Brown, Owner of Success Realty; Dervin Delaughter, teacher at McCallie School; Former Judge Walter Williams; former UTC music director Glen Draper, John Edwards, owner of the Courier; Ronald Harris Sr., corporate manager of workforce diversity at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; Dr. Thomas Rumph, dentist; Gerald Mason, Kastle Instructional Company; and Vincent Kilgore, Masonic Lodge.
Dr. Hill said, "Students were excited to have the opportunity to dine with their African American fathers. Many said this was the first time attending a formal luncheon and, for some, it was their first time having on a dress shirt and tie."
Dr. Hill said, "This is just the beginning of many other projects as a part of the Don’t You Hear Me Crying Project. The Don’t You Hear Me Crying Campaign is a village approach to addressing the issues impacting young Americans of all races, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds."
She said the campaign’s goals are:
- To stop and listen to what youth are saying to us through conversations, their music, their behavior, and through their fads.
- To talk to youth on their level, and to get to know their language, so that we can better understand what it is they are saying to us.
- To not try to make them into us, but to help them to make them themselves into the person they were created to be, by fulfilling their divinely intended purpose in life.
- To take what we learn from them, and work together with youth, using those resources we have to impact their lives in a positive way.
- To love and be concerned about them, as though they were our own child.
With these goals, the campaign includes many projects, she said. Presently some of those projects include:
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES DRESS FOR SUCCESS DAY – Encouraging young males to be cognizant of the negative impact their appearance has on their success, employability, self-image, and self- worth.
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS PROJECT – Getting beyond our comfort zone, and going wherever there are youth who need help and guidance in turning their lives around and in making positive change.
SECOND CHANCE – Work with young ex-offenders to help them to acquire the skills and make the social adjustments necessary after release from jail, prison and detention to return to society; and work with those with drug and alcohol dependence, and obsessive compulsive behavior.
BEHIND THE WALLS PROJECT – Projects designed to reach inmates, and to provide for them hope for when they are released, and to encourage a future even behind prison walls.
REACHING OUT! – Work with juvenile kids who are in the system or have been in the system to help them to make changes in their lives that will prevent them from becoming a part of the adult prison population.
SECOND MOM – SECOND DAD PROGRAM – Act as secondary parent to kids in foster care and group homes; with incarcerated or substance dependant parents; parents who are deceased; and children within abusive situations.
BRIDGES – Opportunities for young people of all races, ethnicities and cultures to come together to understand and celebrate each other’s differences.
HIGHER EDUCATION – HIGHER GOALS – Encourage educational attainment and career goals for students from 9th grade through undergraduate school through special programs and projects.
For more information contact: Dr. Jean Howard-Hill at dontyouhearmecrying@gmail.com or 423-425-5702. You also may visit our website at dontyouhearmecrying@comcast.net after October 15th.
She said a Pull-Up Pants Party will take place the last Saturday of October for middle school students who are on probation in Juvenile Court. “It breaks your heart to see but there are some very precious young boys who just need, love, guidance and direction who are now a part of the system. If we can do something now, we can perhaps keep them from graduating into the adult criminal justice system.” Dr. Hill said.
She said it is her hope "that by being involved each month, a positive difference can be made. The African American males attending the event certainly agree and have taken the Eight Step Charge."
THE CHARGE:
A NEW BEGINNING OF BUILDING NEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR SONS OF COLOR
1. Adopt one young man as your “Godson”
2. Call to check on at least one young man a month to see how he is doing
3. Once a year take a young man out to breakfast, lunch or dinner to share and to encourage him
4. Attend at least one event a year with your “Godson”
5. Donate $1 a week to support the Don’t You Hear Me Crying Programs
6. Out of 8,760 hours within a year, volunteer 8 hours a year to help a Don’t You Hear Me Crying Youth
7. Visit or write at least one young man in prison a year
8. Tell at least one young man a month that you care and you love them!
The event included the performance of a monologue which "told of the history and struggles that have paved the way for present successes and opportunities for African Americans, both the charge and the response showed that this was the beginning of a relationship between fathers and sons of color, which no doubt will continue."
Dr. Hill said those participating also "expressed their love and concern for their sons of color in this letter and during a point in the program when they got up and gave young men who were present a hug and told them they cared."
FATHER TO SON LETTER:
Although we may not be your biological or legal fathers we see you as our sons, and because of that we want
to take time to just say a few things to you to encourage you. We know life is not always easy, especially when you are a son of color. We also know that often you speak in many ways, but we have not always listened. But now we want to begin a dialogue with you. A few of us, representing many want to say these words to you:
WE LOVE YOU SONS! We want to see you be strong successful black men, who are about the business of doing something special and great with your lives, because we know there is greatness within each of you. , ALL succeed, and if ever we can help you in any way, you have but to come to us. We do hear you crying and we are here for you.
Here is the program:
Program Master – Warren Logan
Invocation
County Attorney, Rheubin Taylor
Lunch (During this time, African American mentors will spend time chatting with students.)
Welcome and Greetings
Dr. Richard Brown,
UTC Vice Chancellor of
Finance and Operations
Dr. Jean Howard-Hill,
Campaign Organizer
UTC Political Science Instructor
Negro National Anthem
UTC Professor Booker Scruggs,
Sociology UTC
Ramon Moses, UTC Student
The Occasion – Why We Are Here
Warren Logan, President and CEO
Urban League Of Chattanooga
Educating the Black Male -“It Takes Two”
Supt. Jim Scales, Hamilton County
Schools
School Board Member Jeffery Wilson
Principal Faye Ison, Hamilton County
Schools
Hawthorne and The Disciple
“They Don’t Want to Listen”
Don’t You Hear Me Crying Monologue: Big Mama’s Talk 400 Year Old Mystery Lady
Campaign Song
Don’t You Hear Me Crying?
Written by Jean Howard-Hill
Sung by: Jean Howard-Hill,
LaShunda Hill, Vince Stallings,
Hawthorne Ford and
Ramon Moses
Ronald Harris, Sr. Management
Corporate Workforce
Diversity Blue Cross-Blue
Shield of Tennessee
Father to Son Talk
Larry Buie, President 100 Black
Men, Regional Manager
Chattanooga Gas
African American Mentors
(Each person is limited to 1 minute please.)
The Charge To Fathers of Color
Dr. Jean Howard-Hill
Closing
Rev. Paul McDaniel Sr. Pastor
Second Missionary Church,
Former County Commissioner
Note: Although titles of individual participants are given referring to their companies, schools, and branches of government, they may not necessarily be participating as representatives.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Next>>
Dressed for success
Photograph by Wesley Schultz
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |