"Power Up:
Express Yourself, Respect Yourself"
Program
From Prevail-Respect Executive
Director Gloria Robinson:
Our mission, to promote the interconnectedness between people,
families and the larger community, positions us to address many of
the issues affecting our community. We do this through programming
and partnerships. Our upcoming conference will give the community an
opportunity to consider, discuss and learn to participate in
solution building. We recognize that many of the issues affecting
our community are symptoms of larger problems.
I was struck by an article I read recently on the invasiveness of
crime. "Deadly Business: Violence Roils Black Funeral Parlors" by
Gary Fields (2008) addresses the violence that has invaded Black
traditional businesses. The article looks at the attack by a
subculture of Blacks who lack any connection to the value of life
and perpetuate violence against everything Black (such as
institutions, families, individuals, etc.).
According to Field's article, African-Americans, who make up 13% of
the population, have long had a higher homicide rate than other
groups. ...funeral homes used to be the most respected places you
could walk into beside the church," says Jeff Gardner, a co-owner of
A.D. Porter & Sons in Louisville, Ky., and a third-generation
undertaker. "Nobody respects life and the young folks nowadays don't
mind dying." What worries law enforcement, criminologists and
sociologists is that there's no unifying theme to explain today's
increase. Some killings are drug related. Researchers trace others
to a glut of ex-felons re-entering society. Others correlate the
rise in murders to the lack of a proper education.
The disconnect should concern all of us. I hope you will plan to
join us for Power Up, our 2010 conference. Please accept our
invitation to attend and participate.
Gloria