K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

Kind Nurturing Opportunity Winning Loyalty Education Determination God Everlasting


K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

 Flag Football

Dove Park Playground

Overview

06/30/08

 

                      Today was the last day of my first week and I had fun. There were a lot of children today. We had a lot of things to do so I started with exercise. Today we just ran one lap because we were all ready to play. We started off with not that many people so the teams were very small but they got bigger as the time went on. Today the youth played the best game they had ever played. Neither team won the game but they won my heart by playing the best they could. The game was tied 3-3 and every one on each team showed Great Spirit. These are the things that make me happy to be one of the coaches of this team.

 

 

Essic

 

K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

Flag Football

Dove Park Playground

Overview

 

        On June 20th, and 25th, the coaches and the children from all of the surrounding neighborhoods gathered at the Dove Park playground to play a game of flag football.

 

First our coaches pick two youth to be the captains for their team. Then the two that were chosen as captains, began to pick who they want on there teams. After that’s settled the game began. Some of the youth started off a little rough but after a few minutes they got it together. Both teams did an excellent job in sharing and having teamwork. They played hard but everyone had fun in the end.

 

After a while we have a break so that the kids can get refreshments and snacks. Currently we have had 64 youth that comes out and play Flag Football. I truly think we are off to a great start but an even better finish. We are going to have a wonderful season.

 

 

Jessica

The Mt. Pleasant Community Zone Meeting

Murtist Taylor

06/26/08

Overview

 

               Today as usual was none like any other. We went to Murtist Taylor where all these different organizations were there. The majority of the organizations were from the Mt. Pleasant area.  They were all interested in getting people to join their groups. They also were talking about some of the programs they had in their organizations. Then Councilman Zackary Reed of ward 3, commented on how East 144 Street was the worst street in Cleveland. He said that you should just tear the whole street down and redo the whole block. We went to go see how the street looked and it was terrible. I see why he said that and he was correct. They should tear down the whole street and just redo the whole thing. I really wouldn’t blame them.

 

  

                                                                By: Essic Johnson

African American Women

in Civil Rights History

Sponsored by the ACLU

Overview

 

On June 25 2008 I attended a woman in civil rights lecture. At the very beginning, I was a little surprised because I expected the speaker to be African-American however that was not the case however she knew a lot about the subject she was speaking on. During her lecture, I was taken aback by some of the statements that she’d made. For example, she said that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not want to do all that he did. Instead she’d said that Coretta Scott King convinced him to accept his responsibilities. I was also shocked at how the speaker was so convinced that a student would be better off attending a community college for their first two years. The speaker also thought that college credits from any community college would transfer to all major colleges, and I found that hard to believe.

On other terms, I was surprised at the amount of women that participated in the civil rights movement but were not recognized. I was proud that I was able to identify a few of the women such as Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, and a little girl named Ruby Bridges. Listening to this lecture made me want to go out and learn more about the roles that women have played in history.

 Dayna

The CPR Overview

                                                                   06/26/08

 

              Today was one of my favorite days out of my first week of working. We got to take a CPR class. I learned what CPR stands for, CPR stands for Cardio, Pulmonary, and Resuscitation. It’s kind of long but you might need to learn that one day. We learned how to perform CPR on adult, kids and infants. You are only supposed to use this when the person can’t breathe or has passed out from choking. We also learned that you just can’t go up to someone if they are injured you have to go through certain procedure. First check the scene to see how the person got injured. Then you go tap the person and ask them are they alright. Then you tell someone to call 911. After that if they are not breathing then you perform CPR. This is why I had fun on this day. 

 

By: Essic Johnson

 

 

 

The Fourth District Police Meeting

By: Brittany Blanks

       Wednesday June 25, 2008

 

At the meeting on Kinsman there were a lot of issues. A lot of bad things are happing in our neighborhood but some good things are happing to. The police department has a meeting the third Wednesday of every month. We had the opportunity to hear and expressed many of the issues we are faced.

          Commander Roy Rich of the Forth District Police Department was talking about how the people were doing robberies in the neighborhood. For example the Broadway Diner got robbed and the Bp gas station on Fleet Avenue was about to get robbed, but with good police work in both of these cases the suspects was caught.

 

          There also was a detective of the fourth district that started talking about this thing called Court Watch. This is when you could attend a person’s court trial and sit there and listening and better understand the legal proceedings that take place. They were looking for people to come in and want to join the Court Watch program. 

 

The meeting was also about making a difference in the community, so if you had any questions or concerns you could tell the commander the problem. They would come up with an action plan to get the guns off the street and everything.

 

That is what happened in the Fourth District Police Community meeting.

K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

CPR/AED Class

June 2008

Overview

 

On June 26, 2008, I attended a CPR class along with four others. I learned a lot that day, and in the end it led to me being certified in CPR and AED. At first, I thought CPR would be extremely easy, but when we practiced it, it was way harder than it appeared. The easiest way that the instructor taught us was by telling us the CHECK, CALL, and CARE method. We first have to CHECK the area to see if it is safe to approach the person. Once the area had been announced safe, we then must proceed in and CHECK the person to see if they’re okay. If their not conscious, then we assign a specific person to CALL for an ambulance. While the ambulance arrives, we then must CARE for the person by performing CPR and AED if needed.

 

During the CPR class, we learned the different methods to use when dealing with an adult, a child, or an infant. When performing CPR on an infant, you use fingers instead of your hands. Also, when checking to see if the infant is okay you tickle his/her foot. In addition to CPR, we learned what to do in a situation in which someone is choking. We learned the proper way to perform the Heimlich maneuver on an adult, a child and an infant. I found that performing the Heimlich on an infant was the most difficult of all that we’d learned that day. I did perform correctly, but I was nonetheless nervous because an infant is so tiny and fragile. You have to hold his/her head in the correct manner while also supporting the neck. It was tough to do, but it was also possible.

 

Lastly, we learned how to use an Automated External Defibrillator, and AED. I found the process of this very simple- yet important-, and I felt accomplished knowing that I was certified in using one. Overall, I found this CPR class very informative and extremely worthwhile. In two years, I look forward to renewing my certification so that I can stay knowledgeable and informed on CPR and AED.

 

Dayna

The Neighborhood Connections Celebration

 

On June 22nd The Neighborhood Connections Celebration was held at Greenhouse and it was fun. When we first arrived we were greeted by Ms. Lewis. Many groups were there and a majority of them set up their own booth. Representatives form the Cleveland Museum of Art was also there promoting the opening of the gallery for the first time in a few years. There were performers of all kinds and each one was interesting in its own way. There were many different kinds of talent from African dance, to cheerleaders and even martial arts. Many people came to help support the celebration and it was a good event to show the African American culture. Someone was even there making balloons. I had a good time at the Neighborhood Connections Celebration.

                                                                                                                      Ariel Marbury

Ward 2 Ward Club Meeting

 Overview

 

On June 24th, I attended Ward 2 ward club meeting, and I was a bit shocked at how few people were there. When I arrived, I expected the room to be full of people, but I was wrong. At the meeting, everyone presented their old business as well as new business. I was allowed to tell of the tutoring program with KNOWLEDGE Youth Organization. I found the format of the meeting interesting.

 

The best part of the meeting, in my opinion, was when a lady told of how she and her husband had to personally remove prostitutes from off of their street. It takes a lot of courage for someone to try and keep their community clean by themselves. Also, I enjoyed the bravery of Ms. Bell. When she told of how she approached the teens that had been disrupting their community clean- up, I was surprised because it could have been dangerous for her.

 

I like the feeling of being at these kinds of meeting because it makes me feel important and involved. Also, I feel informed when I hear everything that’s going on, and I look forward to hearing more.

Dayna’s

K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

Tutoring Class

First Day

 

Overview

 

            On June 30 2008, we held our first tutoring class here at the Union Miles Development Corporation. Unfortunately, there were only three people present. At the start of the class, I passed out the tutoring applications so that the parents could sign them while they were present. Once all the applications were turned in to me, I gave the students their first assignment. They were each required to take an assessment test so that I could identify some of the things that they knew how to do as well as those things that they did not. I was surprised to see that Richard, my eleven year- old student, received the highest mark. He seemed to be very knowledgeable and eager to learn. He also read very well.

            In addition to the assessment test, I had the students work on a multiplication chart. I found two of the students knew their basic multiplication (all the ones through the nines) when writing it on paper. However, when asked to do a problem in their head (such as 6x4) they couldn’t figure it out. Also, the youngest girl didn’t know any of her multiplication. So, I showed her all the zeroes, ones, and the twos. Then, I gave each student a row of multiplication to study based on the ones they didn’t know. I also gave the students a math worksheet on place value, which they all completed in class.

            Towards the end of the class, I gave the students a story, and we read it aloud in class. I found it interesting listening to the students read. Lastly, the students and I had a mini spelling bee. I quizzed the students aloud on a variety of words to find out what level they were on. I think the students had a good time with the spelling bee even though the young boy said he couldn’t spell very well. Overall, I would say that the first day of tutoring, for age’s seven to eleven, went well.

 

Dayna

Overview of Ward 2 Club Meeting

Earle B. Turner Recreation Center

June 17, 2008

 

 

 At the ward club meeting held at the Earle B. Turner Recreation Center, K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth organization had a lot to say. We had so many past events that we participated in and upcoming events we could have wrote a book!!!! I had read my overview of the trip to Washington D.C. and everybody liked it.

 

          The ward club talked about senior day, in which ward leader Joseph Boysaw said “this Annual Affair for seniors throughout the city was a huge success”. It was a day filled with food, fun for all in attendance

 

          Then K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. had come with the new and old business. The new business was the UMDC is having a big community expo and all welcome to join. There will be a parade walking from Earle B. Turner to John Adams High School.

 

The old business was a nice fellow name Willie Brown, A student at John Adams who keeps a 3.68 grade point average had made it to the finals. His sport is running track and O’ Man that boy could run fast!!!!

         

Ms. Lillie Bell talked about her annual project called June Cleanup. People from the community come together as one and clean up the streets of Cleveland. I am glad to be apart of this community. That was the meeting at Earle B. Turner

 

By: Brittany Blanks

 

                 African American Culture

                           Garden Overview

                                                                     06/21/08

 

 On June 21, I went to the African American Culture Garden for the celebration for June-Tenth. I had lots of fun. It was nice to see everyone get together and have a good time. We ate, played and listened to Dr. Jordan speak on how June-Tenth began. I really don’t know too much about June-Tenth so there is not much I can really say about it, but I can tell you what I learned about it so far. I learned that the slaves were free for longer than a year before they knew anything about it. That was something good for me to think about because that was something I just learned about from my past.  

I wish I could have learned more about it but for now I will just go look it up on the computer.

 

 

                             By: Essic Johnson

Daynas First Day Overview

 

On June 19th, I became a part of K.N.O.W.L.E.DG.E. Youth Organization. My first day, I was asked to perform various tasks. I enjoyed coming because it gave me a feel of what it would be like to perform in a real life office job. Also, I got the feeling of being part of a team because everyone contributed to help get the job done.

            We also had a talk on my first day. I enjoyed this talk because I learned something fro it. It was fun to be able to talk, learn, and work all at the same time. I also appreciated everyone’s positive attitudes. It’s nice to come into an environment in which everyone is courteous and respectful towards each other. Also, I am glad to be a part of a community in which I can contribute to while also being able to take something from it; knowledge, experience, and new friends!

Dayna Lawrence

Foodbank Work Shop

 

On June 17th, 2008 we went to the Foodbank Workshop. It was a fish day and it talked about the different ways that you can make fish. They had some samples of tuna and salmon. At the workshop they had some small games that you could play while you were enjoying the food such as word searches and making your own healthy meal. This work shop taught me a lot about nutritious food and the importance of eating healthy.

            My favorite part of the Foodbank workshop was when the chefs were cooking in front of us. They made a tuna salad and it was really good. This was the first Foodbank meeting that I have attended and there were a lot of people there. From what I could see everyone was having a good time and enjoying themselves. At the end of the workshop there was a raffle. They were giving out gas cards, boxes of tuna, cooking supplies, and cookbooks. I had a good time and I learned something so all in all the Foodbank Workshop was a success.

Ariel Marbury

 

 

 

 

K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Goes to Washington

  Statements from the Members

Citizenship Washington Focus June 8, thru June 14, 2008

Hello, my name is Brittany Blanks and I am apart of KNOWLEDGE Youth Organization as well as the 4-H youth in governance program. On the trip to Washington I enjoyed everything. Even though it was 103 degrees outside, my favorite part was seeing the changing of the guards. It was interesting and even though it was hot I did not complain. I enjoyed the night view of Washington. We went to see 3 presidents’ memorials: Lincoln, Washington, and FDR. They fed us very well, breakfast, lunch, and dinner was good. We had fun when we visited all of the museums. We went to the holocaust museum, the Aero and space museum, and only 5 of us went to the African Arts museum. I learned so much in 3 hours, that I got really excited and I had a thriving drive for learning. At the holocaust museum I learned that people were sent to concentration camps and then they were killed. At the Aero and Space Museum we learned about the solar systems, space shuttles, and airplanes. Lastly, at the Arts of African American museum I learned that almost our entire coco supply comes from Africa, and also depending on how many rings you have around your neck, that’s how high you are in power.

            At Capital Hill we met Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Senator Michael Voinovich, and there was the assistant of Senator Sherrod Brown Mr. William Jawando who could not make it. They all talked to us about their lives and how they grew up living in Cleveland. We also told them about the problems in Cleveland that we are facing. Some examples of what we told them about was the OGT Test, foreclosure, and teen pregnancy. Dennis Kucinich was ecstatic with helping us with our graduation rate. After having a long day of touring we would go back to the 4-H head quarters and play in the game room. In this room you could watch the game, play pool, eat ice cream, play racing games, mingle, and jog around with all the new people you just met. Each of us had our own committees. I was in healthy living. There we planned every event that has to deal with fitness, or moving around. We planned a day called derby day. All of the people would have come together and we had a huge water fight. We played many activities like water balloon dodge ball, state tug of war, we played on the slip and slide, and then we had a huge WATER FIGHT!!!! Buckets, water bottles, and everything was being thrown. We had such a good time.

            On Thursday they had set up for us to see a play and have dinner. The food was really good. We had hot wings, cheesy potatoes, macaroni and cheese, chicken, string beans and much more. While eating dinner we watched the play and it was really good. The play was more like improv and they used some of our names in their acting. We still don’t know who gave our names out but someday we will find out.

            On Friday it was a big day for us. Jessica Perry and I was in the talent show. We danced to “Get me Bodied” by Beyonce and we rocked the stage. After the talent show we went to the dance and we danced our shoes off all night. That night we also had to say our farewells because it was our last night. I had so much fun and met so many nice people. This trip has given me the memory of a life time.

By Brittany Blanks

 

 

 

      The Citizenship Washington Focus program is great. The tours were informational and exciting. I met so many new people while I was there. I saw the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, FDR Memorial, Capitol Building, WW2, Vietnam, and Iwo Jima Memorials. I participated in Bill writing workshops and different committee meetings. We visited Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, and Smithsonian Museums. I participated on derby day in various water and sports activities. It was a fun and joyful experience. What made it better was having a well informed and trained travel guide. Overall it was great and I hope to do it again someday. 

 

                                                                                                Thank you,

                                                                                    Jessica Perry, Ohio

Thursday, May 22, 2008

“FROM VISION TO VICTORY-WE BELIEVE”

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

2008 Spring Community Forum

John Adams High School

Overview of CMSD meeting held at

John Adams High School May 22, 2008

 

Message – Visioning 2008 -09

 

Everyone that was in attendance was broken down into five different Break Sessions;

 

  • Master Facilities Plan
  • PreK-8 Middle School Structures
  • Annual Budget
  • Safety and Security Update
  • Children’s Literacy Activities

 

Our session was;

Safety and Security

 

  • CMSD student enrolment – Declining

 

  • There is possible school closing due to the decline in enrolment but there is no immediate school closing list to date.

 

  • Safety and Security purpose is to maintain a positive comprehensive school environment

 

  • Establish a Bubble of Safety / The focus is to remove the presences of weapons

 

  • Viewing of a short film; UTUBE “Kids Hiding Guns in School

 

  • Over 2000 cameras have being installed in the school district that has being connected to the Cleveland Police Department.

 

  • Metal detectors will be installed in all schools K – 12. 

 

In some area that has being found to have high violent incidents will be equipped with more scanning devices.

 

 

 

 

This year stats show;

·         Serious Incidents - Down

·         Teachers assaulted – Down

·         Drug Interdiction – Up

·         Graduation Rate – Up

·         State Rating – Up

 

50 new officers - 

·         15 Law enforcement

·          bicycle unit

·          K9 unit

 

158 Truancy Tickets given out

 

  • Community service is offered to offset ticket cost

 

Gang Involvement initiative May 28th at Cordell recreation

 

Suggestion; Viewing of the film by youth and parent’s to inform them as to the importance of dress code.

What a Celebration!!!!!

March 1, 2008

 

The etiquette class and ball was a great experience. I learned a lot about American etiquette rules and I realized that my etiquette skills were decent, but not as good as I thought. I also had the chance to meet many successful people including surrounding councilmen’s, judges and even Judge Hatchet from the TV show. They gave good advice on keeping your goals and staying focused. The Union Miles Development Corporation Annual Fundraising Dinner Dance and Ball were phenomenal! When we walked into the ballroom with the tables I felt like I was in some type of movie. The room was so elegant and it was exciting to look at. Everyone there was dressed beautifully in their evening attire. The recipient of the award this year at the Union Miles Development Corporation Annual Fundraising Dinner Dance and Ball was Judge Pianka of the housing court. I have never experienced anything like that before and I would like to thank everyone who made it possible for the K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization to attend the Union Miles Development Corporation Annual Fundraising Dinner Dance and Ball. Special thanks go out to the Executive Director Debra Prater for allowing KNOWLEDGE Youth to attend. I would also like to give a special thanks to Mrs. Harvey for teaching us such wonderful etiquette skills, and also I would like to thank Ms. Kimberly Taylor of “Men With a Purpose” who donated some very elegant gowns for us to wear to the Union Miles Development Corporation Annual Fundraising Dinner Dance and Ball and John’s Towing Company for donating our table. K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. has achieved a lot. Thanks Mrs. Hood for being our mentor and to all that supports our goals in life.

 

Ariel

Poverty / Foreclosure

"Same Thing"

2/26/08

 

On 2/26/08 myself (Ariel Marbury) and Brittany Blanks gave a speech about our views on poverty at Trinity Cathedral. We had about one day to prepare for it and as the time got closer I think we both got a little nervous. When we arrived at the Cathedral we practiced for a little bit and not too long after that the people began to pour in the room. There was a great turn out, and the audience was filled with people from all parts of Cleveland, Cincinnati, Michigan, and even a few people from Wisconsin. There were many speakers; they talked about their life experiences and what they have seen during their lifetime. Some of the stories brought tears to my eyes because those are the stories you hear about on TV but never really see the people face to face. When you hear stories about these things it makes you want to get up and take action. It makes you want to give these presidential candidates a piece of your mind, and tell them to take action and stop giving us these meaningless words. When Brittany and I went up to speak I was so nervous. My palms were sweaty and my heart was racing, that’s how nervous and scared I was when we went up to speak. We began our speech by introducing ourselves and defining poverty. After that we just went with the flow using a rough outline of what we were to cover. All in all the speech went good and our audience was very into the speech. I think Brittany gave it a wonderful touch towards the end when she started to yell and demand to people to listen, know, and understand what is going in the neighborhoods around us and how it affects us as kids. Like we said “Poverty and foreclosure affects adults, but us kids feel the pain too”

Teen Job Fair

 

On February 13, the City of Cleveland’s Union Branch Library witnessed something rare.  Over 400 young adult men and women, ages 14-19, peacefully came prepared with resumes, proper attire and willing attitudes to participate in the Teen Job Fair.  The event was organized by Youth Opportunities Unlimited and hosted by the Cleveland Public Library in collaboration with the K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization.

 

The employment vendors included UPS, Fed EX, the Cleveland Public Library, ITT Technical Institute, and several others.  These companies allowed the young citizens to fill out applications for employment, accepted resumes, and in some cases arranged appointments for interviews.

 

Though the staggering number of teens was nearly overwhelming, the event showed an honest portrayal of inner city children willing to look the part, and come prepared to begin their induction into the workforce of America. Joyce Hood the Executive Director of KN.O.W.L.E.D.G.E, invited the media to embrace this event to see the positive attitudes of the youth participating in this venture. Media coverage from Cleveland TV23 as well as various newspapers from the Cleveland area came out to show their support.

 

Many of the area high school students and their parents were in representation at the Job Fair. The Job Fair was a fine example of focused teens coming together for a common cause.  It further proves that the need for employment among these young adults is vast and that, when given the opportunity, they are willing rise to the occasion and participate in events such as these to fulfill their needs and accomplish their goals.

 

Mr. Ali Boyd, Branch Manager of the Union Branch Library, was presented a plaque from the K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization for his tireless dedication to the youth in our community.  Special thanks go to the Union Branch Library employees for their support and volunteerism.  Thanks for a job well done.

South High School

January 28, 2008

Calvin Terrell Guest Speaker

 

The unity meeting at South High School was not what I thought it would be like. I thought it would be another one of those dull meeting about how the kids in the neighborhood are out of control and need to be punished with more rules and regulations. Surprisingly, this was not the case. There was a speaker there by the name of Calvin Terrell. He spoke about some excellent points. He talked about the root problem being the environment and media. He really emphasized that it’s not always the kids’ fault that they act in a mischievous ways, but it’s his/her situation that puts him into that mind set. For example, let’s say a kid is sleeping in class. Some teachers, without knowing the situation, punish them. The kid could be having trouble at home, maybe the mom is a drunk and always coming in at early hours, or the dad is abusive and the child is scared to sleep at night. What ever the case the child uses school as an escape route to get away from the problem. If you punish the child with out talking to them and getting to the bottom of the problem then nothing has been accomplished because at the end of the day the problem is still there.

            Mr. Terrell also talked about prejudice. He defined prejudice as something deeper than race, but something that is in every second of everyday of our lives. He talked about how it affects us and we don’t even realize it. Things that you hear everyday, people talking about heavy set people, all models are bulimic, and things of that sort all stick in your mind and you carry those thoughts with you. He claims that this is the reason teen violence or any type of intentional violence happens because of prejudice. The only way to get rid of prejudice is to talk to people and discuss the cons of prejudice and what it means.

            In conclusion this was a very inspirational presentation. He talked about getting to the core of the problems in the schools, instead of severe punishment the counselors and/or teachers should listen and work with the students. Prejudice was also discussed as the main reason for problems in our schools, communities, and nation all together.

Kick-off Celebration for

“Men of Tomorrow”

Closing the Achievement Gap Program

John Adams High School

 

On January 22, 2008 Joyce Hood and I attended the kick off for graduation program at John Addams High School.  John Addams High School has the second to last lowest graduation rate for boys. The program was to inform parents and people in the community that those numbers needs to improve. There were many guest speakers who really pushed the idea of the kids staying focused and not getting involved in the gang activity that will only set them back and that they can take on whatever career they want, just work hard and don’t take education for granted. All of the speakers brought up good points and views. There was a huge turn out overall. There were many faces that filled the room. From council persons, to committee people, to staff from both John Addams and neighboring schools, community leaders, organization representatives, pastors, parents and guardians, even students themselves attended that nights festivities. It was a great turn out and some type of program similar to this should be done regularly, even if it’s just tutoring once a week or a mentoring program something should be done so the kids can stay focused. I would like to thank everyone who attended because it shows that you all care and want to make a difference. I would like to thank the guest speakers, “seers’ soul food” for the wonderful dishes, and everyone who made it possible to put on such a great program. Remember you don’t have to be a reflection of where you came from; you can be a reflection of where you want to be so doing give up on yourself or those who need you.

 

Black on Black Crime Inc.

Meeting in East Cleveland.

 

On January 16, 2007 Joyce Hood and I (Ariel Marbury), along with a few other members of the K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E Youth Organization attended a Black on Black Crime Inc. meeting in East Cleveland. The petition and the fundraising were the two items being discussed. I must admit by the end of the meeting there was a lot of progress made.

                        The meeting began with the discussion of the red light cameras in the East Cleveland area. These red light cameras are designed to catch people speeding or running a red light. Accuracy of these cameras is questioned. A person, who shall remain nameless, who is very close to me was caught by one of these cameras supposedly running the light. However, this was not the case. They actually stopped but slid a couple feet on ice. These incidents are understandable and should not be punishable for fines of the sort. Are they designed to just take money or catch reckless drivers? This is a question that lingers in the mind of many residents. Since those cameras have been up 1.7 MILLION DOLLARS has been put in the Mayors general fund. I capitalize this number because it truly amazes me. East Cleveland could make a lot of improvements with this money. Inquisitive minds wonder where this money is actually going and who controls it because it is obvious at this time that it’s not being utilized to help the community. The Black on Black Crime Inc. took action by starting a petition to remove these red light cameras.

                        However, the petition was denied.  The Law Director claimed that the whole ordinance was not attached and also that two residents that signed the petition were questionable. To sign the petition you must be a registered voter, and a resident at the time you sign. The Law Director said that these two individuals did not have all the qualifications to sign. Supposedly this statement made by The Law Director was false. Either way the petition was not recognized because of these faults. The solution to this caused a debate with council and members. Some wanted to just redo the petition and get more signatures. Doing this would be cheaper and easier than the first time because now the petition would only need to include 15 percent of about 2000 because only 2000 people voted in the last election. This would come out to about 300 signatures. They would also make sure everyone who signs is a resident and a registered voter by checking the registry. This way they cannot question the validity of the petition. The other solution would be to just hire a lawyer and fight it. Some of the members thought this would be more convenient and effective. Nonetheless it could also take more time and money than they can spare. After consideration the committee decided to go with the first option, which was to get the 300 signatures and just be more careful whom they let sign the petition.

                        In my opinion if they are going to have these red light cameras they need to fix the cameras so that they are not faulty. The money could be used to help the schools educate the students, hire more police so that crime rates can go down and property values can increase or even help out the people who live on the streets. There are many things this money could be used for but sadly it sits there with the potential to do well but no one realizes it or they are just too selfish to care.

            Now that this issue was settled it was time to discuss the fundraising dinner. There would not be enough time or energy to focus on both issues at one time so they decided to handle the fundraiser and after that get right back to the petition. The first annual DAB is open to all people. It’s on March 29th from 7-11pm. For location and ticket information you can contact the president Ernie Harris at (216)-255-0645

On January 14, 2008, Joyce Hood and a few of the core members of K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. attended the The African American Cultural Garden meeting. At this meeting many things were discussed and a lot of networking took place. It was my first meeting so some things I was able to follow and other things I did not really understand. The meeting started out with a short discussion on the recent movie “The Great Debaters.”  The committee and others seemed to think it was a very inspirational movie with a great message. There was also discussion on the Kwanza Event that the AACG presented.  It was said to be a success over all. There was a pretty nice turn out with about 350 people in attendance. Some things such as decorations being set up on time and the limited amount of volunteers were a problem for some of the committee members. One member also mentioned that the number of people that attend these events should be carefully counted, and that surveys should be given out.

The African American Cultural Garden was also discussed. They are in need of more youth envolvement. The youth would be able to be purchase a membership at a lower cost then the current $15.00 fee. There had to be a motion made because of this. The motion ended up being that children can have a membership and the youngest age allowed to participate would be eight. However, starting at the age of twelve there would be a membership fee of 5 dollars.

Lastly, there were many upcoming events that were discussed. Events such as the Annual Commemorative Program in honor of Dr. martin Luther King Jr. on January 21st at the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library, a college fair at the Union branch of the Cleveland public library on February 21st  and the Flag Raising over City Hall on February 2nd. Overall I would say that the meeting was ok and many things were discussed and decided upon. There didn’t seem to be a lot of organization to the meeting. My motto is the more organized you are the more you can get done.  However, the meeting was productive and I did enjoy this experience.

 

 

 

My point of View,

             Ariel

Gang Ties: The Untold Truths

 

Tuesday, January 8, 2007

7:00pm Trinity Cathedral Commons

2230 Euclid Avenue. Cleveland, Ohio

“Gang Wars,” a 2007 Justice Policy Institute report

 

On January 8, 2008 K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E  Youth organizations Core Team KNOWLEDGE Movement was at Trinity Commons talking about Gangs and Crimes in the United States.

 

The three guess speakers was Shakya Diez, she is the educational committee director of the ACLU. Second was Judith Green, she works with incarcerated women and helped designed the report 2007 Justice Policy Institute report. Lastly, Michael Ruff who represents an organization called E-City and his program teaches young people about entrepreneurship.

 

Judith Green made a point. She said “There are more white gangs than black”, which was shocking to me, because at the schools and in Cleveland, I see more black gangs than white. She also said the focus should be on the guns not gangs.

 

Michael Ruff said he see a whole bunch of youth who is crying out for attention and love. He also said a lot of children he had talked to had a lot of family problems, if your poor you have no voice, no matter if you are black, white, Mexican, or any other nationality. Many people had the opportunity to voice their opinions on the conditions and mindset of the youth in our community.

 

I’m still left with one question. Why can’t the older people stop trying to fix new situations with old resolutions? Perhaps if the adults would allow the youth to become a part of the planning process working together, Old School & New School, perhaps a change would come. That was the meeting at Trinity Commons.                

                                                                   

 Thanks

                                                                    Brittany Blanks 

Earle B. Turner Recreation Center

The Talent Show

 

 December 28, 2007 Earle B. Turner Recreation center had a talent show. Members of KNOWLEDGE headlined the event with their show stopping dance moves. We had many other acts that made us laugh, cheer, clap, and smile proudly. For the show we had the “Lil mama’s, The Beyonce’s, E and J, praise dancers, and   an inspirational speaker. It was exciting and fun. Thanks Erica for allowing us to show off our talents. We can’t wait for the next event.

 

Jessica

~*MY TRIP TO URSULINE COLLEGE*~

 

    During our field trip to Ursuline College Art Museum, I learned that every 14 seconds a child is orphaned because of HIV/Aids. 6,000 children are orphaned everyday. Africans usually don’t live past 37 years old but “us” as African Americans we take that for granted and kill each other young or old, by Africans being born with the disease they are going to die without someone else killing them. In Sri Lanka over 30,000 people were killed when the Tsunami of “2004” destroyed the coastal areas of there homes. I also found out that the life expectancy for a woman in Zimbabwe is 34 years old, and that is reported to be the lowest in the world.  It is also stated that in Zimbabwe alone over one million children have been orphaned by Aids. This museum was designed by a women name Rebekah Chilcote who was eleven years old when she first step foot over there and she loves the wonderful experience of helping the people in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Throughout this trip three stories really touched me the most. The first one was a story of a little girl who had to cook for her family and all they had was rice, but she dropped the rice on an accident and her family had nothing to eat for a whole week. The second one was when an eleven years old girl. Wants to kill herself and be buried with her mother because her mother and father both died in front of her and they buried them under the three next to her grandmother’s house. The last one is the one of a little girl who gives Rebekah two pictures one of her home before it was destroyed by the tsunami and  the other one of her standing all alone in front of wood were her home use to be because her parents died and left her with no home or anything. The most inspiring thing of the whole museum was a poem that goes like “counselor, comforter, keeper, spirit we long to embrace you offer hope when our hearts have hopelessly lost the way on were hopelessly lost way!”   I really did like the field trip and would love to go again.

 

BY: RHEMI WALTON

K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Member

Farm Bill: UPDATE   November 2007

 

Congress continues to work on the 2007 Farm Bill, which will authorize and fund federal nutrition programs. One program in the Nutrition Title of the Farm Bill, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (“TEFAP”), is vital to the Cleveland Food bank, hunger centers from USDA. This program accounts for food available has declined substantially. In the last five years, Ohio has seen its TEFAP distribution drop by more than 5o%- from 30.6 million pounds of food in FY 2002 to 15. Million pounds of food in FY 2007. We are working hard to advocate for increased funding fir TEFAP to offset these decreases in the supply of the USDA food.

 

In late July, the U.S. House of Reprehensive passed its version of the 2007 Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) with TEFAP funding at $250 million per year and annual indexing for inflation. Initial drafts of the Senate Farm Bill in late October indicated that TEFAP may be sending out information on the House version. We’ll be sending out information on the state of the Farm Bill as quickly as we can. In the meantime, stay informed and take action by visiting www.hungeactioncenter.org.

 

Finally, many thanks to the 138 people who signed “Farm Bill Facts” nutrition labels at the Agency Recognition Event on October 18th. We delivered all of these labels to Senator Sherrod Brown’s local office with photos and an explanation of your tremendous outreach on the Farm Bill!

 

If you have any questions, contact, Richelle Kiddler, Advocacy & Public Education Manager, at rkidder@clevelandfoodbank.org or 216-738-2135

JOHN ADAMS SPO MEETING

11/10/07

      At the SPO meeting on Saturday, November 10th at John Adams High School there was a PowerPoint presentation given by a tenth grade science class on biomes.  The presentation was very informative and thorough.  However, it was evident that the children were ill-prepared and seemed to lack the training associated with using PowerPoint.  That’s probably why the teacher ran most of the presentation while the students read off of note cards.  Science is very important in the lives of our children and I applaud the school for pushing the issue, but the biome project was elementary at best.  Most students outside of the Cleveland public school district and even those who attended in the district before the failure of our school system years ago did this exact same project  in middle school, some in elementary.  We can’t blame the children.  The Cleveland public schools are behind.  They lack forward movement in the advancement of curriculum, adequate teaching staff and most importantly faith.  The lack of faith in our children is a growing concern and has a direct effect in the falling graduation rates of our inner city schools.  Security guards and metal detectors can not teach our children.  Until we accept our fault and come up with a solution, all but the geniuses will be left behind.

 

Brandon DeClouet

City Hall Council Meeting

 

            On Monday some of the members of K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization goes to council meetings and learn about new laws, and the good things Cleveland has to offer. This week the councilmen and council members weren’t in, so Joyce Hood showed us around city hall.

            First, we went through the door and Joyce had stared to explain to us what community relation is about. I learned that community relations department job is to resolve deputes among neighbors and residents in different communities and offer them some community services to help build our community. Then, we learned about recreations and what they do.

The recreations department helps with all recreation centers in Cleveland. They also help with the block parties and other big events in Cleveland.

Next, we went upstairs and read all the council members in the different wards. We read them and Joyce told us to turn around, she would say the ward and we had to say the person’s name. I learned that there are 21 council members in all. One council member for each ward. My wards councilman is Robert White III.

After that we had went up to the mayor’s office. Unfortunately the mayor was in a meeting. So the lady taught us about the past mayors. I learned that the first female mayor of Cleveland was Jane Campbell.  I also learned that the first black mayor was Mayor Carl B. Stokes and lastly, the mayor that served the longest term was Michael White. Those are the things that I learned at city hall on Monday, October 15, 2007

                                   

By: Brittany Blanks

Dialogue with the Mayor

 October 16, 2007

            We took pictures with the mayor, and then Councilwoman Nina Turner started to talk about the City of Cleveland and how it’s a good place. Next the mayor started to talk about the neighborhood and the schools, and the security in the schools and the uniform policy. Then this lady stared talking about how her neighbor kept calling the police and commander because her neighbor kept complaining about her dogs. The neighbor claims that the lady shot her dog. Then Brittany Blanks stood up and asked the mayor her question. Then the mayor was saying, why should you be like someone else? I started to write notes about what the mayor was saying to all the people. That was what we did at John F. Kennedy Rec. center.

                                                                        By: Amia Martin

Feeding the Homeless

 

            On Monday, October 15, some of the members of K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth organization went to Second Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church to feed the homeless (hungry). We served about 128 men, women, and children all together. The food they ate consisted of: spaghetti, cheesy potatoes, chicken, hot dog, dressings, dinner rolls and corn bread. For dessert they had apple pie, pound cake, and they had the choice of many different flavor of ice cream. I am very sure that everyone ate well. After we served everyone we ate, and had to clean up when we was finish. The clean up was a team thing. We had to wipe down the tables, sweep the floors, wash the dishes, and push in the chairs.

            Feeding the homeless made me realize that anybody could be homeless. Anything could happen to anyone. I found out the homeless people are not bad they just felt down and it is talking them a little longer to pick them back up. I am very grateful that I do have a place to live and food to eat. That is what I did at Second Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

                                                            By: Brittany Blanks

A member of K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

The “JENA 6 What’s Going On” Dialogue, Thursday, September 27, 2007 was powerful. The energy and the awareness from this connection is something that will continue to take place. A lot of youth participated in the dialogue as well. This allowed the adults to engage in conversation with them about past injustices and how it has affected them today in the justice system. This forum has allowed us to be apart of unity and collaborative thinking with our elders and youth. There is going to be a follow up dialogue. We will inform you as to the next dialogue date and time.  We would like to thank you so much for your support in our endeavors to continue to, “Connect the Dots” in our community. For more information contact Joyce Hood (216)571-4374 or the Union Branch Library a (216)623-7088

 

 "XP FASHION SHOW"

On Saturday September 1, 2007, K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization was able to present the fashion show that Dontez wanted to have.

It was a wonderful experience to see the forfillment of his dreams in his face.As he walked free from harm and nothing but love all around,

this was trully a blessed day.This event was given by the K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E .Youth. It was coordinated by Rhemi Walton a K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. member.

Ms. Walton is 15 years old and attends John Adams High School where she is a tenth grade student. The special material used to

design the outfits were UV protected. Our volunteer Fashion Designers were Tiffany Lane, Jackie Conway, Lillis Stokes, Deltrise Sanford, Kathy Sanford

and Nila Sanford. We were supported by the, Union Miles Development Corporation, Ward 2 Cleveland City Councilman Robert J. White III, Ward 1 Councilwoman

 Nina Turner, CMSD, Cleveland Public Library Union Branch, Cleveland Education Committee, Ward 2, Democratic Ward Club, , BUILD, Wal-Mart's, Walgreens, CVS, Pat Catans, John's Towing, Platinum Cuts, Citgo Gas Station, Marathon Gas Station, D.J. LYNXZ & MORPHEUS Entertainment and many residents.

Comining soon you will see our pictures from that wonderful event on our website.Dontez and The K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization will continue

to raise awareness to this life threatening disorder. Thank you everyone for your support in this endeavor.

 Love,

                      Joyce Hood

                      Executive Director

  K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization 

for more information on Xeroderma Pigmentosom  visit

www.xpfamilysupport.org or xpfamily@sbcglobal.net

www.xps.org

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