Dads Pad Radio

Fatherhood is driving a hugely diverse conversation. Heather Mac Donald Heather Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. She is a recipient of the 2005 Bradley Prize. Mac Donald’s work at City Journal has covered a range of topics, including higher education, immigration, policing, homelessness and homeless advocacy, criminal-justice reform, and race relations. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and The New Criterion. Mac Donald's newest book, The War on Cops (2016), warns that raced-based attacks on the criminal-justice system, from the White House on down, are eroding the authority of law and putting lives at risk. https://www.city-journal.org/contributor/heather-mac-donald_122

Friday, May 8th, 7pm Lisa (Lisa Lee) Counts Queen of Hip Hop Member of Zulu Nation, Soul Sonic Force & US Girls "History of Girls in Hip-Hop" Lisa Lee Counts, better known as Zulu Queen Lisa Lee is a founding member of the Zulu Nation. In addition to being a founding member of the SoulSonic Force and Cosmic Force, Zulu Queen Lisa Lee was also featured in the seminal hip-hop films "Beat Street" and "Wild Style." Zulu Queen Lisa Lee currently resides in Virginia. Topics include: comparing New York hip-hop with Virginia hip-hop; women in hip-hop; contemporary hip-hop.

Thursday, May 7th, 7pm Dr. Jawanza Kunjunfu "Raising Black Girls" Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is an educational consultant with African American Images. He is constantly on the lecture circuit with over 30 different workshops, addressing students, parents, teachers, churches and community residents. He is he author of more than 37 books, to include “Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys,” “Hip Hop Street Curriculum: Keeping It Real,” The Black College Survival Guide; just to name a few.

Wednesday, May 6th, 7pm Cassandra Mack CEO of Strategies for Empowered Living "Girl Power: What Makes a Black Girl Rock?" Cassandra Mack, MSW is the founder and President of Strategies for Empowered Living Inc. a New York based personal development company that offers educational workshops, coaching programs, consultation services and products designed to help people succeed in life and grow.

April 20th, 2015; 7pm Princess Best Founder, Princess Best Speaks & R.O.Y.A.L. Voices Topic: Intergenerational Conversations about Girls Princess Best is a multi-faceted artist who has dedicated her many talents to advocating for the enhancement leadership, health and communication of young girls and women, She is the founder of Princess Best Speaks (PBS) and R.O.Y.A.L. Voices (Readying Our Young Aspiring Leaders.  Best's platform and programming focus on expanding the leadership capacity of the feminine voice of color through hip-hop theater, storytelling and public speaking. Her highly engaging presentations speak to the physical, mental and spiritual wellness of women and girls.  Her interactive techniques cultivate an environment and spirit of sisterhood that ignites cross-generational and cross-cultural dialogue.  

Toni Blackman CEO & Founder at Rhyme like a Girl and artist/writer/educator Topic: "Hip Hop and Today's Girls" Toni is an international champion of hip-hop culture. An award-winning artist, her steadfast work and commitment to hip-hop led the U.S. Department of State to select her to work as the first ever hip-hop artist to work as an American Cultural Specialist. This multi-talented woman has been listed in ESSENCE Magazine’s listing of “30 Women to Watch.”

April 6th, 7pm Rachel Vassel; Author "Daughters of Men: The Importance of Fatherhood and Girls" Rachel Vassel is the author of the award-winning book "Daughters of Men: Portraits of African American Women and their Fathers," a moving collection of beautiful photographs and inspirational essays about the role fathers play in the lives of successful Black women. From Beyonce Knowles to Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice, Leah Ward Sears, many African American women attribute much of their success to a positive father figure.  Join Us for this Enlighten and Inspirational Conversation

Monday, March 30th, 7pm Meshelle "Indie Mom of Comedy” Comedienne/Award Winning Playwright/Author/ "When Love Hurts: Making Your Pain Your Foot Stool" Often times we find ourselves in situations where love hurts. It paralyzes us into believing that a better life can't be obtained. Our girls love and they love hard. Understanding how to overcome hurt is important for their self-esteem. Join us for this critical discussion.

Special Guest: Nisa Muhammad Co-founder of Black Marriage Day and CEO of Wedded Bliss Foundation  Is A Knight in Shining Amour and a fairy tale wedding still a realistic goal for our daughters? This show will address love, dating and marriage for our girls. Nisa's organization helps teens, singles and couples develop healthy relationships and healthy marriages to improve their lives, better the outcomes for children and create stronger communities.  

Dr. Jeff Gardere is America’s Psychologist Dr. Jeff is one of the most widely sought-after experts in the field of mental health. In addition to having a private practice in Manhattan, he has garnered a reputation as being a top motivational and keynote speaker, empowerment and media coach. He was also an instrumental voice in Fathers Incorporated's documentary "Spitin Anger"

Dr. Janet Taylor is a community Pyschiatrist in New York City, the Bronx and Queens. She is a frequently invited speaker on the subjects of Minority Health, Stress Management, Parenting and Work-Life Balance

Pennie Murray is an accomplished corporate executive trainer and speaker, with a list of pretty impressive achievements. She fulfilled a childhood dream by serving as a law enforcement officer, owned a successful retail business, was a radio talk show host on a major radio station.  If you’re tired of being in the shadow of guilt and shame; if you’re fed up of letting fear manipulate your quality of life; if you’ve had enough of the constant noise of self-doubt; if you realize that you’ve spent most of your life waiting for others to affirm you, I’m going to challenge you to join the GMSP Community. Let’s grow together. I guarantee you’ll realize, as I did, Giving Myself Permission is more than a book title – it’s a lifestyle.

Roosevelt Mitchell III, M.Ed. was born and raised with a disability exactly like Kayden. He is also the author of "Diary of a Disability Scholar." Today Roosevelt is a Doctoral Candidate, Public Speaker, Disability Advocate,Elementary Special Education Teacher for the St. Louis Public School District and President of the RMIII Foundation, a foundation that focuses on normalizing disability in mainstream society. For more information visit http://disabilityscholar.com

Follow up information to the National Save our Sons Night on February 6th.

Ronald B. Mincy, PhD, is the Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social Work Practice at the Columbia University School of Social Work and Director of the Center for Research on Fathers, Children and Family Well-Being (CRFCFW). Failing Our Fathers summarizes the most recent quantitative and qualitative research, and undertakes new analyses to fill in important gaps, to produce a comprehensive picture of who these fathers are, what types of relationships they have with their families and children, and the challenges they face meeting what their loved ones and taxpayers expect from them. The great majority of these men see their children on a regular basis, despite the financial, legal, and extra-legal barriers they face. Besides requiring fathers to support their children, we must enable them to do so by supplementing their earnings and supporting their co-parenting, in ways that parallel how we require and enable vulnerable single mothers to support their children. The book lays out specific reforms required to achieve this goal as well as tips for those resources for economically vulnerable nonresident fathers.

With the recent events around the country involving black boys and men, we thought it was time to show a different kind of protest. One that reveals the engaging and active relationships between Fathers and Sons in all of our communities. Friday, February 6th will be NATIONAL SAVE OUR SONS NIGHT. On this evening we encourage Fathers to find ways to spend a significant amount of teachable and fun time with their sons.

TONIGHT (7 p.m.) .A Chat with Kenneth Braswell on Ties Never Broken OnAir with host Edward Lawson. Join us for a talk about the making of "Spit'in Anger" The Documentary. You can call in to speak with the host or listen to the show at (347) 884-8731

A motivational word for 2014 by Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt.

In this show we take a look back at 2013. What a year for African Americans. Zimmerman Verdict, Kanye West, Oprah Wifrey, Fatherhood and more.

Dr. Alfonso Wyatt Dr. Alfonso Wyatt, a public theologian, scholar and master orator/storyteller has spent four decades of his life serving as: mentor, counselor, educator, youth program developer, foundation executive, policy advisor, advocate, community organizer, consultant, national leader/role model and now retired elder statesman in the field. Over that same span of time he has proudly and assiduously mentored three generations of present day dynamic leaders in the public, private and faith sectors. Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt is founder of Strategic Destiny LLC: Designing Futures Through Faith and Facts. The mission of Strategic Destiny is to seamlessly and unapologetically blend faith with evidence based learning to transform institutions and the lives of individuals of all ages, struggling to cope with a staggering array of life challenges and systemic problems. Rev. Wyatt, along with his wife of 37 years, Ouida Wyatt, co-published their first book Soul Be Free Poems Prose Prayers. His new book is entitled Mentoring From The Inside Out: Healing Boys, Transforming Men. Rev. is also , the son of two Baptist preachers,and currently an ordained Elder on the staff of The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York. 

It's special guest Cassandra Mack (Strategies For Empowered Living) and Richard L. Taylor (Unashamed Life)

Our guest is Pastor Tre Staton; Pastor of Empire Christian Center

Anton J. Gunn, MSW Director of External Affairs U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Anton J. Gunn is the Director of External Affairs in the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As Director of External Affairs, Mr. Gunn serves as the principal advisor for cultivating and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders for Secretary Sebelius. Mr. Gunn represents the Secretary in direct official dealings with national, state, and local external organizations. What is the Affordable Care Act?Why is it important for those who do not have Health Care?Who is the affordable Care Act meant for?Did the Affordable Care Act take Men's Health into consideration?Why is it important for Men to be concern about health?The sign-in up process?Where can you find additional information?

According to Wikapedia - Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States and also celebrated in the Western African Diaspora in other nations of the Americas. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.[1] Kwanzaa has seven core principles (Nguzo Saba). It was created by Maulana Karenga, and was first celebrated in 1966–67. This week we tackle the question; Is Kwanzaa a Real Holiday? and talked about the components of Kwanzaa with Jessica Smith; the founder and director of Culture Kingdom Kids™, a creative arts company that produces educational children’s programs that celebrate African-American cultures. Since 2010, Culture Kingdom Kids has promoted cultural heritage and awareness values through fun and interactive performances and workshops at schools, festivals, community centers and museums

Anton J. Gunn, MSW Director of External Affairs U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Anton J. Gunn is the Director of External Affairs in the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As Director of External Affairs, Mr. Gunn serves as the principal advisor for cultivating and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders for Secretary Sebelius. Mr. Gunn represents the Secretary in direct official dealings with national, state, and local external organizations. What is the Affordable Care Act?Why is it important for those who do not have Health Care?Who is the affordable Care Act meant for?Did the Affordable Care Act take Men's Health into consideration?Why is it important for Men to be concern about health?The sign-in up process?Where can you find additional information?

Show will explore the perspectives of African Americans and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  Our speical guest is Dr. Raymond Winbush Raymond A. Winbush is the Director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University in Baltimore Maryland.  He is the former Benjamin Hooks Professor of Social Justice at Fisk University and Director of the University’s Race Relations Institute.  He also served as Assistant Provost and Director of the Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt University.  A native of Cleveland Ohio, Dr. Winbush, is a product of public school education, K through 12.  In 1970, he graduated with honors in psychology from Oakwood College in Huntsville Alabama, and during his undergraduate education there, won scholarships to both Harvard and Yale Universities.  After graduation he won a fellowship to the University of Chicago and received both his Masters and Ph.D. in psychology in 1973 and 1976 respectively.

The book’s editor, magazine industry veteran Kenrya Rankin Naasel, was raised by an amazing single dad. Bet on Black: African-American Women Celebrate Fatherhood in the Age of Barack Obama is the book every father should want his daughter to write. Through this collection of thoughtful essays, twenty women wrestle with the much maligned image of the Black dad and shed light on the touching relationships they have with the dynamic fathers in their lives. Inspired by President Barack Obama’s commitment to encouraging and supporting responsible fathers by creating the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative, Bet on Black is a standout among the trove of songs, movies and books about motherhood. Too often in popular culture, Black fathers are either absent or characterized as deadbeat sperm donors who have little regard for the families they leave in their wake. Bet on Black shatters these stereotypes.

My guest is David Miller; CEO of the Urban Leadership Institute and author of "Khalil's Way" The story of a 12 year old boy being bullied at his middle school.

Recently a group of educators, artist, writers, social workers and evironmentalist traveled to Ghana to assist in raising the literacy standards for students and build the professional capacity of over 300 Ghanian teachers.

This is the last show in a series of public educational awareness shows as part of Fathers Incorporated's Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign for October. My co-host is Asia D. Smith; CEO of Purple Reign. Who can view the video series at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL18m34mX7F_UnTXDa32MfDMFglyA7UOQT

My guest this evening is Asia D. Smith of Purple Reign

The transformation from boy into man requires intentional guidance, education, and good role models. As a boy grows toward manhood, his parents can instill in their son the values and character traits needed to succeed in life. Highlighting famous Christian men throughout history and the character trait that made each an outstanding model of manhood, parenting expert Rick Johnson gives moms and dads intentional strategies to help mold their sons into honorable men. Rick Johnson is a bestselling author of That's My Son; That's My Teenage Son; That's My Girl; Better Dads, Stronger Sons; and Becoming Your Spouse's Better Half. He is the founder of Better Dads and is a sought-after speaker at many large parenting and marriage conferences across the United States and Canada. Rick, his wife, Suzanne, and their grown children live in Oregon. To find out more about Rick Johnson, visit www.betterdads.net.

  The transformation from boy into man requires intentional guidance, education, and good role models. As a boy grows toward manhood, his parents can instill in their son the values and character traits needed to succeed in life. Highlighting famous Christian men throughout history and the character trait that made each an outstanding model of manhood, parenting expert Rick Johnson gives moms and dads intentional strategies to help mold their sons into honorable men. Rick Johnson is a bestselling author of That's My Son; That's My Teenage Son; That's My Girl; Better Dads, Stronger Sons; and Becoming Your Spouse's Better Half. He is the founder of Better Dads and is a sought-after speaker at many large parenting and marriage conferences across the United States and Canada. Rick, his wife, Suzanne, and their grown children live in Oregon. To find out more about Rick Johnson, visit www.betterdads.net.

Join us on Friday, September 6th with our guest Richard L. Taylor Jr., author of "Unashamed." Richard is a motivation speaker dedicated to helping people overcome the stuggles and obstacles of their lives.

Communication is the key for any human to relate to another. However, there exists another level of difficulty when there are children involved and parents find themselves in the throws of Baby Mama|Daddy Drama. Scores of books to include “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” by John Grey have encourage a conversation on how men and women are different, thus communicate in very unique and other times misinterpret ways. In this book, John provides a practical and proven way for men and women to communicate better by acknowledging the differences between them. On the show we will address 1) Why is it difficult for men and women to communicated when children are involved, 2) Who is responsible for good communication, 3) solutions to better communications between mothers and fathers and 4) how to get men to talk when it seems hopeless. OUR GUEST: Cassandra Mack, MSW is the founder and President of Strategies for Empowered Living Inc. a New York based personal development company that offers educational workshops, coaching programs, consultation services and products designed to help people succeed in life and grow. For more information visit her on the web at: www.strategiesforemp

Join us on Ties Never Broken-OnAir! on August 26th at 7pm as we talk to Andrea Butler; Editor-in-Chief of SEIS Magazine. The magazine focuses on creating positive messages for black teen girls. http://sesimag.com  Andréa Butler is an entrepreneurial writer, editor, publisher, and public speaker who focuses on creating positive messages for black teen girls. Prior to launching Sesi magazine, Andréa worked as a high school English teacher for five years; currently she also holds a position as an associate editor at LivingSocial. Her friends call her Ms. Correcto, as she crafts witty, compelling, informative content on the regular and slays errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation with a passion. She also enjoys sharing her knowledge of how to launch an independent magazine by conducting hands-on workshops for groups looking to delve into the wondrous world of self-publication.  

Understanding and Overcoming Depression Our Special Guest: TERRIE WILLIAMS Terrie Williams is the author of “Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting”.  It tells the untold story of depression among African-Americans as well as Terrie’s tale of her own chronic and crippling depression—a revealing narrative she shared in the June 2005 issue of ESSENCE magazine. Dr. Derek Suite Featured in The New York Times, The Daily News, and Black Enterprise Magazine, Dr. Suite has received widespread recognition for his unique and sensitive approach to mental health that emphasizes the role of one’s culture, dignity, and faith in the healing process. He is the co-founder of Full Circle Health (FCH), an award-winning wholistic practice that has provided state-of-the-art mental healthcare since 1999 to individuals and families living in the urban context. Dr. Suite has considerable expertise in handling matters involving stress, trauma, relationship issues, sexual addictions and faith-based struggles. He also has over 10 years’ experience in working with hard-to-reach adolescents and men of color.  

A candid discussion on RACISM...with two of my favorite people in the world Dr. Jack Conway and David Miller on Ties Never Broken-OnAir! It was brought to my attention that we often have this conversation amongst ourselves as Black Folks; rarely in a civil way with those who don't look or think like us. Well; here it is. 

A lot of conversation is taking place today about the issues of boys. Often times we forget that our girls are facing the same issues. Today we talk about the issue of faith and the need for mentorship opportunities for girls.   Christina Staton is the founder of Christina Staton Ministries and Co-Pastor of Empire Christian Center in Colonie, NY.  Pastor Christina has always carried a great passion for Women's Ministry. In the last 15 years she has worked diligently to create conferences, events and mentorship programs that would inspire and foster spiritual, financial, emotional and intellectual growth within women. Pastor Christina is an energetic and passionate preacher and gifted psalmist. Through revelation knowledge and prophetic worship she creates an atmosphere that brings healing, deliverance, and strength to the body of Christ.  Pastor C. has been called by God to strengthen and encourage believers to strive for both moral and spiritual excellence.  Her heart's desire is to see the church established in absolute truth and empowered to do the work of the ministry. In 2011 Pastor Christina was the recipient of the Empire State Federation of Women's Humanitarian Award for her community and mentorship efforts among women.  This year Pastor C. will add the title "Author" to her list of accomplishments with the release of her first book: Help Me I'm a Woman. Pastor Christina is the happy wife of Tre' Staton (Senior Pastor of Empire Christian Center) and the proud mother of three children, Courtney Renee age 24, Cheron Dexter age 22, and Christian Bernard age 5.  

Rumble, Young Man, Rumble took place in July at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY. The leadership retreat hosted by the Open Society Foundation Campaign for Black Male Achievement serves as a capacity building, innovative idea sharing, think tank of vision and rebooter of the visionary spirit. Leaders from around the country gather in the fields of mentoring, black male acheivement and fatherhood. This show is a highlight of inspirational comments made during the 2 day gathering.

Our guest is Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, an associate professor at Howard University, senior research analyst for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and editor-in-chief of "The Journal of Negro Education." Dubbed a leader "who could conceivably navigate the path to a White House" by the Washington Post, "a modern day Harlem Renaissance writer" by the New African Journal, and "Young Researcher of the Year" by Southern University, Dr. Toldson, according to Howard University's Quest Magazine, is "a much sought-after lecturer and researcher on a number of serious sociological and psychological issues that have implications for African Americans."  In his latest piece written on The Root.com entitled "How Florida's Racist Past Helped Kill Trayvon", Dr. Toldson makes a connection to the state's black history to provide clues to why George Zimmerman confronted the unarmed teen.

The Verdict is in...Not Guilty.    According to a newsletter by the Children's Defense Fund, Black children and teens were 17 times more likely to die from a gun homicide than White children and teens in 2010. Since 1963, 59,265 Black children and teens have been killed by guns -- more than 17 times the recorded lynchings of Black people of all ages in America between 1882 and 1968.   An article by Crystal Wright in The Guardian states, "Startling statistics reveal that between 1980-2008, African-Americans were six times more likely than whites to be victims of gun violence and seven times more likely to kill with guns than whites, according to the Justice Department. African-Americans represent a mere 13% of the US population yet more than 50% of federal prisoners are black. You can claim racial bias in the judicial system, but that doesn't explain all of it.   Why aren't so-called black leaders outraged and marching over therecent shooting rampage in Chicago. During the 4 July holiday weekend, including the Wednesday leading up to it, 62 people were wounded by gun violence in Chicago and 12 others killed. The holiday shooting spree raised Chicago's homicide tally to 200 for the year. Last year about 500 people were killed, and most of those killing and being killed in Chicago are black. According to the Chicago Tribune, "blacks make up about 33% of the city's population, they accounted for nearly 78% of the homicide victims through the first six months of 2012".   Who is setting the value standard for Black Life in America?  

In light of the current circumstances surrounding the Trayvon Martin verdict..We have decided to rebroadcast this show with guest David Miller of the Urban Institute as a pre-cursor to Monday Night's show.

Angela W. Patton, a native of Richmond, Virginia, is Founder and Executive Director of CAMP DIVA. CAMP DIVA was born out of tragedy when a five-year-old named Diva Mstadi Smith-Roane lost her life due to a firearm accident on January 25, 2004. CAMP DIVA, is a fun and educational non-profit program that empowers teen girls 11-17 to prepare themselves in every way for their passage into womanhood.  Patton is also currently fundraising and producing a documentary called “Locked In NOT Locked Out.” It will tell the story of how a group of teen girls started a father-daughter dance (The Date with Dad Dinner & Dance), that ended up being held behind bars (A Dance of Their Own), bringing incarcerated fathers together with their daughters with the goal of strengthening their relationships, and giving the daughters exactly what they asked for…their fathers!  But the story doesn’t end there. What happens when the dance ends…do the relationships continue? Do they get stronger, or do circumstances threaten them?  The wife of a supportive and committed husband, Re (her rock) and the mother of two loving children, Imhotep and Asani (her inspiration), Angela says that nothing would be possible without the support of her family, and practicing 'family first.'  This story of Camp Diva's Daddy Daughter Dance in the Richmond City Jail has gone viral and been told on NBC News, Inside Edition and Ms. Patton as appeared on TedEX in December. She says that "even though

Tray Chaney is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program The Wire as Poot Carr. Chaney began his entertainment career as a dancer at the age of four winning competitions at the Apollo Theater. He appeared in the 2003 music video "My Baby" by rap artist Bow Wow. He later appeared in The Wire BET Promo Shoot commercial in 2006. He has also appeared on America's Most Wanted, playing a fugitive named "Jerry Robinson." He released his self-published book entitled "The Truth You Can't beTray" in January 2007.

The number of children with an incarcerated parent has increased nearly 80% in the past 20 years. Nearly 2.7 million children have a parent in state or federal prison, yet few resources exist to support young children and families coping with this life-changing circumstance. Children need tools to express emotions, while their caregivers need help maintaining routines and establishing age-appropriate communication around incarceration. Providing adults and children with coping strategies and additional emotional resources can help them feel comforted and secure throughout this difficult time. Sesame Street presents released is newest project; Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration, an educational outreach initiative for families with children (ages 3 – 8) who are coping with a parent’s incarceration. Our resources provide talking points and tools to help families manage the changes resulting from this situation and to find comfort in one another. Join our guest Lynn Chwatsky; 

"Social Perceptions of Men and Domestic Violence" with Asia D. Smith; President and CEO of Purple Reign - A New Jersey based Domestic Violence Agency serving both Men and Women with DV circumstances.   Men have long been seen in Domestic Violence circles as the Perpetrator. While statistics will lend that case scenario for the most part true; what is not talked about often is the rising numbers of Men on the victim end of DV. New York Senator Kirsten Gillabrand recently revealed that the largest number of sexual abuse cases in the military are against Men.  This show will that a look at the changing landscape of Domestic Violence.

Black Marriage Day is March 17, 2013 this year so as not to compete with Palm Sunday and Easter.  It’s the 10 year anniversary and we’re so excited.  Our theme is Marriage Changes Things.  More than 300 communities across the country are organizing events to celebrate marriage in the Black community.   There are many things you can do for Black Marriage Day 2013.  Use your own creativity and have an event that represents our community.  We’ve provided templates for flyers, posters, and press releases.  There are facts sheets too on why marriage matters and why we celebrate Black Marriage Day.  Get more info at www.blackmarriageday.com

Valentine's Day afterh Valentine's Day we often find ourselvels along. For years you blame it on the lack of good men and women; they don't understand me and I can make myself happy.  Have you ever considered it might be YOU? Join Cassandra Mack and Joel Austin talk about what could be holding you back this Valentine's Day from being LOVE!

Compassionate, motivated and determined are just three words that describe David C. Miller, a tireless warrior who labors diligently to improve the quality of life for children in the United States and abroad. As Co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer for the Urban Leadership Institute, L.L.C., Miller has built a national reputation as a leader among people who focus on improving the lives of children, youth and families. David is adept at building sustainable relationships with non-profit agencies at the local, state and federal levels and has a knack for securing grants to implement the many innovative programs he devises. David has 20 years of hands-on, practical experience working in various communities throughout the United States and abroad. He is a well-respected, highly sought-after lecturer who combines his gritty experience and intellect to bring about change. David has written or co-authored several publications including “Raising Him Alone: Things Black Women Can Do to Raise Boys to Be Men”; “Mama Used to Say”; “Dare to Be King: What If the Prince Lives? A Survival Workbook for African-American Males”; “Lessons I Learned from My Father: A Collection of Quotes from Men of African Descent”; “Daddy’s Girl”; and “Where’s Mommy & Daddy,” a curriculum for social workers, educators and professionals who work with children of incarcerated parents. David's current book; Khalil's Way, dealing with the issue of bullying amongst boys.

Over the years, domestic violence has been increasingly recognized as a national epidemic. Unfortunately, the significant advances made by the anti-violence movement have stopped short of reforming the unjust ways in which society and the criminal justice system responds to and punishes those responsible for violence. Asia D. Smith - Chief Executive Officer/ Founder brings a unique combination of sharp business acumen and strong commitment to restoring and empowering victims and survivors of domestic violence, abuse, and sexual assault to Purple R.E.I.G.N. Social Services. Known for delivering the highest levels of excellence, Purple R.E.I.G.N. is a 501(c)3 non-profit advocacy agency created by OVERCOMERS dedicated to: empowerment, prevention, intervention, education, and eradicating the vicious cycles of domestic violence and sexual assault.