Nonprofit Thursday | The Cleveland Council of Black Colleges Alumni Association; The Gathering Place

The 11^th annual HBCU College Fair will take place a week next weekend, Saturday, November 16, from 8AM until 2PM at the Warrensville Heights High School, 4270 Northfield Road.

Organizers of the fair are hopeful that this year’s fair will be the biggest yet. The Cleveland Council of Black Colleges Alumni Association anticipates more than 40 HBCU schools, educational exhibitors and vendors will participate in the fair. The committee has received online registrations from more than 600 students, parents and educators who plan to take advantage of the many opportunities of the day.

Every high school senior and recent high school graduate who registers for the Fair will have the chance to complete the Common Black College Application for admission at no cost. This common application is accepted at 32 specific HBCUs, some of which will be onsite at the fair. This general college application is presented by EDU, Inc. EDU president Robert Mason says, “Over 97% of the students who have used the services, have been accepted to at least one of the HBCUs that accept the EDU, Inc. application.”

The Fair will feature “Fast Track Workshops” designed to help prepare students for young adulthood. Attendees will have the opportunity to select morning or afternoon sessions and be able to rotate freely among various concurrent workshops along with the college fair. Workshop presenters will be on hand to provide information and resources from scholarships and internships to college visits and financial planning.

Another new feature being introduced this year is the HBCU Experience Showcase. Performances by the Warrensville Hts. High School Marching Band and Cheerleaders, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District All-City Drumline, Firestone Dance & Step Team, the Alpha ESQuires, and the Distinguished Gentlemen of Spoken Word will display the talents of area youth in presentations designed to display the style and flavor of a typical black college campus.

The night before the college fair will see area HBCU graduates gather to celebrate at an “I Love My HBCU – Alumni Mixer & Recognition Celebration.” Lester Holmes, college fair chairman, sees the mixer as “an exciting time to allow HBCU alumni and those who are interested in learning more about HBCUs to meet, exchange ideas and thank the many supporters of the fair, all while we plan to recruit the next generation of students to attend our colleges and universities.”

This Alumni Mixer, a first for Cleveland, will provide an opportunity for alumni and supporters to network and socialize while raising the awareness of HBCUs. The free event will be held at Silks Restaurant and Bar at Thistledown Racino on Friday Nov. 15th at 6:30pm. and includes a complimentary buffet.

To learn more about fair registration, workshops, student showcase, and the HBCU Alumni Mixer visit www.hbcualumnicle.com or call 216-282-4228.

Gathering Place seeking small favor with big payoff

The Gathering Place is asking area citizens to support their campaign to be the Charity of Choice of Southwest General Health Center put together a pink glove video to promote breast cancer awareness and they’ve chosen The Gathering Place to be their Charity of Choice to receive $25,000 if their video receives the most votes. Could you please vote and then send to your colleagues, family and friends to vote.

Use this link to see the video and vote for The Gathering Place. Tomorrow, November 8 is the final day to vote in this contest.

Nonprofit Thursdays: Mental Health & Violence, The Presidents Council Foundation, PolicyBridge, The Gathering Place

TOWN HALL MEETING on Substance Abuse, Mental Health & Violence

We just learned of a Town Hall meeting today on the interrelationship between substance abuse, mental health, and violence.

The meeting is today at the New Life Cathedral, 16200 Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland.

Panelists include William M. Denihan, CEO of the county ADAMHS board [Alcohol, Drug Addition, Mental Health Services]; Helen Hernandez, administrator of Office of National Drug Control Policy; Gary Norton, mayor of East Cleveland; Judge William Dawson, East Cleveland Municipal Court; and a representative of the Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Group.

Fox 8 News anchor Wayne Dawson is the moderator.

The meeting sponsor is the Northern Ohio Recovery Association. Call 216.541.6672 for more information.

Two area nonprofits collaborate to study key issues for local African Americans

The Presidents Council Foundation has joined with PolicyBridge, Cleveland’s think tank for Northeast Ohio public policy issues of particular interest to African Americans, to develop research over the next several years relating to urban education, entrepreneurship and economic development.

A joint committee comprised of board members from both organizations is working on a road map to chart the specifics of this work. We will have more to report on this initiative soon.

Find great buys and support The Gathering Place

The Gathering Place  [see here and here] is having a sale this weekend of furniture, holiday decorations, collectibles, and lots of china and glassware.

The sale is this Saturday, October 26 from 9am to 2pm and Sunday, October 27 from 10am to 1pm.

See photos here. Call 216.595.9546 for more information.

Nonprofit Thursday: The Gathering Place • Black Professionals Assn. Charitable Foundation • Cleveland Tenants Organization •

Cancer in the African American Family

Oftentimes we don’t know what we don’t now. This is especially true of children. It seems that for so many of them — and once upon a time, us — their presumption is that their lives are normal, no matter how golden, bleak, weird, blessed or hexed their surroundings or conditions actually are.

I grew up at a time when cancer was the great unmentionable. No one used the word in polite company, it was taboo in popular magazines, and it did not exist on television. Some people looked upon “The Big C” as disapprovingly as if it were a venereal disease.

Cancer certainly intruded into my home, though it went unacknowledged by my parents whenever I was underfoot. It was discussed in euphemisms delivered in the hushed tones that people still reserve when referencing skeletons in the attic.

Of course such odd silence was at direct counterpoint to what my young eyes saw: trips to the doctor, daily struggles with a shoulder to palm rubber glove that my mother wrestled with daily to control the swelling that resulted from lymph node removal following her double mastectomy when I was a rug crawler. I couldn’t make sense out of what I saw from that low vantage. I just rationalized it as normal.

These thoughts stirred when I learned that The Gathering Place, a true community resource, is hosting a discussion next week on “Cancer in the African American Family”. The ninety-minute guided discussion is designed to help families learn ways to improve how to communicate about our feelings, hopes, fears, and needs while on the cancer journey.

The gathering will take place at TGP’s wonderful eastside facility, located at 23300 Commerce Park in Beachwood, next Thursday, October 24, from 6:30-8PM. There is no charge but advance registration is required for planning purposes. To attend, call 216.595.9546.

TGP’s mission is to support, educate and empower individuals and families touched by cancer through programs and services provided free of charge. When you need them, they are there.

My mother lived until I was 21. I think that might have been one of her goals, since I was the family caboose. She was extremely able, articulate, determined, faithful, generous, and hard working. Today she would be known as a survivor. Had she had the time and energy, she probably would have wanted to be a volunteer at The Gathering Place.

CORRECTION! The Bayard Rustin film screens today, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013.

 

The Greatest will be at The Cleveland Museum of Art this weekend

Of course that’s what CMA enthusiasts insist is true every day at the Cleveland Treasure House, aka The Cleveland Museum of Art. Saying it has

special meaning this weekend, when the new documentary, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, will be shown. Times are Friday at 7PM and Sunday at 1:30PM. Admission is $9 [$7 for seniors, students, and CMA members].

The film chronicles the pivotal years during which the “The Greatest!” converted to Islam, changed his name from Cassius Marcellus Clay, and refused to fight in Vietnam. He was banned from boxing, convicted for his refusal and his case went to the United States Supreme Court.

This week’s showing is a Cleveland premiere. You can view the compelling trailer here.

For more information, including tickets, visit here.

Black Professional of the Year Gala is this Saturday

Few nonprofits in town do an annual gala as, well, professionally, as the Black Professional Association Charitable Foundation. This year’s event, set

for this Saturday, October 19 at the new Cleveland Convention Center, salutes Dr. R. A. Vernon as the Black Professional of the Year.

This year’s general chairs are Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. and Jerry Kelsheimer, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank. The Honorary Co-Chairs are Pamela Marshall Holmes, Valerie McCall, and Myrna Lee Corley.

For more information, call 216.229.7110.

This year’s BPACF Scholarship Class:

Gary Baker, Case Western Reserve University

Paige Bobbitt, Towson University

Lamar Burns Jr., Kent State University

Nicolette Carson, Eastern Michigan University

Kymeron Carter, Berklee College of Music

Damian Cowan, Walsh University

Eric Dowery Jr., Muskingum University

Moses Ford, University of Toledo

Jailyn Greenwood, Eastern Michigan University

Gabriann Harris, Cuyahoga Community College

Stephanie Harris, Miami University

Theo Hike, Central State University

Jaelin Johnson, University of North Carolina

Morelle McCane, Clark-Atlanta University

Elisha-Grae Peoples, University of Toledo

Kevin Pettit, Howard University

Sierra Reid, Cleveland State University

Miranda Richmond, Case Western Reserve University

Anthony Simmons, Morehouse College

Faith Speight, Ohio Dominican University

Shannon Suttles, Butler University

Murder Mystery Theater Company featured at CTO Benefit Dinner

The Cleveland Tenants Organization is hosting its annual benefit dinner next week, October 24, at Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore in the Flats, Cleveland. Dinner and show start at 6:30PM, preceded by a cocktail hour.

The night of ghoulish fun to further CTO’s mission will feature Cleveland’s Murder Mystery Theater Company.

For ticket information visit http://www.clevelandtenants.org.