In New York City, the Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit organization, has been working to break the cycle of poverty one family at a time. With parenting workshops, a pre-school program, three public charter schools and child-oriented health programs, the organization has helped approximately 17,000 children.

Recently, President Barack Obama’s administration announced it would launch the 20 Promise Neighborhoods program, which hopes to replicate the success of the HCZ in poverty-stricken areas of other U.S. cities.

HOMEWOOD CHILDREN’S VILLAGE—John Wallace gives a presentation during the conference session “Refocus and Reform: Changing Direction in Urban Schools.”

However, for the past two years, John Wallace, Ph.D., a University of Pittsburgh professor, has led an effort to bring HCZ to Pittsburgh. On June 23, the plan moved one step closer to reality when the Pittsburgh Public School District Board voted to add support services to Westinghouse High School, a key component of the Homewood Children’s Village proposal.

Though some were mildly surprised that the RAND report released last month found the One Vision One Life anti-violence program had no measurable effect in decreasing homicides, more were vocally upset with the report’s finding an association between the program and an increase in aggravated assaults.

RICHARD GARLAND One Vision One Life director

One Vision Director Richard Garland was among them.

“I’m working with the most at-risk population that no one else wants to work with. And there are a lot of people, ministers, folks at the county (government), people we’ve helped, who are very angry with the report and with RAND,” said Garland. “I’ll take the hit on the documentation (issues they raised) but not for the rest.”

Rich Carrington jokes that he must have angered someone to have been re-nominated to Pittsburgh’s Citizen Police Review Board when five of his fellow members were not.

“My job is to make sure citizens are represented when it comes to these issues, not the council, not the mayor, but the citizens who can’t speak for themselves,” he said. “My responsibility is to deal with cases as they come before me and be fair to the citizens and the police.”

OUTRAGE—Black Political Empowerment Project Director Tim Stevens questions the motives of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s replacing members of the Citizen Police Review Board at a June 22 meeting.

Carrington said criticizing the board because it has no disciplinary power is shortsighted.

“Have we accomplished much as a board? No, but we have fought every day,” he said. “We have subpoena power. We’ve made unprecedented strides. Sure the police don’t speak when we haul them in, and council tells us to shut up. But more authority isn’t gained three years from now without the work we’ve already done.”

by Gregory Dale

(NNPA)—Amidst the chaos of recovery from BP’s runaway oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, a new face has surfaced; one which does not have a British accent but instead, more visibly reflects the culture that has been severely jeopardized by the unceasing catastrophe BP has been attempting to fix—and he is African-American.

NEW FACE—BP Director of Claims Darryl Willis, the new face on this crisis for the oil giant, talks with reporters in Bayou La Batre, Ala. on June 22.

Darryl Willis, vice president of resources for BP America, volunteered to step into the fray and will serve as the head of the company’s claims team, which collects and responds to claims of monetary damages in connection with the disaster. Willis, a native of Louisiana, is now the public face for BP and appears in a series of commercials for the company.