I was privileged to attend the Annual Conference of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association for more than 200 newspapers in Black America. I was also honored to receive NNPA’s North Star Community Service Award, which is named after the militant newspaper founded by Frederick Douglass in 1847. It was a real treat to have the opportunity to meet and interact with Black writers and publishers from around the country. As a kid I can remember being a paperboy for the Pittsburgh Courier in the Hill District …

This week on Tuesday, March 23, Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, conducted a media briefing to discuss the benefits and protections of the recently passed health care bill and the implications for the African American community. This event followed the bill signing ceremony with President Obama earlier in the day.
Health insurance reform will put Americans back in control of their health care and strip away many of the worst practices and abuses of the insurance companies. The benefits and protections in the …

Brentwood Church of Christ’s bi-monthly African American Alzheimer’s & Related Dementia Support Group meeting will be held on April 2, 2010 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at the church (6425 N. 60th Street). The meeting will include a presentation from Gina Green-Harris of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute. The meeting is free and open to the entire community. This support group is a partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. Please contact Darlene Johnson, Church Secretary, at 414-353-6757 if you have questions. African Americans are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s, but …

On February 18, 2010 – in honor of Black History Month – the Alliance of Concerned Men (ACM) hosted a roundtable and town hall meeting at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) titled “Fatherhood and Solutions to Youth Violence”. The event was deemed an historical occasion with the first African American U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, Jr. and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) in attendance for the town hall meeting.
The purpose of the roundtable and town hall meeting were to open dialogue about these specific issues – which …

Do you know any Black males who are seniors in high school who want to go to college out of state for “FREE”? Several Black Colleges are looking for future black male teachers and will send them to universities / colleges for 4 years FREE.
The “Call Me MISTER” program is an effort to address the critical shortage of African American male teachers particularly among South Carolina’s lowest performing public schools. Program participants are selected from among under-served, socioeconomically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities.
The program is a collaboration between Clemson University …

African Americans almost twice as likely to require hospitalization
Recently published reports have detailed the disparity in the number of H1N1 cases requiring hospitalization in the Milwaukee area and throughout the state of Wisconsin. As it stands, minorities require hospitalization two to three more often than whites.
The Wisconsin Division of Public Health recognizes that if any segment of the population is not properly protected against this active pandemic, then the entire community is at a risk. That is why the Wisconsin Division of Public Health is partnering with the Cream City …

By Clarene Mitchell
VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, Community Liaison
On a national level, only 8 percent of hospice users are African American. Yet, with the disproportionately higher African American mortality rates, many more could benefit from the end-of-life care. There are various reasons that contribute to the racial health disparity; some of which includes African Americans either not knowing enough about hospice and/or believing that it is only available to other populations. In contrast to this, there are many prominent and accomplished African Americans who have benefited from hospice care as they …

By Jennifer Jones Austin
Hello, my name is Jennifer Jones Austin. I am a 41 year old mother of two young children. Only months ago on September 23, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Just days before I was walking around feeling fine, taking care of my family, going to the gym daily, and working professionally as an advocate for children and families living in poverty. I had no medical history of health problems. Things were good.
Today I live with the very real possibility that I may not see my …

WHITEWATER – Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of a world in which equal education for all children would lead to a better world for all people.
His dream will be honored Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater when alumnus Stafford Hood ‘74, ‘75 returns to campus to remember King’s work and look to the future.
Richard McGregory, interim director of UWWhitewater’s Academic Support Services program, said Hood’s career as a socially responsible educator and researcher exemplifies King’s goal for education.
Dr. Hood serves as a tangible reminder that the university has …

The Milwaukee Health Services, (MHS) officially opened its first MHS Convenient Care Clinic last Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010 inside Lena’s Food Market located in the Midtown Shopping Center located at 4061 N. 54th St. in Milwaukee.
The clinic operated by the Milwaukee Health Services, Inc. will provide various acute care services, treatments, vaccines and screenings. The hours of operation will be Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 7:30 pm and on Saturdays from 8:00 am- 12:30 pm. The phone number for the clinic is 414-447-1750.
Various Milwaukee officials turned out for the grand opening …