Community Coordination, General Interest

Juneteenth Community Celebration

June 9, 2016 pwadmin Leave a comment

On Saturday, June 18th, the Unit is sponsoring the Second Annual Prince William Juneteenth Community Celebration. The gathering will be held at Merchant Park, 3944 Cameron Street, Dumfries, VA 22026, adjacent to Weems- Botts Museum from 11 am to 3 pm. The event itself is free, and bar-b-que meals will be available to purchase. Activities include children’s games, youth activities, music dancing and inspirational presentations. The Juneteenth Celebration is a family-oriented event and the entire community is invited.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Click here for a flyer announcing the celebration. Please forward this announcement widely and post the flyer on community bulletin boards.

Economic Development, General Interest, Political Action

Overtime PaY Extended to More Americans

May 18, 2016 pwadmin Leave a comment

On May 17, 2016, EJ Scott, Chairperson of our Political Action/ Public Policy & Legislation Committee shared information she received by email stating that President Obama is extending overtime pay to millions more Americas. Click here to read the content of that message.

Economic Development, Education, General Interest

State of Black Northern Virginia 2016 event

May 17, 2016 pwadmin Leave a comment

Following is a note from the President of the Prince William NAACP:

Dear Members and Friends,

We hope that you will make room in your schedule to support the State of Black Northern Virginia 2016 event on June 4^th from 1:00-3:00 at Macedonia Baptist Church in Arlington VA, sponsored by the Northern Virginia Coalition and the Virginia Leadership Institute (VLI). In addition to providing networking opportunities, this event will address three key areas:

“Accessing the Right to Vote in the 21st Century”

“Entrepreneurship and Business Development” Panel Discussion

“Disparities and Inaccessibility in Health, Housing, and Education” Panel Discussion

These areas address four of the six NAACP 21^ST Century Game Changers. If you are interested in working to resolve disparities in Education, Economic Sustainability, Political Representation, or Health outcomes, then this event will provide an opportunity to Get Connected, Get Informed, and Get Involved. Please click here to see the flyer for additional details and registration information.

Karl F Brower

President, PW NAACP

Empowered trough Unity

Criminal Justice, General Interest

The Law and Your Community

May 6, 2016 pwadmin Leave a comment

law The following is an invitation from Pastor C. A. Lundy, Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Woodbridge Va. His message is quoted as follows:

This is Pastor C.A. Lundy at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Woodbridge, VA. We are sponsoring the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) on Saturday, May 21, 2016 10am – 12pm and would like for you to help us pass the word to the churches in the PW NAACP.

The program is entitled: The Law and Your Community. The program designed for all ages and provides a forum for discussion on building relationships between law enforcement and the community. As African American, we are at a higher risk of a negative encounter with law enforcement. As Black men, we must be educated as to the do’s and don’ts when encountering law enforcement. As Black fathers, we need to give our sons the “talk” and inform them on how to survive an encounter with law enforcement.

The program will address (1) What to do when stopped by law enforcement. (2) What to expect when interfacing or being approached by a Police Officer. (3) How to effectively communicate with law enforcement; and much, much more. This program is the first of its kind in Northern Virginia and multiple churches have expressed an interest in attending.

Click here for a flyer containing further details on this event.

Those who are attending, please contact the Church Administrator at (703) 494-2669 … stay blessed – Pastor Lundy !

Education, General Interest

CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP THROUGH FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

May 5, 2016 pwadmin Leave a comment

The Prince William NAACP Education Committee understands that it is the responsibility of all not just the school divisions’ responsibility to support the academic success of our children. Addressing the achievement gap in schools is a communicative and collaborative effort between school division and school leaders, teachers, parents, community members and leaders, and students.

One of the principles of Closing The Achievement Gap is Academic Supports and Interventions. Providing appropriate academic support is essential to the success of all students. Academic support entails a variety of instructional methods, educational services and school resources that help accelerate student learning.

Dr. Lacey presents at the Committee Forum.

The Prince William NAACP Education Committee held its second Closing The Achievement Gap Education Forum on April 28, 2016. The guest speaker, Dr. Renee Lacey, Director of Non-Traditional Education Opportunities for Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) oversees student management and non-traditional education programs for students in grades K-Adult education. The outcome for the forum was to help parents, community members and leaders, and organizations identify resource programs that support academic success for children in PWCS.

Dr. Lacey explained the functions of the support programs provided by PWCS. These programs include:

Adult Education Computer Based Instruction (CBI)

Night School The GED Program

Summer School Virtual High School

Dr. Lacey is also director of the Office of Student Management and Alternative Programs (OSMAP). It is the responsibility of OSMAP hearing officers, as designees of the Superintendent, to conduct long term suspension and expulsion hearings brought forward from schools within the division.

Dr. Lacey’s presentation was outstanding and provided a wealth of information that empowered attendees to be advocates for their children and will help our organization educate more parents and community leaders.

Our goal is to help eliminate the achievement gap. Currently the GAP exists between the performance of White and Asian students and that of Hispanic, Black and other minorities in the subjects of reading, math, and science. The PW NAACP will continue to work with, monitor, and hold accountable Prince William County Public School’s progress in all areas.

Following are some images taken during the forum: (Click image for large view.)

Ms. Sedalia Ledbetter, Chairperson of the Education Committee.

Community participation in the Education Forum

Another audience scene during the Forum.

COMING SOON!

We look forward to seeing you at our next CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP THROUGH FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Forum.

Criminal Justice, Economic Development, General Interest

Criminal Justice was focus in April General Membership Meeting

April 26, 2016 wstackhouse Leave a comment

Following is a message from Karl Brower, President of PW NAACP:

Dear PW NAACP Members and Friends,

The focus for the April General Membership meeting was Criminal Justice. Our discussion included ideas to establish our Criminal Justice Committee to better pursue the Public Safety and Criminal Justice game changer.

There are several efforts the unit should pursue in this regard. First, we need to build relationships with the PWC Bar Association, local law enforcement, and partner organizations (such as Virginia Organizing and Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration) that are working on Criminal Justice advocacy.

Second, we should build on the momentum from the Ban the Box Initiative passed by the PWC Board of Supervisors. This means evaluating the effectiveness of this initiative on county employment of prior felons, expanding the scope of the initiative, and making impacted communities more aware of the new opportunities for employment.

Third, we need to take advantage of the restoration of rights for prior felons by Governor McAuliffe. This means using the rolls of returning citizens and getting them to register to vote. In Prince William County there are 10,400 citizens that have returned from our prisons without voting rights. They still pay taxes, but until the executive order was signed by Governor McAuliffe, they did not have the right to register to vote. This has changed and we need to take advantage of it.

Please review this White House Economic Impact of Criminal Justice Forum. I’ts about 1.5 hours long, but it is very informative. I am not sure that I have gotten more out of 1.5 hours of information (ever!).

After watching this information, we should have at least 20 people who are ready to step up and support the Criminal Justice Committee, so that we can pursue the Public Safety and Criminal Justice game changer. If you are not doing anything to support the PW NAACP activities, this is an excellent opportunity- that will impact individual lives, communities, and the entire county. Please do not ignore this call to service.

Karl F Brower

President, PW NAACP

Empowered through Unity

Economic Development, General Interest

Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce (NVBCC) event

April 24, 2016 wstackhouse Leave a comment

You are encouraged to attend an event sponsored by the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce (NVBCC) on the 17th of May from 7:00-9:00 PM at the Waterford in Springfield. Maggie Anderson, author of Our Black Year, is the keynote speaker, and this discussion will be relevant to ongoing efforts to promote Economic Sustainability. Click here to view a video by Ms. Anderson. The cost for the event is $30. To register for the event please click here.

A robust NVBCC is a vital partner to the PW NAACP as we seek to develop a more robust African American economy that enables us to bring about greater equality within PWC.

General Interest

Area LWV Sponsors a Meet Your General Assembly Legislators Session

April 14, 2016 wstackhouse Leave a comment

lwv The Prince William Area League of Women Voters of Virginia is sponsoring a Session where you can meet your General Assembly Legislators and receive a presentation on the Highlights of the 2016 Session in Richmond. The session will be held on Sunday, May 1st, 2:00 to 4:30 PM at the Haymarket/Gainesville Library. Click here for a flyer with details on the session and list of the legislators who will be in attendance.

General Interest

Youth Council Presents an Information Session

April 7, 2016 wstackhouse Leave a comment

The Prince William County NAACP Youth Council presents an Information Session. Interested Middle and High School Students, and their parents, are invited to attend on Saturday, April 23, 2016 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Dale City Recreation Center 14300 Minnieville Road Dale City, Virginia 22193. Lunch will be provided. Click here for a flyer you can use to alert friends and associates of this event.

Contact Michael Artson at mikeartson@yahoo.com to Register by April 16, 2016.

Criminal Justice, General Interest, Political Action

NAACP President Cornell Brooks National Press | Video | C-SPAN.org

March 23, 2016 wstackhouse Leave a comment

Cornell Brooks, national president of the NAACP, delivers remarks at a National Press Club luncheon. Topics include the 2016 presidential election, criminal justice reform, and planned protests in Flint, Michigan, following the city’s water contamination crisis. Click the link below to see the full story.

Source: NAACP President Cornell Brooks National Press | Video | C-SPAN.org