Welcome! This free speech community journal was created so the Maple Heights African American community could share videos, photos, events, articles, posts, ideas, thoughts, and information.  We're now exclusively on Facebook, so don't forget to also check out our Facebook page.  Have a fantastic day!



Friday, May 31, 2013

CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND MAY 2013 NEWSLETTER

Take Action

Did You Know?
Did you know a child shot earlier this month at a New Orleans Mother’s Day parade had been shot less than a year earlier on his 10th birthday? How can we allow this culture of gun violence to continue in America? 

in this edition

Children and teens in Louisiana are among the most at-risk for gun violence in the nation. How have state legislators responded? By introducing 19 bills to protect guns, not children. That’s why our office in New Orleans set up a “Protect Children, Not Guns” display table in the Capitol Rotunda for two days this month and used the opportunity to educate legislators and advocates by sharing CDF’s gun fact sheets. Some of the legislators left the tables wearing CDF's “Protect Children, Not Guns” buttons

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Five months after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School a child or teen is shot by a gun every 30 minutes, and yet Congress has failed to pass any common sense gun safety legislation to protect children, not guns.  

Here’s What You Can Do:

  • Make your presence known! Follow the example of our Louisiana office, set up a table in your state capitol and hand out “Protect Children, Not Guns” bumper stickers and buttons and “The Truth About Guns” fact sheet. Order yours today.
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  • Blog about it! Join CDF, MomsRising.org and others for a blog carnival on June 14, the sixth anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre.
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  • Watch and share the stories of those personally affected by gun violence with our new video series “Faces of Courage.” Please contact us if you would like to share your story.
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  • Read and share Marian Wright Edelman’s powerful column “Numb –Spiritually Dead – Nation” which documents the story of Ka’Nard Allen, the 10 year-old shot twice in less than a year.


Organize a Children’s Sabbath Service

Sabbath-2013-200px.jpgWant to make a difference for children in your community?  If you are a member of a faith community, you can begin organizing a Children’s Sabbath celebration as part of our National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths® weekend, October 18 – 20. Whether you are a layperson or a religious leader, start organizing now using our newly published resources around this year’s theme, “Beating Swords Into Plowshares: Ending the Violence of Guns and Child Poverty.”




Youth Spotlight: Michael Tubbs

michael-tubbs.jpgRaised by a single mother, with his father in prison, Michael Tubbs was determined to make a difference and determined to stay out of the Cradleto Prison Pipeline™.  He went on to become a Truman Scholar, graduating with bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University last spring and becoming the youngest City Council member in Stockton, California’s history last fall. But that hardly scratches the surface of why we celebrate Michael—his work with youth in his home city has been unrelenting, teaching them the leadership, civic engagement, and social justice principles he learned as a part of CDF’s Young Advocate Leadership Training (YALT®) program

Next month Michael will share his story and insights as a panelist during the CDF-ETS Achievement Gap Symposium, “Black Male Teens: Moving to Success in the High School Years.” Learn more about the unique challenges facing young Black men and examine the most effective practices schools and communities should adopt in order to help close achievement gaps and foster college and career success. Waiting list only available for the Washington, D.C. event on June 24. 



Early Learning Day of Action

Child Thanks ObamaThe President has laid the groundwork for an important historic investment in early learning. Now it’s up to us to make sure it happens. Join us in the Strong Start for Children campaign for a day of action next week to support investments to ensure our youngest, most vulnerable children are ready to learn. On June 5, participate in a blog carnival, write letters to the editor and op-eds, and join in a tweetchat with the experts, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Contact your members of Congress TODAY and let them know you support the President’s Early Learning and Child Development Initiative.



Beat the Odds® Program

Growing up hungry and homeless first in Mexico and then in the United States, Maria Cruz Mendiola has persevered and now hopes to help others. Maria remembers waking up one night while living in a cardboard box and “telling myself that I needed to do something more for the world.” She aims to be a doctor involved in international activism. Maria is one of four extraordinary youth celebrated earlier this month by CDF-Minnesota through their Beat the Odds scholarship and leadership development program. Check out the stories of these amazing youths with their video biographies, produced by our long-time friends at We Are Fallon. Next week, CDF-Texas will celebrate their own set of heroes and sheroes at an awards luncheon in Houston. Donate to support the Beat the Odds scholarship and leadership development program.

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