Black History
General Motors’ Black History Month event focuses on ‘The Power of Reinvention’
ROLLINGOUT.COM — GMAAN held its 13th Annual Black History Month Celebration.
By Porsha Monique
The General Motors African Ancestry Network (GMAAN) held its 13th Annual Black History Month Celebration on Friday, February 9, 2019 at the Detroit Renaissance Marriott. This year’s program theme included The Power of Reinvention, and was presented by Cadillac, which is undergoing a dramatic reinvention of its own and now has a complete family of SUVs for the first time in its 116-year history. From the “Queen of Soul” riding the freeway of love in her pink Cadillac… to becoming a “Rapper’s Delight” in the first commercially successful hip-hop single, Cadillac is one of the most referenced brands in African American music.
“Cadillac is a brand of substance and quality that has been a pioneer of reinvention, and we are honored to have the brand as this year’s sponsor,” said Telva McGruder, president of GMAAN and director of Facility Engineering and Manufacturing Operations in Sustainable Workplaces. “As we recognized the achievements of community leaders and employees, we were inspired by stories of perseverance, dedication and courage that have opened more avenues of growth in our society. The evening crystalized the ways innovation manifests today and reminded us that it is woven throughout the fabric of the African American community,” McGruder went on to say.
For the past 13 years, GMAAN has produced a Black History Month Program that aimed to increase awareness of the GM brands and focused on its ties to the community, African American culture and community leaders. This year’s program continued that tradition as the program honored six African Americans that have demonstrated the power of reinvention in their lives and made valuable contributions in their respective communities and also featured esteemed film producer and entrepreneur, Jeff Friday, as their keynote speaker. Friday is the founder of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and CEO of ABFF Ventures. Friday and Cadillac has maintained a thriving partnership for nearly 10 years and this year, Friday was presented with the 2019 Trailblazer Award for excellence in leadership, outstanding achievements and community engagement during the program.
“A reinvention moment sparked a career change for me as I discovered a burning passion for black storytelling,” said Friday during his acceptance speech. “There needed to be a platform for young, black film makers, writers, directors and actors to tell stories specific to our experiences. In 1997, we had our first black film festival with 90 people. Now, in our 23rd year, the five-day festival attracts nearly 10,000 guests,” Friday continued.
The program’s musical entertainment was provided by four-time Grammy, multiple Stellar and GMA Dove award winning singer, songwriter and entrepreneur, Karen Clark Sheard, who sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” And multi-platinum, Grammy Award winning R&B singer and acclaimed actress Brandy closed out the evening with a first-class performance that kept the audience dancing and singing all night long.
John Henry, a Dominican-American entrepreneur, investor and host of Viceland’s unscripted series, HUSTLE, a series co-produced by Cadillac, served as the evening’s master of ceremonies. There was also a very entertaining fire-side chat between Friday and Yvonne Orji, Nigerian-American actress, comedienne, writer, and star on HBO’s comedy series Insecure.
Each year, the GMAAN Black History Month Program draws approximately 1K people and is a much-anticipated community event in Detroit. For the past 25 years, GMAAN has been a major sponsor of North-End, donating $5,000 for food and entertainment, along with recruiting employee sponsors for 200 children. Over the past 10 years, GMAAN members have raised nearly $65,000 for the American Breast Cancer Society through its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign. For more information on GMAAN, visit their website at www.gmaan.org.
Activism
S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System
Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.
By Carla Thomas
San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.
“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”
According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.
“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”
Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.
SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.
Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.
Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.
Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.
Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.
“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.
This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
Activism
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Activism
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