IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)

DR. JORDAN PETERSON DISCUSSES WARNING SIGNS THAT WILL ALERT YOU THAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH A PSYCHOPATH

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 18:26:09 +0000

HEALTH DANGERS OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 19:02:00 +0000

ASPARTAME

The Pentagon at one time listed Aspartame as a biochemical warfare agent. Aspartame causes, among other things, leukemia, lymphoma and insulin resistance. It is found in more than 5,000 foods we eat. Aspartame can be found in tea, coffee, breakfast cereals, gelatins (for example – Jello), puddings, jellies, chewing gum, sodas, diet and diabetic foods, vitamins, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It is sold as a sweetener under names like Nutrasweet and Canderel. More information about aspartame can be found in the following Youtube video entitled, “ASPARTAME: RUMSFELD’S BEST BIOWEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION”, and can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r1onEWnJIg,’’

SPLENDA, THE MARKETING AND TRADE NAME FOR SUCRALOSE

Splenda, which is the marketing and trade name for Sucralose contains a chemical – sucralose-6-acetate which harms gut health and causes cancer and DNA damage in human blood cells. Further information about the health risks of Splenda are explored in the article, “NC STUDY DISCOVERS CHEMICAL IN COMMON SWEETENER DAMAGES DNA, CAN CAUSE CANCER” which can be viewed at the following link: https://www.wral.com/story/nc-study-discovers-chemical-in-common-sweetener-damages-dna-can-cause-cancer/20888182/.

"BORN AGAIN AMERICAN": KEITH CARRADINE

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Thu, 22 May 2025 02:02:00 +0000

URGENT MISSING CHILD ALERT: "BRING IMANI AYALA HOME!" EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR 18 DECEMBER 2024 AT 6:00 P.M. AT TIFFANY FLETCHER RECREATION CENTER IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 02:51:00 +0000

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Amanda Ayala

Phone: 904.370.4191

Email: blackfarmersoutreach@gmail.com

"BRING IMANI AYALA HOME!" EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE CONVENED ON WEDNESDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2024 COMMENCING AT 6:00 P.M. AT TIFFANY FLETCHER RECREATION CENTER AT 4700 BROWN STREET IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- 17 December 2024 -- Family members of fourteen year old Imani Ayala who has been missing since Wednesday, 11 December 2024 together with concerned community members will convene an "We MUST Bring Imani HOME!" Emergency Press Conference on Wednesday, 18 December 2024 commencing at 6:00 P.M. The Emergency Press Conference will be convened at the Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center

URGENT: MISSING CHILD ALERT

IMANI AYALA

● Age: 14

● Height: 5'1"

● Weight: 165 lbs

● Date of Birth: 9/13/2010

● Case Number: 24-16-050917

Description: Imani Ayala was last seen wearing a dark grey hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and sneakers.

DETAILS OF INCIDENT

Imani Ayala was last seen on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 9:00 PM at her residence in the Mill Creek/Mantua area. She left home and was captured on RTCC Cameras at the 52nd and Market Street SEPTA Eastbound Platform. Since then, Imani has not been seen or heard from.

Her family is urgently seeking any information regarding her whereabouts. Flyers are being distributed, and the community is asked to remain vigilant and report any sightings.

MISSING CHILD DETAILS

● WHAT: Missing Child Alert

● WHEN: Wednesday, December 11, 2024

● TIME: Last seen at 9:00 PM

● WHERE: Left home in Mill Creek/Mantua Neighborhood; seen on the 52nd and Market SEPTA Eastbound Platform

● WHO: Imani Ayala, 14 years old

Parents: Levi Joynes & Amanda Ayala

ACTION REQUESTED

Anyone with information on Imani Ayala's location is urged to contact the family immediately at 904.370.4191 or email blackfarmersoutreach@gmail.com. Your assistance in sharing this advisory and remaining on the lookout for Imani is greatly appreciated.

EDUCATION EDITION OF UMOJA MAGAZINE 21 SEPTEMBER 2024 RELEASE USHERS IN AUTUMN AND THE HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC.’S 56TH ANNIVERSARY

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 17:19:00 +0000

5625 W. Master Street

Philadelphia, A 19139

(215) 473-5893

Facsimile: (215) 879-5340

Website: www.houseofumoja.net

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

P R E S S R E L E A S E

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah

Chief Executive Officer and President

House of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- The House Of Umoja, Inc (https://houseofumoja.net), a globally acclaimed institution headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the birthplace of the United States of America -- ushered in autumn and its 56^th anniversary on 21 September 2024 with the release of the Education Edition of UMOJA Magazine (https://umojamagazine.com/about) which it published. Masterfully crafted and vibrantly hued, UMOJA Magazine’s Education Edition touted the globally acclaimed institution’s “Reading Is Resistance” which it launched in February 2024 in response to the rising incidents of “book bans” occurring in public libraries and school libraries across the United States.

“Book bans” have resulted in the removal of literature penned by African American authors along with literature penned by authors that explore gender issues from the shelves of public libraries and school libraries throughout the United States of America.. Legislative push back on the national “book banning” trend has been mounted in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Pennsylvania State Senator The Honorable Amanda Cappelletti of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Senator Cappelletti’s efforts to stem the tide of “book banning” is chronicled in an article entitled,“Montgomery County State Senator Wants PA To Prevent Schools, Libraries From Banning Books” (https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/bill-prevent-book-bans-school-libraries-pennsylvania).

Articles and their authors in the Education Edition of UMOJA Magazine which was released on 21 September 2024, weigh in on why “Reading Is Resistance”, and explore functional literacy; the dismantling of the public education system in the United States of America and what can be done about it; and the struggles encountered by United States citizens of African descent in their professional and personal lives. The profound articles listed below which grace the pages of the Education Edition of UMOJA Magazine and the authors who penned them will ignite a robust solutions-based national dialogue on exponentially improving the literacy skills of children enrolled in American public schools; reinstituting the “school-to-work” curriculum and dismantling the current “school-to-prison” curriculum in our nation’s schools; and the unique challenges that confront United States citizens who are male and of African descent in their professional and personal lives.

· “Slave Literacy Is The Real Target Of Our Reading Resistance” – Author: Mr. Mark Hampton

· “How To Revive Our Imperiled Education System” – Author: Dr. Stephen Jones

· “Black Male Family Preservation” – Authors: Messrs. Keith Mungin and Maleek Phillips

· “In Search Of Academic Athletics” – Author: Rashid Atkins Bey

· “There’s A Thing Called Water” – Author: KD Morris

· “Reading Is Resistance: From Violence To Violin” – Author: Mr. Jack Drummond

· “Functional Literacy Matters” – Author: Mr. Cleous Young

· “It Happened Here (Ode To Kalief”) – Author: Mr. Osayimwese Nadir Karume

· “Knowledge Is Power – Author: Pursuing Recovery Physical Fitness Through Academic Athletics” – Author; Mr. Keith Blackwell

· “No Such Thing” – Author: Mr. Omar Tyree

To subscribe to UMOJA Magazine, visit the website of its publisher – the House Of Umoja, Inc. -- at the following link: https://www.houseofumoja.net/umojamagazine. html. For further information about UMOJA Magazine, call (215) 473-5893 or send an electronic mail communication to: falakafattah@aol.com

# # #

HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC USHERED IN 56TH ANNIVERSARY ON 21 SEPTEMBER 2024 WITH COLLABORATIVE EVENTS FOCUSING ON LITERACY AND PEACE AND RELEASE OF EDUCATION EDITION OF UMOJA MAGAZINE

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:23:00 +0000

5625 W. Master Street

Philadelphia, PA 19139

(215) 473-5893

Facsimile: (215) 879-5340

Website: www.houseofumoja.net

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

CONTACT:

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah

Chief Executive Officer and President

House of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Excerpted From “Letters From Birmingham City Jail”, authored by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and American Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and originally published on 19 May 1963

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) – 23 September 2024 – Established in September 1968, four months after the assassination of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, prolific author, and American Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which occurred on 4 April 1968, the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net) – for 56 years – has designed and implemented solutions-based and timeless Global Models for eradicating violence and its causative factors; fostering community development and economic sustainability; and addressing key challenges that prevent children and youths from reaching their full potential and maturing into adults who are peaceful and productive citizens. For 56 years, the globally acclaimed institution which is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the birthplace of the United States of America – has moved Philadelphian to embrace their inescapable network of mutuality and the single garment of destiny they are tied in. .

On Saturday, 21 September 2024, the House Of Umoja, Inc. ushered in its 56^th anniversary through the collaborative hosting of a series of events that focus on literacy and the promotion of peace which occurred from 10:00 A.M. through 4:00 P.M. at 1431 North Frazier Street (Queen Mother Falaka Fattah Way) in collaboration with One Art Community Center (https://oneart.love) and We LOVE Philly (https://welovephilly.org), Coincidentally, the global observance of International Peace Day under the theme “Cultivating A Culture Of Peace” also occurred on Saturday, 21 September 2024. The House Of Umoja, Inc., which has cultivated a culture of peace for 56 years marked the observance of International Peace Day (www.un.org) on Saturday, 21 September 2024 with a peace ceremony in its Peace Garden. Community stakeholders assembled at the Peace Garden for the purpose of writing on paper, an issue or circumstance that created anger, grief, and/or depression in their lives. Each community stakeholder placed the paper that contained their anger, grief, or depression in a hole located in the Peace Garden that was covered with dirt which ultimately resulted in community stakeholders removing the psychological, emotional, and spiritual toxicity caused by anger, grief, and depression which had been an invisible but weighty ball and chain they carried around. The House Of Umoja, Inc.’s observance of International Peace Day which was established by the United Nations (www.un.org) in 1981, culminated in participants engaging in a moment of silence which was dubbed a "Global Moment Of Peace”. The "Global Moment Of Peace" was followed by a procession from 1431 North Frazier (Queen Mother Falaka Fattah Way) to One Art One Community (http://oneart.love) which is located at 1431-39 North 52^nd Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where We LOVE Philly staged a Community Mental Health And Resources Fair.

For over five (5) decades, the House Of Umoja, Inc. has 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. The globally acclaimed institution’s successful track record of positively transforming the lives of approximately 3,000 male adolescents and reducing gang violence which spans five (5) decades, has prompted American universities and institutions to seek the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Prevention and the Center for Disease Control were among the institutions that sought the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise on gang violence reduction, youth programming, and community organizing. 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.

An overview of how the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s 56^th year of cultivating a culture of peace and moving Philadelphians to embrace their inescapable network of mutuality and the single garment of destiny they are tied in, follows.

UMOJA Magazine Released By House Of Umoja, Inc. On 21 September 2024

In conjunction with its 56^th anniversary, the House of Umoja, Inc. will release the Education Edition of UMOJA Magazine (https://www.umojamagazine.com/about/) on 21 September 2024 that touts the globally recognized institution’s “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative which it launched in February 2024 in response to the rising incidents of “book bans” occurring in public libraries and school libraries across the United States. “Book bans” have resulted in the removal of literature penned by African American authors along with literature penned by authors that explore gender issues from the shelves of public libraries and school libraries throughout the United States. Legislative push back on the national “book banning” trend has been mounted in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Pennsylvania State Senator The Honorable Amanda Cappelletti of Montgomery, Pennsylvania. Senator Cappelletti’s efforts to stem the tide of “book banning” is chronicled in an article entitled, “Montgomery County State Senator Wants PA To Prevent Schools, Libraries From Banning Books” (https://www. cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/bill-prevent-book-bans-school-libraries-pennsylvania). Articles and their authors appearing in the profound Education Edition of UMOJA Magazine scheduled for release on 21 September 2024, that explain why “Reading Is Resistance”, and explore functional literacy, the dismantling of the public education system in the United States and what can be done about it; and the struggles encountered by United States citizens of African descent in their professional and personal lives, include:

· “Slave Literacy Is The Real Target Of Our Reading Resistance” – Author: Mr. Mark Hampton

· “How To Revive Our Imperiled Education System” – Author: Dr. Stephen Jones

· “Black Male Family Preservation” – Authors: Messrs. Keith Mungin and Maleek Phillips

· “In Search Of Academic Athletics” – Author: Rashid Atkins Bey

· “There’s A Thing Called Water” – Author: KD Morris

· “Reading Is Resistance: From Violence To Violin” – Author: Mr. Jack Drummond

· “Functional Literacy Matters” – Author: Mr. Cleous Young

· “It Happened Here (Ode To Kalief”) – Author: Mr. Osayimwese Nadir Karume

· 1“Knowledge Is Power – Author: Pursuing Recovery Physical Fitness Through Academic Athletics” – Author; Mr. Keith Blackwell

· “No Such Thing” – Author: Mr. Omar Tyree

February 2024 Launch Of “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative

“Reading Is Resistance” is the brainchild of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, the Chief Executive Officer and President of the House Of Umoja, Inc. which has a 56 year successful track record of mentoring and positively transforming the trajectory of the lives of over approximately 3,000 adolescent males in the City Of Philadelphia. The launch of “Reading Is Resistance” which is responsive to “book bans” occurring throughout the United States that targets, among others, literature penned by United States citizens of African descent, took the form of a panel discussion. The panel discussion was convened by the House Of Umoja, Inc. in partnership with The City Root,(www.thecityroot.com) , an online publication founded by Mr. Kevon Chevalier, on 24 February 2024 in observance of Black History Month at the Ultra Silk Gallery (www.ultrasilkgallery.com) located at 3808 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The roundtable panel discussion which was entitled, “Books vs. Bullets; 1968 To Present” was moderated by Ms. Jacqueline Taylor-Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Master Griot Publishing (https://www.mastergriotpublishing.com) and Program Director for the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s UMOJA Youth Peace Corps which operates under the umbrella of the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s Fattah Peace Academy (www.houseofumoja.net). Panelists on the roundtable discussion include

· Mr. Anthony Bannister-Fattah - Community Outreach Director, House Of Umoja, Inc.

· Ms. Nanyamka Wall – Educator and UMOJA Community Representative

· Mr. Mark Hampton

· Dr. Stephen Jones

· Mr. Cleous Young

· Mr. KD Morris

· Mr. Horace Clouden

2024 National Million Father March Observance On 26 August 2024 In Philadelphia And The “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative

The House Of Umoja, Inc. marked its 17^th consecutive year as the leader and organizer of Philadelphia’s observance of the National Million Father March (www.fathersincorporated.com; www,blackstarproject.com) which was convened on Monday, 26 August 2024 – the first day of the 2024-2025 academic year for the Philadelphia School District. Fathers throughout the City of Philadelphia were encouraged and continue to be encouraged to adopt a proactive role in the education of their child by, among other things:

· Escorting their child to school on Monday, 26 August 2024 – the first day of the 2024-2025 academic year for the School District of Philadelphia

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

· Obtaining a copy of their child’s roster and a copy of the academic calendar of their child’s school

· Checking their child’s homework every day

· Reviewing their child’s test scores in English Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, etc.

· Enhancing their child’s literacy skills level by reading to their child and having their child read to them

“Reading Is Resistance”, an initiative launched by the House Of Umoja, Inc. in February 2024, is a component of the 2024 National Million Father March in Philadelphia which focuses on exponentially increasing the proficiency levels of school children in the Philadelphia School District during the 2024-2025 academic year.

House Of Umoja, Inc. Commences Fifth Cohort Of UMOJA Peace Corps On 3 September 2024

Launched in April 2022 by the House Of Umoja, Inc,, the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps, UMOJA Intentional Community, and the Fattah Peace Academy are the brainchild of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, the globally acclaimed institution’s Chief Executive Officer and President. The fifth cohort for the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps (https://www.houseof umoja.net/peacecorps.html) which commenced on 3 September 2024 is a twelve-week “value of human life” program” designed for youths aged 14 through 18, that is centered around peace, family, community development, culture, and healing. The UMOJA Intentional Community was spawned by a partnership with SCI Phoenix LIFERS, Inc. (www.lifersincpa.org) – a nationally acclaimed “inside out” Reentry, Criminal Justice Reform and Restorative Justice Think Tank and the House Of Umoja, Inc. Through the UMOJA Intentional Community which operates under the umbrella of the Fattah Peace Academy, the UMOJA Intentional Community leverages the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s 56 years of experience in conflict resolution, gun violence reduction, peace treaties, community-school programming, and Black male, youth and family development.

To learn more about the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s legacy; solutions-based Global Models that help eradicate gun violence and its causative factors; foster community development and economic sustainability; promote psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing in traumatized communities; and address key challenges that prevent children and youths from reaching their full potential and maturing into adults who are peaceful and productive citizens, call (215) 473-5893; send an electronic mail communication to: falakafattah@aol.com; and visit the website of www.houseofumoja.net.

# # #

SCI PHOENIX: INFESTATION OF WATER DRAINS/MAIN YARDS WITH GEESE FECES; AIR AND WATER FILTERS NOT CHANGED/CLEANED; CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER; DEHUMANIZING CONDUCT PERPETRATED UPON INCARCERATED UNITED STATES CITIZENS AT PENNSYLVANIA'S US$400,000,000.00 GULAG

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 01:23:00 +0000

We received a horrifically shocking anonymous report regarding a dire and deadly situation that is occurring at SCI Phoenix, located at 1200 Mokychic Road in Collegeville, Pennsylvania . Opened in 2018, construction costs for SCI Phoenix escalated to US$400,000,000.00 – US$400,000,000.00 taxpayer dollars. SCI Phoenix has been touted as the most expensive correctional facility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. However, in view of the Chinese Water Torture which takes the form of exposing incarcerated United States citizens to, contaminated and unsafe drinking water together with other existing inhumane and unsanitary conditions and treatments, SCI Phoenix is actually a US$400,000,000.00 Pennsylvania gulag.

Here is what is really happening at SCI Phoenix, the US$400,000,000.00 gulag which is unlawful and unconstitutional:

1. All incarcerated United States citizens at SCI Phoenix have been exposed and continue to be exposed to Legionnaire’s Disease.

2. The administration at SCI Phoenix has downplayed and continues to downplay the legitimate concerns of United States citizens incarcerated there who are nonsmokers have contracted cancer and unexplained black lungs which results from d breathing air that flows through unclean and unchanged air filters. Further, incarcerated United States citizens housed at SCI Phoenix have also developed rashes, and respiratory ailments.

3. Contaminated water that causes foul smells to emanate from the bodies of incarcerated United States citizens who are forced to drink the water.

4. Water drains and main yards infested with geese feces.

5. Air filters and water filters throughout SCI Phoenix have not been changed or cleaned in years.

6. Although incarcerated United States citizens at SCI Phoenix do NOT have the ability to boil their drinking water, they are being told by “Unit Staff” employed there to boil their water.

7. Some cells do not have cold drinking water.

8. There is one water fountain that produces hot and cold water in the housing units which is alleged to produce filtered water.

9. Incarcerated United States citizens at SCI Phoenix endure a plethora of dehumanizing practices perpetrated by prison guards and prison staff members.

Inquiries about the dire and deadly situation at SCI Phoenix described above, should be addressed to:

Dr. Laurel R. Harry

Secretary

Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections

1920 Technology Parkway

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Telephone: (717) 728-4109

Mr. David Radziewicz

Special Assistant

Executive Office

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

E-Mail: dradziewicz@pa.gov

Mr. Robert Marsh

Deputy Secretary

Central Region

Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Telephone: (717) 728-4122; (717) 728-4123

Areas of Responsibility: SCI Phoenix; SCI Coal Township; SCI Chester; SCI Dallas; SCI Frackville; SCI Waymart

Diana Woodside

General Counsel

Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs

1920 Technology Parkway

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Telephone: (717) 728-4119

Facsimile: (717) 728-4178

E-Mail: dwoodside@pa.gov

Why submit inquiries to the Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections about the dire and deadly situation at SCI Phoenix?

SCI Phoenix operates under the umbrella of the Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections (https://www.cor.pa.gov/About ). . Originally known as the Bureau of Corrections of the Department Of Justice, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections was created in 1953 in response to riots at State Correctional Institution Pittsburgh and State Correctional Institution Rockview and a subsequent report by Retired Army Major General Jacob L. Devers and his committee which investigated issues occurring at Pennsylvania prisons. In 1980, the Pennsylvania Department Of Justice was abolished and the Bureau of Corrections was among a number of agencies transferred to the Office of General Counsel to the Governor. In 1984, pursuant to Act 245 the Bureau Of Corrections was elevated to a cabinet-level position and became known as the Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections, as more fully set forth in the transcript testimony of Pennsylvania Commissioner Of Corrections The Honorable John D. Lehman presented at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House Of Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing convened on 4 April 1991 (https://www.legis.sta.pa.us/wu01/li/tr transcripts/1991_ 0094_0001_tstmny.pdf ). During his testimony, Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections Commissioner Lehman defined the mission of the Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections:

“The mission of the Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections is to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth by managing all state correctional facilities in a safe secure and humane manner. This includes offering treatment services at professionally accepted standards for committed individuals to prepare them to return to society as contributing and productive members”.

Clearly, SCI Phoenix is not being operated in a humane, safe and secure manner. Clearly, incarcerated United States citizens who currently reside at SCI Phoenix are not being prepared to return to society as “contributing and productive” citizens. Further, the dire and deadly situation which exists at SCI Phoenix is unconstitutional and unlawful and violate international conventions to which the United States is a signatory; United States foundation and constitutional law; and federal and Pennsylvania statutory law that includes, but is not limited to:

1. The Nuremburg Code - were created by the United States Court in United States of America v. Karl Brandt, et al., known as the Doctors Trial (https://nuremburg. law.harvardedu/nmt1intro ).

2. Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment (https://www.un.org/en/ instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-against-torture-and-other-cruel-inhuman-degrading) to which the United States is a signatory that was ratified by the United States Congress and is, per se, the law of the land in the United States pursuant to Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution (https://constitution. congress.gov/browse/essay/artvi-c2-1/alde00013395/). All individuals, institutions, organizations, governmental agencies, governmental offices, governmental officials and employees, prisons, and prison officials and employees throughout the United States of America are required to enforce and comply with the Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment. Failure to comply with and enforce the Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment which is, per se, the law of the land in the United States of America, constitutes a commission of an offense against the United States of America.

3. United Nations Minimum Rules For The Treatment Of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules) -- United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/175 (https://www.unodc.org/ documents/ justice-and-prison-reform/nelson_mandela_rules-ebook.pdf) to which the United States is a signatory that was ratified by the United States Congress and is, per se, the law of the land in the United States pursuant to Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution (https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artvi-c2-1/alde00013395/). All individuals, institutions, organizations, governmental agencies, governmental offices, governmental officials and employees, prisons, and prison officials and employees throughout the United States of America are required to enforce and comply with the United Nations Minimum Rules For The Treatment Of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules) -- United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/175. Failure to comply with and enforce the United Nations Minimum Rules For The Treatment Of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules) -- United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/175 which is, per se, the law of the land in the United States of America, constitutes the commission of an offense against the United States of America.

4. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (https://www.ohchr.org/ en/instruments-mechanisms/instru ments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights). The United States of America is a signatory to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights which was ratified by the United States Congress in 1992 and is, per se, the law of the land in the United States of America pursuant to Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution (http://constitution.congress.gov/ browse/essay/artvi -c2 -1/alde00013395/). All individuals, institutions, organizations, governmental agencies, governmental offices, governmental officials and employees, prisons, and prison officials and employees throughout the United States of America are required to enforce and comply with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is, per se, the law of the land in the United States of America. Failure to comply with and enforce the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is, per se, the law of the land in the United States of America constitutes the commission of an offense against the United States of America.

5. International Convention For The Elimination Of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (United Nations Resolution 2106(XX)) -- (https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments.in ternational-convention-elimination-all-forms-racial), to which the United States of America is a signatory that was ratified by the United States Congress and is, per se, the law of the land in the United States of America pursuant to Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution (https://constitution.congress. gov/browse/essay/artvi-c2-1/alde00013395/). All individuals, institutions, organizations, governmental agencies, governmental offices, governmental officials and employees, prisons, and prison officials and employees throughout the United States of America are required to enforce and comply with the International Convention For The Elimination Of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (United Nations Resolution 2106(XX)). Failure to comply with and enforce the International Convention For The Elimination Of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (United Nations Resolution 2106(XX)) which is, per se, the law of the land in the United States of America, constitutes the commission of an offense against the United States of America.

6. Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution – Cruel And Unusual Punishment (https://constitutioncong ress.gov/constitution/ amendment -8/).

7. Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/ pkg/cdoc -110hdoc 50/pdf/ cdoc -110hdoc 50.pdf ).

8. Section 1, Article I of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Inherent Rights Of Mankind) - https://www.legis.state.pa. us/wu01/li/li/ct.htm/00/ 00.htm .

9. Section 1, Article 1 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Inherent Rights Of Mankind) - https://www.legis.state.pa.us/wu01/li/li/ct.htm/00/00.htm

10. Section 26, Article I of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (No Discrimination By Commonwealth And Its Political Subdivisions) - https://www.legis.state.pa.us/wu01/li/li/ct.htm/00/00.htm.

11. Section 29 of Article I of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Prohibition Against Denial Or Abridgment Of Equality Of Rights Because Of Race And Ethnicity)- https://www.legis.state.pa. us/wu01/li/li/ct.htm/00/00.htm.

12. 18 U.S.C. §241 - Conspiracy Against Rights (Federal Official Oppression Statute) (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode text/18/241).

13. 8 U.S.C. §242 - Deprivation Of Rights Under The Color Of Law (https://www. justice.gov/crt/deprivation-rights-under -color -law).

14. 18 U.S.C. §2340 - Torture (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/ text/18/2340#).

15. Section 1 of the 1871 Anti-Klan Act (42 U.S.C. §1983) (https://www,govinfo.gov/ content/pkg/uscode -2009 -title42/ pdf/uscode -2009 -title42 -chap 21 -subchapi -sec1983.pdf ).

16. 18 Pa. C.S. §5301 (Pennsylvania Official Oppression Statute) - https://law. justia.com/codes/pennsylvania/2014/title-18/chapter-53/section-5301.

HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC. MARKS 17TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZING ROLE FOR PHILADELPHIA’S OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL MILLION FATHER MARCH WITH THURSDAY, 22 AUGUST 2024 – 10:00 A.M. PRESS CONFERENCE

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 03:42:00 +0000

5625 W. Master Street * Philadelphia, PA 19139 * (215) 473-5893 * Facsimile: (215) 879-5340 *
Website: www.houseofumoja.net * E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

CONTACT:

Mr. Anthony Bannister-Fattah

Coordinator, 2024 Philadelphia Million Fathers March

House Of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah

President and Chief Executive Officer

House Of Umoja, Inc.

Advisor, 2024 National Million Father March

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- For the 17^th consecutive year, the City Of Philadelphia will ring in the academic year for school children throughout the School District of Philadelphia, which commences on Monday, 26 August 2024, with the observance of the National Million Father March which the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.net) is leading and organizing. The House Of Umoja, Inc. will mark its 17^th consecutive year as the leader and organizer of Philadelphia’s observance of the National Million Father March by convening a press conference on Thursday, 22 August 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at 5625 West Master Street (David Fattah Way) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fathers, Father Figures, educators, school administrators, community stakeholders, City and State legislators, Fatherhood Practitioners and Advocates, members of the Interfaith Community, business leaders, social services professionals and providers, health care professionals and providers, public policy professional, and members of the electronic and print media are encouraged to attend the press conference scheduled for Thursday, 22 August 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s office at 5625 West Master Street (David Fattah Way) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On Monday, 26 August 2024 -- the first day of the 2024-2025 academic year for the School District Of Philadelphia, the House Of Umoja, Inc. will lead by example with a march from the institution’s office at 5625 West Master Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Overbrook High School which is located at 5898 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fathers and Father Figures are asked to arrive at the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s office at 5625 West Master Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 7:00 A.M. on Monday, 26 August 2024. Participants will also carpool to support those participants who are elderly or have health issues which may make it difficult for them to walk to Overbrook High School. The cars will form a motorcade that will be a component of the march from the House Of Umoja, Inc. to Overbrook High School on Monday, 26 August 2024. The 2024 National Million Father March in Philadelphia is supported in part by the Philadelphia Activities Fund (https://phlactivitiesfund.org); the Father’s Day Rally Committee (https://fathersrally.com); and City Of Philadelphia Councilmember The Honorable Curtis Jones, Jr.

Established in 1968, the House Of Umoja, Inc., an internationally acclaimed institution that has a successful track record in addressing and reducing violence and positively transforming the trajectory of the lives of over 3,000 male adolescents in Philadelphia that spans 56 years, is encouraging all Fathers throughout the City of Philadelphia to participate in the 2024 National Million Father March by taking a proactive role in the education of their child by, among other things:

·         Escorting their child to school on Monday, 26 August 2024 – the first day of the 2024- 2025 academic year for the School District of Philadelphia
·         Meeting their child’s teachers and the principal of their child’s school
·     Obtaining a copy of their child’s roster and a copy of the academic calendar of their child’s school
·         Checking their child’s homework every day
·         Reviewing their child’s test scores in English Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, etc.
·         Enhancing their child’s literacy skills level by reading to their child and having their child read to them

“Improving exponentially the literacy skills of school age children throughout the School District of Philadelphia is a primary focus of the 2024 National Million Fathers March. This year the Philadelphia theme is #ReadingIsResistance. Each year, through the administration of tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science statewide, the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment measures the skill level of school children in English Language Arts – reading and writing – and mathematics and science. I had an opportunity to review the 2022-2023 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test result for English Language Arts – reading and writing. Only 34% of all of the school children enrolled in Grades 3 through 8 throughout the entire School District Of Philadelphia are proficient in English Language Arts – reading and writing. Low reading levels of 4^th grade students are one of the determinants of the school to prison pipeline. Our READING Is RESISTANCE Initiative, which was launched earlier this year will continue to address the abysmal lack of proficiency in literacy skills of students enrolled in the Philadelphia School District. Through Reading Is Resistance, we will also continue to push back against the banning of African American literature and history,” remarked Queen Mother Falaka Fattah.

The National Million Father March is an initiative created by the late Mr. Philip Jackson which was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois under the auspices of the Black Star Project (www.blackstarproject.com). For further information about the National Million Father March which is now orchestrated by Fathers Incorporated, visit the website of Fathers Incorporated at www.fathersincorporated.com or send an electronic mail communication to: info@fathersincorporated.com.

- To register for the 2024 Philadelphia National Father March, visit the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s website and access the following link: https://www.houseofumoja.net/mfm to receive free t-shirts for you or your organization. Registrants for the 2024 Philadelphia National Million Father March will receive a free t-shirt.

For further information about the House Of Umoja, Inc., visit the institution’s website at https://www.houseofumoja.net; call (215) 473-5893; or send an electronic mail communication to: falakafattah@aol.com.

HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC. ANNOUNCES “NEXT STEPS” FOR “READING IS RESISTANCE” COMPONENT OF PHILADELPHIA’ S OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL MILLION FATHER MARCH

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 21:10:00 +0000

CONTACT:

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah

President and Chief Executive Officer

House of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) – The House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net) is following up its 24 February 2024 launch of its “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative in observance of African American History Month with an announcement of “next steps” for the multi-tiered initiative. Components of the “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative encompass the “Planting Seeds Of Peace” Campaign; participation in Barbershop Books; and creation and coordination of “Block Book Clubs”, will be orchestrated under the umbrella of the National Million Father March (https://fathersincorporated.com/million-fathers-march/) by the House Of Umoja, Inc. Commencing in 2007, the House Of Umoja, Inc. serves as the leader and organizer of the National Million Father March in Philadelphia which encourages Fathers to undertake a proactive role in their child’ education. which has been observed in the City of Philadelphia commencing in 2007.

Planting Seeds Of Peace Campaign

Inauguration of the “Planting Of Seeds Of Peace” Campaign will occur in the Carroll Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia which is located in the Philadelphia Police Department’s 19^th District. Residents in the Carroll Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia will see black posters and postcards with white-lettered inspirational quotes on poles and in stores, barbershops and salons:

· Reading Is Resistance

· Listening Is Learning

· Books vs. Bullets

· Love vs. Hate

Barbershop Books

A proposed partnership between the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houeofumoja.net) and Barbershop Books (https://barbershopbooks.org/about) is designed to exponentially improve reading and writing proficiently levels and test scores of African American, indigenous, and vulnerable boys. Headquartered in New York City and the winner of the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize, Barbershop Books provides a male-centered space within which child-centered and culturally responsive literature together with community-based programming which moves Men into the “enhancing-literacy-skills-of-boys” equation.

Block Book Clubs

Inauguration of the Block Book Clubs, the brainchild of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the House Of Umoja Inc. (www.houeofumoja.net) is scheduled for the Summer of 2024. The Block Book Club will be coordinated by Block Parents in the Carroll Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Block Parents will receive training and resources designed to assist them in establishing and hosting Block Book Clubs. Youths in the Carroll Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia will select Block Parents. The Block Parent is in charge of the household in which the youths will gather for the purpose of participating in the Block Books Clubs and exponentially improving their literacy proficiency levels and test scores. At the same time, the Block Books Clubs will serve as a vehicle to identify and address issues that serve as obstacles to empowering youths and their families.

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 regarding the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative, call (215) 473-5893; send an electronic mail communication to: falakafattah@aol.com; or visit the House Of Umoja Inc.’s website at www.houseofumoja.net.

# # #

MR. DAVID DAWUD LEE: ODE TO A SOUL WHO TRANSCENDED BOUNDARIES

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 22:31:00 +0000

The devasting news of David Dawud Lee’s death evokes a tsunami of emotions. Mr. Lee, a wrongfully and unjustly convicted, wrongfully and unjustly sentenced, and wrongfully and unjustly incarcerated United States citizen died just approximately twenty-four (24) hours before the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons would review his commutation application and decide whether to grant him a public hearing for commutation at a Merit Review Session convened on Friday, 23 February 2024. The many souls who were fortunate enough to come within Mr. Lee’s orbit were frantically hoping that Mr. Lee would move one step closer to freedom – freedom as a living and breathing United States citizen who would walk out of prison . We envisioned Mr. Lee being granted a public hearing for commutation. We envisioned Mr. Lee receiving a unanimous vote in favor of commutation from the Pennsylvania Board Of Pardons. We envisioned celebrating and supporting Mr.. Lee’s reintegration into society.

We had remained hopeful, in spite of the fact that on 3 June 2022, during its Merit Review Session, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons voted 3-2 against granting a public hearing to Mr. David Dawud Lee, a prolific author, philanthropist, Mentor, Father, and “inside-out" Criminal Justice Reform Thought Leader. Six (6) months later, on 13 October 2022, Mr. Lee was again denied a pathway to a much deserved and overdue freedom when the Pennsylvania Board Of Pardons failed to reverse its decision made in June 2022 that denied Mr.. Lee a public hearing.

Mr. Lee envisioned “moving forward” and “finally making it home”, and at the same time expressed the heart wrenching sentiment that his journey had been long and painful and that he had “more than enough” in his electronic mail communication to me of 8 February 2024:

Inbox

From: Lee, David

Date Received: 02/08/2024 08:58 AM CST

Subject: PLEASANT GREETINGS!

Mrs. Sears it is a great pleasure to hear from you, and thank you for the very positive and thoughtful card! Yes the card came at a good moment. I also want to share that I will be up for a Merit Review Hearing scheduled for 2,23,24. I am praying to move forward and finally make it home! It has been a long and painful journey behind bars, and I have had more than enough. Once again thank you!!! Dawud

Mr. Lee’s wrongful and unjust conviction, wrongful and unjust life without parole sentence, and wrongful and unjust life without parole incarceration was a horrifically long and painful journey. Mr. Lee’s horrifically long and painful journey has ended, but not in the manner that we had fought for,, hoped for, and prayed for. Mr. Lee is not walking out of prison. He will never walk out of prison. Mr. Lee laboriously took his last and dying breath in a cold, dank, desolate, hellish, and unforgiving place – prison

So, who is Mr. David Dawud Lee? Mr. Lee transcended his difficult set of circumstances to become a proactive parent and a positive influence in his daughter’s intellectual, psychological, emotional, and spiritual development. I marveled at the manner in which Mr. Lee fulfilled his commitment to shepherd his daughter’s arduous journey from childhood to adulthood. Mr. Lee was one of many Incarcerated Fathers throughout the United States who helped me resurrect the vision -- IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® -- and perpetuate the legacy of my late mentor L.T. Henry, who envisioned Fathers transcending the boundaries of geography, language, culture, economics, ethnicity, and religion for the purpose of working together as a collective to address and resolve unique challenges and issues which made it difficult for them to positively shape the minds and souls of their children; move their families forward; and sustain nurturing and fully functioning family units. In 2000, Mr. Lee was kind enough to present me with a soulful essay on Fatherhood that continues to resonate with me entitled, “A Spiritual Force”. Years later in 2018, when I was asked to write a chapter focusing on incarcerated African American Fathers for a Fatherhood research book project – Engaging And Working With African American Fathers: Strategies And Lessons Learned (www.routledge.co m ) -- created by nationally recognized Fatherhood Practitioner Latrice S. Rollins, Ph.D. (https://www.latricerollins.co m ) and published in December 2020, I immediately thought of Mr. Lee. With Mr. Lee’s permission, I included an excerpt from “A Spiritual Force” penned by Mr. Lee that appears in Chapter 5: "Engaging In Working With African American Fathers In Prison: The Fathers And Children Together Experience Initiative" (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/97804292783895/engaging-working-african-american-fathers-prison-diane-aisha-sears). Through “A Spiritual Force,” excerpted below, Mr. Lee powerfully articulates the unique challenges and issues that confront Incarcerated Fathers – particularly – Incarcerated African American Fathers – who innovatively work to positively shape the minds and souls of their children.

“After thirteen staggering years after being hostilely extracted from my community and my beautiful daughter’s life, I am still striving mentally to adjust to the psychologically scarring reality of me not having a presence in this precocious young life I have watched emerge through the gateway of a moist, dark maternal gateway into this chaotic world. There have been countless nights of tossing and turning in some uncomfortable state-owned bed pondering or guessing what steps she might be taking while I waste away inside the swiftly growing ‘Prison Industrial Complex’. Is her cultural, historical, technological, spiritual character and basic development being undertaken in a nurturing environment? Are there problems at school, or the local neighborhood occurring that would require the attention of a caring father? . . . I have sent home books and a weighty sum of mail with the hopes of conveying an undying love, nevertheless our relationship is still an uncertain odyssey in which we struggle to learn more about each other and the socioeconomic dynamics surrounding our unceremonious separation.”

Mr. Lee has provided practitioners, professionals, researchers, students, and policymakers in the fields of social work, public health, law, Criminal Justice, Restorative Justice, Prison Reform, Fatherhood, and education, many of whom are providing or will provide in the future, resources and services to African American Fathers who are reading or have read Engaging And Working With African American Fathers: Strategies And Lessons Learned (www. routledge.co m ), with a powerful lens to view the unique challenges and issues that Incarcerated African American Fathers are addressing on a daily basis – under the most difficult and untenable set of circumstances. Consequently, he has moved Incarcerated African American Fathers into the National and Global Dialogues on Fatherhood and placed Incarcerated African American Fathers at the national Fatherhood policymaking table.

He cared deeply about all children as demonstrated by his financial contributions to the Kaupas Camp (see “Incarcerated Men Join Giving Circles To Redefine Themselves”’ published by the Federal News Network at https://federalnewsnetwork.com/ busines snews/2021/12/incarcerate d -me n -joi n -givin g -circle s -t o -redefin e -themselves/). Mr. Lee’s financial contributions along with those of his colleagues at SCI Coal Township who are members of a philanthropic organization, Lifeline, which Mr. Lee co-founded, has sent each year, for approximately one (1) month, nearly sixty (60) youths who reside in and/or near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania to the Kaupas Camp at Bucknell University. The young souls, who are the beneficiaries of the philanthropy of Mr. Lee and his colleagues, spend time at Bucknell University learning about, inter alia, ecology and music. They participate in clinics in a variety of sports that include basketball and field hockey, all of which are managed by athletic coaches at Bucknell University. When reached for comment about his and his colleagues’ philanthropy, Mr. Lee modestly stated: “If we have an opportunity to send a child to camp, to experience something that I never experienced in my lifetime, that is a wonderful thing.”

Under Mr. Lee’s leadership, Lifelines Project (https://lifeline s -project.or g ), an organization he co-founded, developed and implemented a successful mentoring program, “Dare To Care” which has a fifteen (15) week curriculum for incarcerated souls at SCI Coal Township. A prolific journalist, Mr. Lee is the co-author of a recently released book, “WEology: Transformative Justice In Practice.” His thought provoking essays educate and inspire his readers.

Mr. Lee was truly a Soul who transcended boundaries. He is a Sou who will never walk out of prison, despite our fighting for his right to walk out of prison as a free man . . . despite our fervent hopes and prayers that he would “finally make it home”. On 8 February 2024, fifteen (15) days before the Pennsylvania Board Of Pardons was scheduled to review Mr. Lee’s commutation application and vote to grant him a commutation public hearing, Mr. Lee gutwrenchingly declared: “I have had more than enough”.

When does “more than enough” become “more than enough” for us?

HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC.’S AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE PROMOTES LITERACY THROUGH LAUNCH OF “READING IS RESISTANCE” INITIATIVE; ADDRESSES BANNING OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE IN SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 23:55:00 +0000

Anthony Bannister-Fattah (left) speaks at the entrance to Overbrook High School after leading a march to highlight the importance of fathers in preventing violence. He is accompanied by City Councilmember Curtis Jones (center) and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (right). (PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WHYY/Emma Lee).

CONTACT:

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah

President and Chief Executive Officer

House of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) – – Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the birthplace of the United States of America – the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net), a globally acclaimed institution, will launch its “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative in partnership with The City Root (https://www. thecityroot.com), an online publication which is founded by Mr. Kevin Chevalier who serve as the publication’s Publisher and Editor, in observance of African American History Month on Saturday, 24 February 2024 from 6:00 P.M. through 10:00 P.M. at the Ultra Silk Gallery, 3808 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.. “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative is the brainchild of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the House of Umoja Inc. and a component of Philadelphia’s observance of the National Million Father March. Addressing the rise in the banning of African American literature by schools and public libraries that is occurring in cities throughout the United States will also be explored by the House Of Umoja, Inc. during its observance of African American History Month on Saturday, 24 February 2024 at the Ultra Silk Gallery at 3808 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The American Civil Liberties Union in Massachusetts (www.aclum.org) provides a list of literary works penned by African American authors that are being removed from schools and public libraries on its website. A number of schools and public libraries in Western Pennsylvania; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania have removed literary works penned by African American authors. The arbitrary removal of books in schools and public libraries that has occurred in Pennsylvania, which raises constitutional issues, is being met with legislative push back. Pennsylvania State Senator The Honorable Amanda Cappelletti has introduced legislation into the Pennsylvania General Assembly which prohibits schools and public libraries from banning books (see “Montgomery County State Senator Wants PA To Prevent Schools, Libraries From Banning Books” at https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/bill-prevent-book-bans-school-libraries-pennsylvania). The book bans initiated by school boards in Pennsylvania are also being challenged by parents and community activists who have filed right-to-know requests to gain access to information regarding the various school boards’ decision to ban books (see “Moms For Liberty’s Extreme Agenda Gets Pushback From Pennsylvania Community,” at https://www. advocate.com/news/pennsylvania-pushback-moms-for-liberty).

Launching of the “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative by the House Of Umoja, Inc. on Saturday, 24 February 2024 at the Ultra Silk Gallery, 3808 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will take the form of a panel discussion entitled, “Books vs. Bullets: 1968 To Present”. Panelists who are invited to participate in the dialogue include:

· Mr. Anthony Bannister-Fattah – Coordinator, Philadelphia National Million Father March – House Of Umoja, Inc.; Director, Community Outreach - House of Umoja, Inc.

· Ms. Brielle Kimmins - Daughter of the late Philadelphia anti-violence activist Mr. C.B. Kimmins

· The Honorable Curtis Jones, Jr. - Philadelphia Councilmember; Vice Chair of the Philadelphia City Council’s Committees on Parks and Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Chairman of the Philadelphia City Council’s Committees on Public Safety; Commerce and Economic Development; and former resident of the House of Umoja, Inc.

· Dr. Maurice Brian Henderson – Founder and President of National Men Of Color; Executive Director at National Black Art Spoken Word Tour; author; playwright; and former resident of the House of Umoja, Inc.

· Baba Hakim Tendaji – House Of Umoja, Inc. Site and Security Manager; former resident of the House of Umoja, Inc.

· Anwar Johnson – Clinical Social Worker, UMOJA Youth Peace Corps; Founder and Lead Clinician, The Greater Undoing Therapy Services (https://thegreaterundoing.com); Clinical Therapist, Black Men Heal (https://blackmenheal.org).

· Mr. Gregory Bucceroni – Under the auspices of the City of Philadelphia Managing Director’s Office – Town Watch Integrated Services Program, established City of Philadelphia Neighborhood Town Watch Programs, School Safe Corridor Patrols; Business Watch Crime Prevention Programs; and Community Support Services. Former resident of the House of Umoja, Inc.

· Ms. Jacqueline Taylor-Adams – Panel Moderator; Program Director – UMOJA Youth Peace Corps

The House Of Umoja, Inc.’s launching of the “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative comes at a time when the globally acclaimed organization ushers in its 17^th year as the leader and organizer of the City of Philadelphia’s observance of the National Million Father March which was created by the late Philip Jackson, Executive Director of the Black Star Project, (https://www.blackstarproject,org), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. In 2007, Mr. Jackson selected the House Of Umoja, Inc., which has a 56 year successful track record in addressing and reducing violence and positively transforming the trajectory of the lives of over 3,000 adolescent males, as the City of Philadelphia’s leader and organizer for the National Million Fathers March. Commencing in 2007 through 2018, the late Mr. David Fattah, Sr., the Patriarch of the House Of Umoja, Inc., served as the City of Philadelphia’s Coordinator for the National Million Father March which encourages Fathers to become proactive in the academic affairs of their child and to create a partnership with their child’s teacher and the principal of their child’s school to help their child excel academically.

“Reading Is Resistance” is an initiative that serves as a vehicle all Fathers – Single Fathers, Incarcerated Fathers, Divorced Fathers, NonCustodial Fathers, Married Fathers, and Custodial Fathers – in Philadelphia can utilize to improve their child’s reading and writing literacy skills and ensure that their child is reading at least one grade level above their current grade. Fathers are being asked, among other things, to select books that they and their child can read together; to read to their child; and have their child read to them. Fathers are being asked to:

1. Set rising academic expectations for their child for each quarter of each academic year which their child must meet.

2. Determine if their child requires tutoring in any of their subjects and, if required, arrange for their child to receive tutoring in the subjects they are having difficulty mastering.

3. Review their child’s daily homework assignments, particularly homework assignments that require the application of reading and writing literacy skills to ensure that their child (a) has fully completed the homework assignment; (b) prepared the homework assignment in a legible manner; (c) understands the tasks that must be completed in the homework assignment; and (d) understands the information and instructions received in the classroom that is required to correctly complete the homework assignment;

4. Review their child’s test score results in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science literacy skills tests administered annually statewide.

5. Familiarize themselves with the central administration of the Philadelphia School District’s polices governing their child’s graduation, promotion, and retention. As an example, the policies governing the graduation, retention, and promotion of students in Grade 9 through 12 which Fathers should know are provided below, and excerpted from “Marking Guidelines School Year 2020-2021 Grades 9 Through 12” (https://www..philasd.org/curriculum/wp-content/uploads/sites/825/2020/10/marking-guidelines-9-12-final-10.8.20.pdf), authored by Dr. Malaika Savoy-Brooks, Chief of the Philadelphia School District’s Office of Academic Support:

Board of Education Policy

Graduation Policy

A 12th grade student shall graduate if they:

● Successfully complete a Multidisciplinary Project or a Service Learning Project

● Earn a total of 23.5 credits, which include:

o 4 in English

o 3 in Mathematics

o 3 in Science

o 3 in Social Studies

o 1 in African American History

o 2 in World Language

o 2 in Arts and Humanities

o 1 in Physical Education

o 0.5 in Health

o 4 in electives

One elective must be a college preparatory Mathematics or Science course, an IB course, an AP course, or a terminal CTE course.

Schools or programs may predetermine specific subject area elective credits.

*A change in the graduation requirements, Act 158 of 2018, establishes additional requirements for high school graduation effective with the graduating class of 2022. The law creates multiple alternative pathways to graduation for students who are not proficient on the three Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Literature and Biology. See the PDE website for more information. . . .

Promotion and Retention

The Board of Education (the “Board”) of the School District of Philadelphia is committed to excellence in student achievement and recognizes the importance of a district-wide promotion policy which supports students’ grade placement in a setting most appropriate for personal, social, academic, and physical growth.

Guidelines

. . . A determination of promotion and/or retention of students will occur annually at the close of the school year. In regard to the timing of such action, exceptions to this policy can be made by the assistant superintendent after consultation with the principal, teacher(s), parent(s)/guardian(s), and with the approval of the Superintendent. . . .

Promotion Policy

Promotion from grade to grade is based on credits earned:

● Promotion from 9th to 10th grade – 5 credits

● Promotion from 10th to 11th grade – 11 credits

● Promotion from 11th to 12th grade – 17.5 credits

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 Delinquency Prevention (https://ojjdp.ojp.gov) and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov) to seek the expertise of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah and her late husband Mr. David Fattah, Sr. 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 the House of Umoja, Inc.’s “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative and its organizing and leadership role for the City of Philadelphia's observance of the 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 City Root which is a partner in the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s African American History Month observance which is scheduled for Saturday 24 February 2024, visit the publication’s website at https://www. thecityroot.com

ReplyForward

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

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 03:21:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:39:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 22:02:00 +0000

*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”

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 01:51:00 +0000

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.

# # #

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

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Tue, 30 May 2023 02:21:00 +0000

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 55^th 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 55^th 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.

DELEON FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN CONCEDES; CONGRATULATES PHILADELPHIA MAYORAL DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE THE HONORABLE CHERELLE L. PARKER . . .

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Wed, 17 May 2023 19:33:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA WATER CRISIS COMMAND ACTION -STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DELEON FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 23:51:00 +0000

OFFICE OF DELEON FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR CALM; URGES MAYOR KENNEY TO REQUEST GOVERNOR SHAPIRO TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE MOBILIZATION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL GUARD TO ESTABLISH WATER PURIFICATION AND WATER DISTRIBUTION POINTS CITYWIDE IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:46:00 +0000

STATEMENT OF THE OFFICE OF DELEON FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN ON CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S POTENTIAL WATER CRISIS

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:

Office of the DeLeon For Mayor Campaign

Website: www.deleonformayor.info

OFFICE OF DELEON FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR CALM; URGES MAYOR KENNEY TO REQUEST GOVERNOR SHAPIRO TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE MOBILIZATION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL GUARD TO ESTABLISH WATER PURIFICATION AND WATER DISTRIBUTION POINTS CITYWIDE IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- In response to the unexpected POTENTIAL city-wide water crisis which has developed during the course of the past 24 hours, the Office of the Mayoral Campaign of The Honorable James M. DeLeon has issued the following statement:

“My fellow citizens of the City of Philadelphia, in response to this unexpected potential city-wide water crisis which has developed and impacts our neighborhoods, our families, schools, businesses, and health and medical institutions, and our physical health and safety, I urge The Honorable James Francis Kenney, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia to issue a request to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania The Honorable Joshua Shapiro to prepare for the possible mobilization of the Pennsylvania National Guard for the purpose of establishing water purification and water distributions points throughout the City of Philadelphia. The request for the possible mobilization of the Pennsylvania National Guard to address this unexpected potential crisis that is occurring in the City of Philadelphia Is designed to ensure that emergency response is in place if the need arises to ensure that the citizens of Philadelphia will have access to clean and safe water. Further, I call on The Honorable James Kenney, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia to provide the citizens of the City of Philadelphia with full daily transparent reports regarding how each governmental agency of the City of Philadelphia is addressing the unexpected potential city-wide water crisis and the anticipated duration of the unexpected potential city-wide water crisis. To my fellow citizens of the City of Philadelphia, I ask you to remain calm, to be courteous and respectful to each other, to check on the elderly, family members, and neighbors. At the present time, each of us has been advised that the City of Philadelphia’s water supply is safe and that we can utilize the water flowing through our faucets for drinking and cooking until approximately 11:59 P.M. (E.S.T.) - Wednesday, 29 March 2023. I urge each of you to create a supply of safe water by filling empty bottles and buckets with water that is now deemed to be safe which flows from the faucets in your home. We can and we will get through this unexpected potential city-wide water crisis -- together.”

ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY--A PROPOSAL FOR HEALING PHILADELPHIA: JAMES MUHAMMED TAYLOR

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 14:34:00 +0000

“Humanity and good policy conspire to dictate that the benign prerogative of pardon should be as little as possible fettered or embarrassed. The Criminal Code of every country partake so much of necessary severity that, without an easy access to exceptions in favor of unfortunate guilt, Justice would wear a countenance too sanguinary and cruel.”

Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist, No. 6

The above quote has since been removed from the cover of the booklet issued by the Board of Pardons when I came to prison.

My name is James Muhammed Taylor. I am 81 years old with 51 years served on a life sentence. I am a living witness to the fact that Death by the means of day to day Imprisonment until you die without the possibility of parole is Real in the state of Pennsylvania. And this form of Death Sentence, usually reserved for those who commit mass murder, is consistently being carried out by the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons against the majority Black Lifer population in this state who have not committed such crimes or deserve such punishment. This cruelty of death comes through the denial of commutation relief over and over again to Lifers such as myself and others, after serving 25, 30, 40 and 50 years of imprisonment.

History does not deceive us. History does not lie to us about the origin of this racist cruelty being perpetuated against the release of Black Lifers in this state. It was the (questionable) release of a Black Lifer, Reginald McFadden, which gave the Racist Political Element an opportunity to cause the complete shutdown of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons for 25 years in driving the stereotypical fear in White people as a reason against releasing “Dangerous Black criminals back into the community through the Board of Pardons in the first place.” And they did it as a collective punishment of ALL Lifers -- Black, White, and Hispanic -- because of the actions of one bad apple!

We are calling on all right minded people, as a moral obligation to take a stand against this form of Institutionalized Racism that kills Black Lifers unjustifiably and denies them their freedom.

The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, during former Governor Milton Shapp’s Administration, released hundreds of Lifers. This is proof positive for the case I am making for the immediate release of Senior Black Lifers here at SCI Phoenix to serve a greater purpose of service to the African Community of Philadelphia in a time of need.

“Free Them To Heal Us” is a voice coming from the society to those Elected Officials who claim to be in search of a solution to the out of control gun violence and crime within the African American community of Philadelphia. This voice is a testament to the powerful work being done towards the economic justice, social justice, criminal justice, and racial justice reforms we have been working towards over the course of many years.

To use the example of Joseph found in the Bible and Holy Qur’an: One of the important lessons to be taken from his story is that, as a prisoner, Joseph looked into the society and saw a solution to an important problem that the Authorities were looking for and found in the unexpected place of a prison. The point being made is that, as collective body of prisoners, we, too, have looked into society with a view towards making a valuable contribution in a time of need. And right now, with an investment of trust from Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Mayor Kenney of Philadelphia, we would have space to breathe and feel confident about having chosen the location for an economic justice and social justice model -- a Reentry Zone -- envisioned for Returning Citizens to the community from our prisons to operate from. Being one of those men, I can indeed assure the public and those in Authority that, through the ongoing efforts of our various economic justice and social justice reform initiatives, we are on a mission of bringing an effective Healing to the African American community that the Authorities themselves are seeking a solution for, coming from the unexpected source of a prison.

The leadership of our Economic Justice and Social Justice Initiatives here at Phoenix are continuing to prove themselves well qualified to set the Economic Justice and Social Justice Model in place as a guide for others to follow in addressing gun violence and crime in the African American community. The State has the legal means of releasing these Seniors immediately.

The Men of Phoenix have the support of politicians and others from the community who see the value in our being released to do the work.

We are now in need of support from our Prisoner Support Organizations in making a direct appeal to those in Authority on our behalf, encouraging them to release those Seniors immediately to do the trench work necessary in addressing gun violence, economic justice, social justice, and crime within the African American community from our unique perspective. This work would be permitted to go forward in a show of good faith on the part of the Authorities by acting upon a viable Prison Reform measure to be carried out under the watchful care of Community Stakeholders. Such a course of action would positively improve economic justice and social justice within the African American community.

After reading the Summer/Fall edition of “Straight Ahead” (https://straight-ahead.org/) , I believe that Straight Ahead (https://straight-ahead.org/) has now earned the political clout to hold Governor Shapiro and Mayor Kenney of Philadelphia accountable by forcing their hands to act upon the release of the Seniors referred to in this writing in support of the economic justice and social justice model of a Reentry Zone for Returning Citizens in a show of good faith that something concrete is being done to relieve the situation for Senior Lifers during the two (2) to five (5) year interim that legislation is expected to pass for the release of Senior Lifers. Would the State then deny these Seniors the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the African American community in its time of need, by Men being held in prison under unjust circumstances who would represent the Lowest Form of Hanging Fruit that even any racist society on the face of Planet Earth would embrace as a safe bet for release?

Perhaps Governor Shapiro would do it in his stand against the Death Penalty, and in a show of appreciation to the African American community for his counting on the Black vote and the African American community coming through for him in his bid to be elected Governor of Pennsylvania. If the people of Pennsylvania, representing Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, find these Truths to be self-evident, would they then have the courage to correct this long standing cruelty as a show of good faith towards those Black Lifers, such as myself and others, who could and should have been released ten years ago or more if basic fairness had been applied to their release worthiness, and as a response to the African American community in its time of need?

I have provided below for your review and consideration the Plan Of Action of People Advancing Reintegration (PAR) and the role it will play in advancing economic justice, social justice, and racial justice reforms we are in pursuit of.

To learn more, contact:

Mr. James Taylor (AF-4120)

Smart Communications/PADOC

SCI-Phoenix

Post Office Box 33028

St. Petersburg, FL 33733

HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC. TO BE FETED FOR FIVE DECADES OF BROKERING PEACE ON 24 FEBRUARY 2023 IN OBSERVANCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 03:37:00 +0000

CONTACT:

Queen Mother Falaka Fattah

President and Chief Executive Officer

House of Umoja, Inc.

(215) 473-5893

E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- Inaugurated by historian, author, journalist, and founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (https://asalh.org), the late Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926, African American History Month is observed throughout the United States and also by communities of African descent in Canada, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. An internationally acclaimed institution headquartered in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net), which has brokered peace and invested in the future by providing life lines for approximately at least 3,000 adolescent males and positively transforming the trajectory of their lives for five (5) decades. is currently moving a new generation of youths to embrace peace through the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps; UMOJA Intentional Community; and Fattah Peace Academy (www.houseofumoja.net/peacecorps.html). In observance of African American History Month, the House of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net/events.html) will be feted on Friday, 24 February 2023 from 5:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) through 9:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) at the Rotunda at 4014 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The evening’s festivities which is themed, “Pieces In Peace: An Evening Of Art And Activism” (www.houseofumoja.net/events.html) will be punctuated with a preview showing of a film documentary -- “Queen Mother” --which is a work in progress that is produced by Jos Duncan Asé, multimedia producer, social entrepreneur and founder of Love Media (https://josduncan.com/) that chronicles the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s historic “No Gang War In ’74 Campaign” which was pivotal in ending decades of deadly violence fueled by gang-related territorial disputes that played out in Philadelphia’s streets and schoolyards. An interactive dialogue that explores moving a new generation of youth and the Fattah Peace Academy’s role in addressing the causative factors of Philadelphia’s gun violence emergency with members of the audience will ensue after the preview showing of “Queen Mother”. Staff from the Community Wellness HUB College of Nursing and Health Profession at Drexel University (https://drexel.edu) will be on hand to provide blood pressure examinations and health resources.

Heralded as an influencer leadership initiative that is centered around peace, the family of community, culture, and healing, the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps (www.houseofumoja.net/ peacecorps.html) has moved a number of youths in the City of Philadelphia to become Youth Peace Ambassadors. Attendees of “Pieces In Peace: An Evening Of Art And Activism” on Friday, 24 February 2023 at the Rotunda, will have an opportunity to learn about the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps and meet and speak with the Youth Peace Ambassadors who are the City of Philadelphia’s “Next Generation Of Leaders”. A libation to the Ancestors, music, and poetry provided by Dr. Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon and Messrs. Anthony Bannister-Fattah, David Fattah, Jr., Hakim Starkey, and Rashaun Williams also known as DJ Reezy comprise the kaleidoscope of entertainment for which Ms. Mileena Greenfield will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies; a smorgasbord of refreshments; and copies of the “Her Story” Youth Issue of UMOJA Magazine (www.houseofumoja.net/umojamagazine.html) that features riveting narratives penned by young African American women will be offered during the observance of African American History Month which fetes the House of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja,net/ events.html).

Established in 1968, the House of Umoja, Inc. 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.

For further information about “Pieces In Peace: An Evening Of Art And Activism” (www.houseofumoja.net/events.html) and the feting of the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net) in observance of African American History Month on 24 February 2023 from 5:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) through 9:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) at the Rotunda at 4014 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania contact the House of Umoja, Inc at (215) 473-5893; send an e-mail to: falakafattah@aol.com; or visit the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s website at (www.houseofumoja.net/events.html).

NUMBER 30 -- FOR CHARLIE: MR. DON MATHIS

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 17:40:00 +0000

In infancy, you were so sweet.

As a little one, we had such fun.

Kindergarten days and early grades led the way to adolescent faze.

As a man, you began to understand joys of living and for giving

and found how good was Fatherhood.

Responsibility fostered your ability to be a parent to your infant.

And you did it well, I’m here to tell.

As I’ve surveyed your third decade, I’ve seen your grace as you face

trouble and trial all the while with fortitude and a positive mood.

So I want to say on your 30th birthday,

in all you endeavor, stay strong forever!

HOUSE OF UMOJA, INC. USHERS IN 2023 WITH UMOJA YOUTH PEACE CORPS, MOVES NEW GENERATION OF CHILDREN TO EMBRACE PEACE

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:11:00 +0000

*5625 West Master Street * Philadelphia, PA 19131 USA * (215) 473-5893 * E-Mail: falakafattah@aol.com

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and American Civil Rights Leader The Late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- As institutions, organizations, and individuals throughout the United States observe a national holiday on 16 January 2023 commemorating the birthday of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and American Civil Rights Leader the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., known as the “Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Of Service”, in the City of Philadelphia --the nation’s sixth largest metropolitan area -- youths enrolled in the House of Umoja, Inc. ‘s (www.houseofumoja.net) UMOJA Youth Peace Corps will embark on their first field trip. Cognizant of the fact that there is an “inescapable network of mutuality” between the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being of Our Children and sustaining an environment of peaceful coexistence within our communities, the House Of Umoja, Inc., an internationally acclaimed institution, is ushering in the New Year with the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps Value of Human Life Afterschool Program.

On Tuesday, 10 January 2023, commencing at 5:00 P.M. (E.S.T.) and concluding at 7:00 P.M. (E.S.T.), an orientation session for the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps Value Of Human Life After School Program was convened at the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s offices at 5625 West Master Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The orientation session brought together students participating in the program, their parents, and the program’s workshop leaders. Parents of the students enrolled in the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps Value Of Human Life Program had an opportunity to learn about the program; meet with the program’s workshop leaders, instructors, and social worker; and to complete and submit their child’s enrollment documentation.

The UMOJA Youth Peace Corps, the brainchild of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net), is an influencer leadership initiative which fosters the value of human life, peace, African-centered culture, healing and the concept of community. Operating under the umbrella of the House Of Umoja, Inc., the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps is a predecessor to the multi-tiered Fattah Peace Academy. Students enrolled in the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps will learn about the strategies developed and implemented by the House Of Umoja Inc. to help end a gun violence emergency fueled by territorial disputes among Philadelphia’s gangs five (5) decades ago which culminated in the “No Gang War In ‘74” Peace Campaign that dramatically reduced gun violence and resulted in gang leaders signing a peace treaty -- the Imani Peace Pledge -- which they honored.

“Through the Umoja Youth Peace Corps, the House of Umoja, Inc. will introduce Our Children -- the ‘Emerging Keepers of the Planet’ to the principles of peace. Participants in the Umoja Youth Peace Corps will also be introduced to critical thinking and career development. They will learn communication skills and about self-care and apathy. Dog training will be the medium through which students will learn about selfcare and how to develop apathy and its importance. Each day will begin with a meal. During each week, we will have a local field trip planned for the students, and there will be one out-of-town excursion. As we observe the birthday of the late Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and American Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and as the House Of Umoja, Inc. facilitates the Umoja Youth Peace Corps, I am reminded of an observation Dr. King made, ‘We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.’ It is my hope that Our Children who participate in the Umoja Youth Peace Corps initiative will understand that they are connected not only to their family but also to the community in which they live. It is an understanding that will guide their thoughts, decisions, actions, and even their failures to act. Their connection to their community is that ‘inescapable network of mutuality’. Their thoughts, decisions, actions, and even their failures to act shape not only their destiny, but the destiny of their family, their community, society as a whole, and even generations unborn. Thoughts, decisions, actions, and even failures to act changes the trajectory of the direction of lives . . . the trajectory of the direction of families, communities, and society. It is the trajectory of the direction of lives, families, communities, society, and even generations unborn -- that ties us into a single garment of destiny. We are all connected. There is no getting around that,” remarked Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the House of Umoja, Inc.

For further information about the UMOJA Intentional Community, the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps, the Fattah Peace Academy, and the House of Umoja, Inc., visit the organization’s website at www.houseofumoja.net or call (215) 473-5893 or send an e-mail to: falakafattah@aol.com.

JIMMY DeLEON FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN LAUNCH SET FOR TUESDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2022 AT 12:00 P.M. (E.D.T.) AT CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 01:40:00 +0000

P R E S S A D V I S O R Y

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:

Xavier Devereaux

Campaign Manager

DeLeon for Mayor Campaign

Website: www.deleonformayor.info

(215) 892-8481

E-Mail: jimmy@deleonformayor.info

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- -- A diverse group of community stakeholders will gather at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice at 1301 Filbert Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, 22 November 2022 from 12;00 P.M., (E.D.T.) through 1:30 P.M. (E.D.T.) for the launch of the Jimmy DeLeon For Mayor Campaign. Surrounded by community leaders and supporters, Jimmy DeLeon, former judge, public policy thought leader, and author will first address citizens throughout Philadelphia who have lost family members, loved ones, co-workers, neighbors, and friends to gun violence. DeLeon will then unveil the multi-tiered and solutions-based blueprint he crafted that will help move the traumatized City of Philadelphia and its citizens to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity. The multi-tiered and solutions-based blueprint crafted by DeLeon focuses on many of the key challenges that confront Philadelphians on a daily basis which include, but are not limited, to:

· Gun Violence

· Public Safety

· Expedient delivery of municipal services to Philadelphians

· Access to affordable housing and healthcare

· Employment

· Technical assistance to small businesses city-wide

· Massive physical plant improvements on expedited basis at schools throughout the Philadelphia School District

To learn more about the Jimmy DeLeon For Mayor Campaign and its multi-tiered and solutions based blueprint for moving the City of Philadelphia and its citizens to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity visit the campaign’s website at www.deleonformayor.info or send an electronic mail communication to: jimmy@deleonformayor.info.

# # #

MOVING A TRAUMATIZED CITY TO EMBRACE HOPE, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY: JIMMY DELEON, FORMER JUDGE, PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCATE, AND AUTHOR LAUNCHES MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

noreply@blogger.com (IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD(R)) — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 21:34:00 +0000

Photograph Courtesy Of Mr. Prasad Panchakshan (people walking on street near high rise buildings during daytime photo – Free Image on Unsplash)))

CONTACT:

Xavier Devereaux

Campaign Manager

DeLeon for Mayor Campaign

Website: www.deleonformayor.info

(215) 892-8481

E-Mail: jimmy@deleonformayor.info

MOVING A TRAUMATIZED CITY TO EMBRACE HOPE, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY: JIMMY DELEON, FORMER JUDGE, PUBLIC POLICY THOUGHT LEADER, AND AUTHOR LAUNCHES MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) -- Nestled between New York and Washington, D.C., Philadelphia -- the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States -- will elect a new Mayor in Calendar Year 2023. The next Mayor of Philadelphia will be tasked with the unenviable responsibility of moving a city traumatized by, among other things, poverty, an out-of-control gun violence emergency, skyrocketing housing prices, and a dysfunctional public education system to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity. A diverse group of key community stakeholders in the nation’s sixth largest metropolitan area have persuaded Jimmy DeLeon, former judge, public policy thought leader, and author, to take on the daunting task of moving Philadelphia and its traumatized citizens to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity.

The former judge will unveil his multi-tiered solutions-based plan for moving a traumatized city and its citizens to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 12:00 P.M. (E.D.T.) at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice at 1301 Filbert Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the press conference, DeLeon will officially announce his candidacy for Philadelphia’s 2023 Mayoral Election. Numerous key community stakeholders have expressed the sentiment that bringing the highly respected former judge’s “no-shenanigans-let’s-follow-the-law-there-will-be-order-in-the-courtroom” style to City Hall will help restore order in Philadelphia and move a traumatized city and its citizens to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity.

“In spite of the challenges that plague Philadelphia, it is a great city. Some of the world’s most brilliant and talented souls live and work here. The challenges that plague our City have traumatized each of us. Many of us have lost family members, loved ones, neighbors, acquaintances, and co-workers to gun violence. To my fellow Philadelphians who are mourning the loss of a loved one, family member, neighbor, co-worker, or acquaintance whose life was snuffed out by gun violence, I extend my condolences to each of you. Our city is in dire need of healing, hope, peace, and prosperity. As the next leader of this great city, my mission will be to move our city and families, neighbors, co-workers, loved ones, and acquaintances to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity. The first step to healing and to moving our city and each of our citizens to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity involves listening to one another. Leading by example, I will. convene city-wide solutions-based listening sessions with families and communities impacted by gun violence; department heads, front-line managers, and staff throughout City government to assess resources and training needs to ensure that every Philadelphian has timely access to resources and services; youth and young adults, particularly those in the 18-35 age demographics which has the highest gun by homicide mortality rate in the City; the Interfaith Community; educators, school administrators, and parents; health care professionals and providers; social services professionals and providers; and business owners. As Philadelphia’s next Mayor, I will establish a Local Incident Management System to help address our current gun violence emergency. The Local Incident Management System is a uniform system of processes and procedures in City Government that would be used to combat gun violence by enabling the necessary responders to work together and efficiently to manage root causes of gun violence. The initiative is fully explained in my guest editorial article published by the Philadelphia Sunday Sun on 28 January 2022, ‘A Path To Reducing Gun Violence’, which can be viewed at the following link: https://www.philasun.com/commentary/guest-editorial-a-path-to-reducing-gun-violence. My administration will also address the shortage of police officers in the Philadelphia Police Department and staffing shortages in municipal government by hiring approximately 1,500 police officers and up to approximately 4,000 new workers to address staffing shortages that currently exist in every office of City government. Many Philadelphians have informed me that our City needs more police officers and that they are not receiving services from the City in a timely manner. We will be looking at instituting and supporting vocational skills and entrepreneurial skills training initiatives to address poverty and massive unemployment which is fueling the crime economy which in turn is helping to fuel the current gun violence crisis. Our public school system currently has a ‘school-to-prison’ curriculum which must be replaced post haste with a ‘school-to-work’ curriculum. Creating business incubators in economically underserved neighborhoods and establishing technical assistance for small business owners, particularly in neighborhood commercial corridors in an effort to boost employment there is also a critical path item for my administration. This is how a traumatized city and its citizens can begin to move to embrace hope, peace, and prosperity,” DeLeon explained.