Community Focus
Millions of Underserved Women in U.S. Benefit from CDC’s Breast and Cervical Screening Program
More than 4.3 million women with limited access to health care received breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services in the first 20 years of the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP).
Herb Kent the "Cool Gent" Honored by the Next Step College Readiness Program
The Next Step College Readiness Program held its first annual “Stepping for the Children” benefit at the Oak Lawn Hilton Hotel, 9333 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn, ll., last month. The fundraiser honored Chicago radio icon and living legend, Herb Kent, “The Cool Gent,” by establishing an Educational Achievement Award in his name. The event also raised funds for the Next Step program, an initiative of the Chicago Child Care Society (CCCS), which works to break the cycle of generational teen pregnancy.
Chicago Bulls Star Joakim Noah Stands Against Chicago's Gun Violence via PSA
As an initiative of his non-profit organization, the Noah’s Arc Foundation (NAF), Chicago Bulls all-star Joakim Noah debuted a public service announcement (PSA) video urging all Chicagoans to stand up against gun violence at a press conference at Major Adams Community Center (MACC), 125 N. Hoyne Ave., last week.
$75 Million International African American Museum to be Built
A $75 million International African American Museum will be built in South Carolina on Charleston Harbor where tens of thousands of slaves first set foot in the United States.
Juveniles Recovered in FBI Operation Targeting Commercial Child Sex Trafficking
During the past week, the FBI, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, conducted Operation Cross Country VIII to address commercial child sex trafficking throughout the United States. The operation included enforcement actions in the New York City area and led to the recovery of three children who were being victimized through prostitution. Additionally, three pimps were arrested on state and federal charges.
Post-Father’s Day Facts
The idea of Father’s Day was conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration,
New CHA Website Allows Low-Income Chicago Residents to Quickly Apply for Section 3 Jobs
The Chicago Housing Authority has launched a new website that allows Section 3 residents to apply for jobs with CHA and its contractors. Section 3 residents are public housing residents, Housing Choice Voucher participants and low-income Chicago area residents.
Historically Black Colleges Continue to Struggle
Black colleges historically have provided educational opportunities for the majority of African Americans seeking a higher education, but many of these schools now struggle to remain open. St. Paul's College is one.
NAACP Reacts to Racist Remarks Allegdly to Los Angeles Clippers Owner, Donald Sterling
The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP, (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) decided against awarding Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony scheduled for May 15, and is expected to rescind its previous award, following backlash from recorded racist comments allegedly made by the self-made billionaire.
Biden: Raise the Minimum Wage
In his address to the nation last week, Vice President Joe Biden discussed the importance of raising the federal minimum wage. The full transcript follows:
First Lady Visits China for First Time with Mom and Daughters
First lady Michelle Obama plans to avoid politics and focus on education and people-to-people contacts on her first visit to China.
U.S. Atty. Gen. Calls Rise in Heroin Overdoses ‘Urgent Public Health Crisis’ Vows Mix of Enforcement, Treatment
Calling the rise in overdose deaths from heroin and other prescription pain-killers an “urgent public health crisis,” Attorney General Eric Holder vowed Monday that the Justice Department would combat the epidemic through a mix of enforcement and treatment efforts. As an added step, the Attorney General is also encouraging law enforcement agencies to train and equip their personnel with the life-saving, overdose-reversal drug known as naloxone.
President Obama’s "My Brother's Keeper" Remarks
Introduced by Christian Champagne, 18, a senior at Hyde Park Career Academy, Chicago, President Barack Obama, last week delivered a speech unveiling his “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative at the White House, surrounded by African American and Latino young men, some of which are participants in the University of Chicago Crime Lab initiative called “Becoming a Man” (BAM), a program for at-risk youth, that served as the inspiration for Obama’s newly introduced program.
Report Says 5.6 Million U.S. Children Will Die Prematurely Unless Current Smoking Rates Drop
Approximately 5.6 million American children alive today – or one out of every 13 children under age 18 – will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases unless current smoking rates drop, according to a new Surgeon General’s report.
