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Full College Scholarships Given to Entire Student Body at 5 Chicago High Schools

The scholarships cover not just tuition, but completely cover room and board, books and fees, and other related college expenses and can be used to attend any of Hope’s 21 partner colleges in Chicago and throughout Illinois, including several local Chicago community colleges, the University of Illinois, Loyola University, and Northern Illinois University. Hope Scholars, as the scholarship recipients are dubbed, also receive mentoring, counseling, and wrap-around support services before starting school and during college.

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Pete Kadens, co-founder and co-chairman of Hope Chicago
Pete Kadens, co-founder and co-chairman of Hope Chicago

By Brandon Patterson

In February, Hope Chicago, a Chicago scholarship program, made headlines for surprising students at five public high schools in Chicago with full college scholarships. On Sunday, “60 Minutes” aired a special about the incredible program.

“I’m still processing those feelings,” said Kavarrion Newsom, a student at Noble Johnson College Prep, one of the schools where students received scholarships. “I’ll remember this day for the rest of my entire life.”

Hope Chicago awarded full scholarships to the entire student bodies — not just graduating seniors — at five public high schools in Chicago in February, awarding scholarships to a total of more than 4,000 students, according to HOPE’s website.

The scholarships cover not just tuition, but completely cover room and board, books and fees, and other related college expenses and can be used to attend any of Hope’s 21 partner colleges in Chicago and throughout Illinois, including several local Chicago community colleges, the University of Illinois, Loyola University, and Northern Illinois University. Hope Scholars, as the scholarship recipients are dubbed, also receive mentoring, counseling, and wrap-around support services before starting school and during college.

Recent research from Hope Chicago shows that 93% of Chicago public high school freshmen want to attend college, according to the organization’s website. But just 63% of Chicago Public Schools’ 12th-graders enroll in college — and just 27% complete their studies — with financial costs being a primary barrier.

Among students who drop out of college, nearly half do so because they can’t afford to continue, according to Hope Chicago. And students who do earn their degrees are saddled with $30,000 in debt on average. In fact, Hope Chicago says, nearly half of Black students owe about 12% more than they originally borrowed 12 years after they’ve graduated.

“With Hope Chicago, students can worry less about how they’ll pay for and stay in college or trade school and more time being the best students they can be,” Pete Kadens, co-founder and co-chairman of Hope Chicago, said in press release. “Hope scholars will know that when challenges arise — and that’s life, challenges always arise — they can turn to Hope Chicago and our community partners for the help and support they need to succeed.”

But the scholarships don’t stop there. Hope Chicago also awarded scholarships to one parent or guardian from each student’s family to attend or return to a two- or four-year college if they choose. The scholarships were awarded to families at the South Side schools Benito Juarez Community Academy, Al Raby School for Community and Environment, Morgan Park High School, Noble Johnson College Prep, and Farragut Career Academy.

“We have always had a too close relationship with poverty and lack,” said Yolanda White, mother to one of the students who received a scholarship at Noble Johnson. Now she plans to take technology classes to grow her baking business.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

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Activism

Stop-the-Hate Message Shared with Tens of Thousands at Calif’s Largest Black-Themed Street Festival

Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw — an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” — on Oct. 19. At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023.

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Office of the Civil Rights Staff and CBM Representative. Courtesy Photo.
Office of the Civil Rights Staff and CBM Representative. Courtesy Photo.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media  

 Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw — an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” — on Oct. 19.

At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023.

“Held in the heart of south Los Angeles on Crenshaw Blvd, over half a million people attend the one-day event that brings out the best our community has to offer,” said Brandon Brooks, Stop the Hate project director at California Black Media.

The festival promotes local businesses as well as it brings out local and statewide resources to assist community members, Brooks continued. “The day has proven to be a great opportunity to speak to people directly and provide information to combat hate crimes and incidents.”

During the event, Brooks said he, James Williams, Community Based Organization Manger for California Vs. Hate and Leah Brown-Goodloe from CBM informed and shared literature with tens of thousands of festivalgoers about the state’s Stop the Hate resources.

CBM’s Stop the Hate outreach was held at the beginning of United Against Hate Week (UAHW), a commemoration held annually across the country to recognize the fight against all forms of hate.

UAHW was first launched in 2018 by elected leaders, staff, and community groups from 13 cities in the Bay Area who organized a “United Against Hate” poster campaign responding to White supremacists marching in Northern California streets in the aftermath of Charlottesville riots.

In 2018, Los Angeles County, LAvsHate, a campaign that provided anti-hate crime information and resources to report hate incidents and hate crimes.

According to CRD director Kevin Kish, the L.A. initiative provided a model for the state’s program.

Today, UAHW has grown into a national movement with events organized across the country to mark the day.

In June, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the2023 Hate Crime in California Report. According to the report, hate crimes in California decreased by 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023.

However, incidents and crimes against Black Californians remained higher than average with 518 reported cases in 2023.

When it comes to reported hate crimes, we know that Black Californians are the most targeted group for hate and discrimination in our state,” said Williams.  “The California Civil Rights Department wants people to know that we are committed to reaching the Black community through outreach events and campaigns, including our first-ever billboard campaign, forging new partnerships, or increasing awareness about the hotline and available resources to historically hard-to-reach and underserved Californians.”

Williams said he wants to remind all Californians that there is “support when you report!”

“No matter your background or where you come from, if you’ve been targeted for hate, you can get help accessing legal, financial, mental health, and other services by calling 833-8-NO-HATE or by going to CAvsHate.org,” Williams added.

How To Report A Hate Crime:

CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time.

For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate.org.

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Activism

NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention Highlights Black Voter Engagement, and More

A Friday panel featuring NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell and Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, examined Project 2025, an initiative perceived as a potential threat to civil rights, healthcare access, and environmental protection. This session emphasized Project 2025’s projected impact on Black communities, noting that policies within the initiative could diminish gains in civil and environmental rights over decades. Russell and Wilson highlighted the need for vigilant monitoring and community mobilization to address these challenges. 

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NAACP State Conference President Rick Callender (right) engages in a discussion on voter engagement and community advocacy with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson during the 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention in Los Angeles. Photo by Rich Woods.
NAACP State Conference President Rick Callender (right) engages in a discussion on voter engagement and community advocacy with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson during the 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention in Los Angeles. Photo by Rich Woods.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention concluded on Sunday, Oct 27, following four days of discussions and workshops at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Bringing together civil rights leaders, policymakers, and advocates from California and Hawaii, the convention operated under the theme “All In.” The participants discussed critical issues impacting Black communities, including criminal justice reform, health equity, economic empowerment, education, environmental justice, and voting rights.

A Friday panel featuring NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell and Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, examined Project 2025, an initiative perceived as a potential threat to civil rights, healthcare access, and environmental protection. This session emphasized Project 2025’s projected impact on Black communities, noting that policies within the initiative could diminish gains in civil and environmental rights over decades. Russell and Wilson highlighted the need for vigilant monitoring and community mobilization to address these challenges.

On Saturday, the President’s Fireside Chat brought together NAACP President Derrick Johnson and CA/HI State Conference President Rick Callender, who discussed the urgency of voter engagement and community advocacy.

Guest speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), who spoke at the Women in NAACP (WIN) Labor Luncheon about the intersection of labor rights and civil rights. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond delivered remarks at the Leadership Dinner on education equity, focusing on policies to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.

Honors were given to longtime social justice advocate and former Assemblymember Mike Davis for his work in community activism. At the same time, actor and activist Danny Glover and the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown received the 2024 Legacy Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their lifelong commitments to advancing civil rights.

The convention also offered practical workshops, including “What’s On Your Ballot?,” where coalition leaders provided analyses of California propositions, explaining their potential impacts on community rights and resources. The Voter Turnout Workshop provided background and encouraged participants to promote voter turnout through community-centered outreach strategies.

Sunday’s events closed with a Prayer and Memorial Breakfast honoring the contributions of past and current civil rights leaders.

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