Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

Movie: From The Rough

From the Rough, starring Academy Award nominees Taraji P. Henson and Michael Clarke Duncan and Tom Felton, is the inspirational true story of Catana Starks from historically black university Tennessee State, who became the first African-American woman ever to coach an all-men’s team at the collegiate level. Through grit and determination, she overcame incredible odds and deep-seated prejudice from all corners to guide a rag-tag group of golfers to an all-time record championship season.

The Best Man Holiday Scholarship

TMCF in partnership with NBCUniversal and JET magazine in conjunction with the upcoming film “THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY” will offer financial assistance to five (5) outstanding college students. Selected recipients of THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY Scholarship will receive a scholarship of $1,760 in the Spring 2014 school semester for financial assistance towards their education. Students must meet the following minimum criteria to apply for the award:

Requirements:

Student currently enrolled full time at an accredited United States college or university

Current grade point average of 3.0 or higher

Be a citizen of the United States

Applicants must also submit the following documents for consideration:

Resume (include community service, leadership and employment/internship experience)

College Transcript (unofficial or official accepted)

Essay: in a minimum of 350 words, please address the following:

Describe a reunion moment with your friends or family that could be a scene from a movie.

Document formats accepted: PDF OR MS Word

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

Submission Deadline: Tuesday, October 15, 2013

APPLY NOW

Note: Winners will be notified by November 1, 2013 and officially announced in the November Edition of Jet Magazine that will be on the stands November 4, 2013.

Source:  http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.net/scholarships/the-best-man-holiday-scholarship

Shonda Rhimes: Scandal, Private Practice

The driving creative force behind one of the most successful television medical dramas since ER, tireless multi-hyphenate Shonda Rhimes worked for years as a feature-film screenwriter before bringing Grey's Anatomy to the small screen in 2005. Of course, writing comes easy for the lifelong storyteller who was tape-recording stories for her parents to transcribe before she even learned to spell, yet entering into the world of show business proved a formidable task for the artist who wasn't used to the idea of dealing with network executives.

It was Rhimes' screenplay for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge that earned actress Halle Berry her first Emmy, and after the success of the Britney Spears road movie Crossroads and the well-received Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, it seemed that the emerging talent had a successful career writing features in her future. Yet all of that would change when Rhimes adopted a newborn child back in 2002. In the months after adopting the child, Rhimes found herself largely housebound and rediscovering her love of television. Realizing that she was just as capable of creating a successful weekly series as she was a stand-alone feature, the ambitious writer created a show concerning a group of sexy young war correspondents. As fate would have it, however, the war in Iraq would prompt Touchstone to cancel the series before it even went before the cameras, yet rumors persisted that the studio was searching for a quality medical drama. It didn't take long for the University Park, IL, native to grasp the inherent drama of being a medical intern, and in 2005, Grey's Anatomy debuted to critical and popular acclaim. It seemed that the writer who had once been accepted to USC on the prestigious Gary Rosenberg Writing Fellowship had finally arrived, and that, despite some hard times getting there, Rhimes had finally hit her stride as a writer, while showing impressive growth as a producer as well.

With Grey's Anatomy still maintaining an impressive fan base three years after its debut, Rhimes continued telling the story of popular character Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh) in the spin-off series Private Practice in fall 2007. - Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Source: http://www.aoltv.com/celebs/shonda-rhimes/2042554/biography

Hidden Colors 2: The Triumph Of Melanin

Hidden Colors 2 is the follow up to the critically acclaimed 2011 documentary about the untold history of people of African and aboriginal descent. This installment of Hidden Colors goes into topics such as: .The global African presence * The science of melanin * The truth about the prison industrial complex * How thriving black economic communities were undermined in America * The hidden truth about Native Americans * And much more

Meet Rochelle Ballantyne, One Of The Chess Experts In Brooklyn Castle

Last Tuesday night we found ourselves in a small room with about 35 other people at the SoHo House—there was an open bar, a table filled with the finest cheeses, and Jon Hamm was sitting down to play some chess with teenagers that would undoubtedly beat him game after game. We had all just watched Brooklyn Castle in one of the screening rooms, thanks to Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt, who decided to host the little shindig after they saw the documentary. They are not, as they mentioned that night, "social media people"... so without Facebook or Twitter, this is how they decided to help spread the word.
The couple introduced the film, with Hamm noting that his love of it comes partially from his former career as a teacher. But even those who have never stood in front of a blackboard will be enamored with the documentary. Brooklyn Castle gives you a look inside I.S. 318 as well as the world of chess, all through the eyes of the school's team. You will witness their journey—as a team and as individuals—to become champions, masters, and grandmasters of the game, but you'll also see from inside of the school what battling a dwindling budget is like.
The documentary opens tomorrow at the Landmark Sunshine and Lincoln Center's Elinor Bunin Theater, and the film's stars will be holding court across from the Sunshine for their own little ChessFest—be sure to drop by (details here). Below, meet Rochelle Ballantyne, one of film's stars, and well on her way to becoming the first African-American female grandmaster in the history of chess. (Tomorrow we'll have another interview, with the documentary's director Katie Dellamaggiore.)

What has changed in your life since you were filming this documentary? Nothing really has changed since the film except my age, haha. School still comes first but I'm more committed to chess since I entered high school. I want to achieve my goal so bad and one thing Brooklyn Castle depicts is that if you work hard and you're devoted then anything is possible.
When did you start playing chess, and what got you interested? I started playing chess in the third grade when my grandmother first introduced me to the game. I'm very competitive so I think that's what attracted me more to chess, and of course traveling across the country was definitely a perk.

What is the first thing you would tell someone who doesn't know how to play chess, but wants to learn how? The one thing I would tell a person who wants to learn how to play is to Never Give Up. Chess requires a lot and it's not easy but it's an amazing game that opens so many doors if you just stick with it, it"ll be very beneficial, I promise.
Do you have a favorite place in NYC to play chess? I love playing chess in general. I can't really pick a specific place because you get the same thing out of every tournament, I guess it just depends on my performance.

Have you been enjoying the attention the film, and your story, has been getting? I'm not really the kind of girl that enjoys the spotlight, I have stage fright... BUT I do love the movie and I'm really happy Katie was able to depict such inspirational stories on camera. It's motivational and the more people that see it the more help schools across the country can help get funded. It's important that kids get the opportunity to accomplish all that me, Pobo, Alexis, Justus and Patrick have accomplished. So watch the movie, help these schools, we're the children of the future—no one deserves the money more than these kids.
What's next for you? Hmm, what's next for me? College, naturally. Hopefully I've broken master level by that time. Those are the things I'm sure of.

Source: http://gothamist.com/2012/10/18/meet_rochelle_ballantyne_one_of_the.php

42: The True Story Of An American Legend

www.42movie.com

Sparkle

Sparkle is an upcoming American musical film directed by Salim Akil and produced by Stage 6 Films, set for release on August 17, 2012 release by TriStar Pictures. Inspired by The Supremes, Sparkle is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, which centered on three singing teenage sisters from Harlem who form a girl group in the late 1950s. The remake takes place in Detroit, Michigan in the 1960s during the Motown era.

The film stars Jordin Sparks, Derek Luke, Whitney Houston, Mike Epps, Cee Lo Green, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, Tamela Mannand Omari Hardwick. Sparkle features songs from the original film written by soul musician Curtis Mayfield as well as new compositions by R&B artist R. Kelly. This film will be the debut of R&B/pop singer and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks as an actress. Sparkle also marks Whitney Houston's fifth and final feature film role; she died on February 11, 2012, three months after filming ended. The film will be dedicated to her memory.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkle_(2012_film)

The Pact The Movie

A gritty, provocative true-life story of three friends from the 'hood, Rameck Hunt, Sampson Davis, and George Jenkins, who made a pact in high school to find a way to go to college and then medical school. They not only accomplished this, but they're now spreading the word to inspire other inner-city kids to stay off of drugs, out of gangs and to take the educational route to a better life. THE PACT captures the pathos of the men's individual journeys, the integrity of their voices and the power of their rare friendship. Their stories affirm the values that ultimately sustained and drove them: courage,tenacity, and faith. And they give tribute to the life of the mind and its power to turn dreams into reality.

Source: http://www.thepactthemovie.com

Good Deeds

A successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) has always done what's expected of him, whether it's assuming the helm of his father's company, tolerating his brother's misbehavior at the office or planning to marry his beautiful but restless fiancee, Natalie (Gabrielle Union). But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he meets Lindsey (Thandie Newton), a down-on-her-luck single mother who works as a cleaning person in his office building. Outspoken, impulsive and proud- and also recently evicted- Lindsey struggles to make ends meet for herself and her young daughter. But when Wesley offers to help her get back on her feet, his innocent good deed ignites and unexpected attraction- and suddenly Wesley finds himself caught between the life he thought he wanted and the powerful desires of his heart….

A moving, uplifting romantic drama about relationships and the defining choices we make in our lives, 'Tyler Perry's Good Deeds' is written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry, and stars Perry, Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, Beverly Johnson, with Phylicia Rashad, and Gabrielle Union.

Source: http://tylerperry.com/movies/good-deeds/

Good Deeds:Great Needs

Sometimes one good deed can change your world forever. Want to change the world. Start below?

Tyler Perry’s GOOD DEEDS is very happy to announce Good Deeds:Great Needs, an initiative to support Covenant House.

Through GiftCardGiver.com, Good Deeds:Great Needs will be collecting unused gift cards and donating all collected to Covenant House.

In addition, Lionsgate will be making a financial donation to Covenant House each time the Good Deeds:Great Needs video is shared! So make sure to watch and share the video!

To learn more and share Good Deeds:Great Needs, click here.

Mr. Perry has been a long-time supporter of the work of Covenant House, including a gift to help renovate the Covenant House Georgia crisis center and the purchase of a new outreach van to support street outreach efforts.

“Tyler Perry continues to be a real champion for our kids,” said Kevin Ryan, President of Covenant House. “He is a star who believes in giving back, and because of that belief he is helping so many homeless kids find new hope and new futures. We are very grateful for his partnership and to Lionsgate for supporting our kids.”

Tyler Perry's GOOD DEEDS opens in theaters everywhere on February 24, 2012. The film stars Tyler Perry, Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, and Beverly Johnson with Phylicia Rashad and Gabrielle Union.

   

To learn more, visit Gift Card Giver.

Source: http://www.covenanthouse.org/news/archive/02-10-2012/tyler-perry-and-lionsgate-combine-good-deed-covenant-house

Hidden Colors 2

"Hidden Colors 2" is the follow up film to the critically acclaimed Hidden Colors: The Untold History Of People Of Aboriginal,Moor,and African Descent.

For this installment of the Hidden Colors series,we are going around the country interviewing leading scholars and historians discussing topics that have been omitted from modern history books. We also touch on many issues that face people of color that are rarely discussed openly. Hidden Colors 2 will talk about things such as:

*The origins of the Olmec and Mayans
*The truth about the prison industrial complex
*The economic warfare against aboriginal people
*Untold American history
*Secret medical practices against people of color

And much more.

This documentary will also touch on many of the reasons why much of this information has been hidden from the public for so long.This film will be of interest to everyone,regardless of race or ethnic background,because the rich history of the people discussed is world history. And world history is all of our history.

The money raised through Kickstarter will be used for travel expenses for the film crew to film interviews in multiple cities. The money will also be used to create special effects & titles, as well as for the process of combining all of these elements: rendering, compositing, sound design and editing. There are also hardware and software that we need in order to create everything at high resolution so that the finished film will be able to screen theatrically.

Also,a lot of the money will be used for media promotions for the theatrical release of the film.

Our minimum funding goal is $30,000,but our ideal goal is between $100,000-$500,000,because the Hidden Colors series has proved to be an influential brand critically,and academically.

Don't forget to help spread the word and share this project on facebook with all your friends. And go to www.hiddencolorsfilm.com for updates.

Donate: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/6688684/hidden-colors-2

BlackFlix.com

Blackflix.com was started as an African American alternative to the standard fare of movie reviews and web sites that impersonally and consistently overlook the contributions of Black stars, film makers, directors, writers and other Black film professionals.

Through the committed effort of the company's leaders (two award winning writers and editors) Laurence Washington and Jim Stevens, Blackflix.com has become a respected part of the entertainment community.

At Blackflix.com the vision is simple: to continue developing the best, black themed movie web site on the internet. While we do cover other entertainment information, our primary focus is on film and the black movie industry.

Source: http://www.blackflix.com

Red Tails

1944. As the war in Europe continues to take its toll on Allied forces, the Pentagon brass has no recourse but to consider unorthodox options - including the untried and untested African-American pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home, they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies to fight for their country - and the fate of the free world.

Official Movie Web Site: http://www.redtails2012.com

Release Date: January 20th, 2012

Red Tails: The Red Tail Squadron

Like thousands of other Americans in 1940 and 1941, the young black men who would become known as the Tuskegee Airmen were full of patriotic zeal during the run-up to the country’s involvement in World War II. What set them apart was that they wanted to fight the enemy from the air as pilots. Many applied to U.S. Army Air Corps flight training programs, but all were rejected because of the color of their skin.

In 1941, under pressure from political groups and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Army Air Corps reversed its position on accepting black flight program applicants. However, the brass was not fully committed to this change so they set up the “Tuskegee Experiment.” The black pilot cadets would train at a segregated base in Tuskegee, Alabama. Flight support personnel would train at Chanute Air Base in Rantoul, Illinois, but would also be segregated.

It was called an “experiment” because the initiative was expected to fail. The Army’s decisions about blacks in its ranks were still influenced by a 1925 Army War College report called The Use of Negro Manpower in War. The 67-page report was full of cruel generalizations about the behavior of black men during wartime and the black race in general. It even went so far as to state that black men are “very low in the scale of human evolution.” The black cadets were determined to create a record of excellence during their training and future war service to make the “experiment” work.

The first class of 13 cadets began training in 1942. Five young men made it through the entire program, earning their wings in March 1943. One of those was Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., a 1936 West Point graduate who had endured four years of “shunning” by his white classmates who only spoke to him when required to for class or military training. Davis’ father, General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., was the only black line officer in the U.S. Army at that time. Davis, Jr. would soon join him as the second black line officer as he moved through the ranks as a leader of the Tuskegee-trained pilots. He would become the U.S. Air Force’s first black general.

In all, 996 men earned their wings at Tuskegee. 450 of them would be sent to fight and fly in North African and Europe as fighter pilots. The others were trained as bomber pilots, but the war ended before they could be deployed to the Pacific theater. Of those who fought, 66 gave their lives and 32 became prisoners of war.

Source: http://www.redtail.org/

The Film: Sing Your Song - Harry Belafonte

Sing Your Song is the result of a confluence of many events, things as diverse as the passing of Marlon Brando, a look back at the lives of many other unsung heroes in the fight for justice as well as the faithful love (and gentle nagging) of two daughters. Like Brando, there are many public figures who are not known, primarily, for their activism, their compassion and their dedication to human rights. Harry Belafonte is one of them:

“Cecilia, the daughter of another silent warrior, my friend Gregory Peck, had just completed a documentary on her father’s remarkable life. Coincidental to this, was the tugging by my daughter, Gina, to document my own journey. For many years I had resisted prodding by several who felt that I should both write and film my story. The idea as an end in itself seemed too self-serving. But I was awakened to the possibilities of making such a commitment by revealing the stories that could be told of and by all those with whom I shared an unending quest for justice.”

Sing Your Song is an up close look at a great American, Harry Belafonte. A patriot to the last and a champion for worldwide human rights, Belafonte is one of the truly heroic cultural and political figures of the past 60 years. Told from Harry’s point of view, the film charts his life from a boy born in New York and raised in Jamaica, who returns to Harlem in his early teens where he discovers the American Negro Theater and the magic of performing.

From there the film follows Belafonte’s rise from the jazz and folk clubs of Greenwich Village and Harlem to his emergence as a star. However, even as a superstar, the life of a black man in 1960s America was far from easy and Belafonte was confronted with the same Jim Crow laws and prejudices that every other black man, woman and child in America was facing.

Among other things, the film presents a brief look at the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of an insider, someone who despite his high profile, wasn’t afraid to spend time in the trenches.

From Harlem to Mississippi to Africa and South Central Los Angeles, Sing Your Song takes us on a journey through Harry Belafonte’s life, work and most of all, his conscience, as it inspires us all to action!

Source: http://singyoursongthemovie.com

TV: HBO EAST Monday, November 7, 2011 - 4:30 PM 

                                                      

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story - the Movie

A frustrated young boy with problems in school overcomes the obstacles in his life to become a world-renowned neurosurgeon in the new TNT Original movie GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY. This uplifting and inspirational JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION® stars Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and two-time NAACP Image Award winner Kimberly Elise (The Great Debaters, The Manchurian Candidate). It is based on the true story of Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, whose lifelong journey led him to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, a best-selling author and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The movie premieres Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on TNT.

For more info, visit:
www.blackvoices.com/gifted-hands

About Dr. Ben Carson
http://www.tnt.tv/stories/story/?oid=44661

About Carson Scholars
http://www.carsonscholars.org/

Something the Lord Made: Vivien T. Thomas, L.L.D.

Vivien T. Thomas, L.L.D.

Supervisor of Surgical Research Laboratories1910 - 1985

Portrait of Vivien T. Thomas by Bob Gee, Oil on Canvas, 1969

Vivien T. Thomas was a key player in pioneering the anastomosis of the subclavian artery to the pulmonary artery.The surgical work he performed with Alfred Blalock paved the way for the successful outcome of the Blalock-Taussig shunt.

In January 1930, Vivien Thomas, a young African-American who was forced for lack of funds to leave his first year of college, came to work for Blalock in his laboratory. At that point Blalock's increasing obligations were cutting into the time he could spend in the laboratory and he needed a surgical assistant. A more fortunate choice could not have been made. Vivien Thomas learned to perform the surgical operations and chemical determinations needed for their experiments, to calculate the results, and to keep precise records; he remained an invaluable associate throughout Blalock's career.

Blalock and Thomas worked closely in the surgical laboratories. Thomas was a major contributor in the development of operative techniques. He and Blalock also collaborated on the design of surgical equipment. Shown here is a clamp for the temporary occlusion of the pulmonary artery, which was devised for Blalock's use by Vivien Thomas and William Longmire, working with the local surgical supply house Murray Baumgartner & Co.

Thomas supervised the surgical laboratories at Hopkins for over 35 years, and in 1976 he was appointed instructor in surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 1979, upon his retirement, he became instructor emeritus of surgery. Vivien Thomas's achievements were widely recognized by his colleagues. In 1976, he was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Laws, by the Johns Hopkins University.
Photographer unidentified

Thomas with Helen Taussig, and Steven Muller, President of The Johns Hopkins University at graduation ceremonies in 1976, during which Thomas was honored.

Source: http://www.medicalarchives.jhmi.edu/vthomas.htm

Charity: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/stlm/vtfund.html

The Pursuit of Happyness: Chris Gardner

Born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Christopher Gardner never knew his father. He lived with his mother, Bettye Jean Gardner, whom he adored, and, when necessary, in foster homes. Despite a life of hardship and emotional scarring, his mother provided him with strong "spiritual genetics" and taught him some of the greatest lessons of his life, which he follows to this day.

She convinced him that in spite of where he came from, he could attain whatever goals he set for himself by saying, "If you want to, one day you could make a million dollars." Gardner believed this to be fact, and knew he would have to find a career he could be passionate about, and one that would allow him to "be world-class at something."

Though hard working and tenacious, a series of circumstances in the early 1980’s left him homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Though unwilling to give up Chris, Jr. or his dream of financial independence, and without connections or a college degree, he still somehow earned a spot in a stockbroker training program. Often spending his nights in a church shelter or the bathroom at a train station in Oakland, Gardner ended up the sole trainee offered a job at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1981.

Today, he’s the CEO of Christopher Gardner International Holdings, a company he founded with offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The amazing story of his life was published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, and is the inspiration for the new movie of the same name starring Will Smith.

Having surmounted acute obstacles on his road to success, Gardner is an avid motivational speaker, addressing the keys to self-empowerment, beating odds, and breaking cycles. He is also a passionate philanthropist committed to many charitable organizations. He has two children and resides in Chicago and New York. Here, he reflects on the film about his life.

Source: http://aalbc.com/reviews/chris_gardner.htm

Lean On Me: Joe Clark

Many bemoan the American public school classroom as a place where young people cannot learn, where drugs are more prevalent than textbooks, where violence and vandalism make corridors look like war zones. For a myriad of reasons, the sad fact that many American public schools are waging a losing battle to complete their mission of training future generations to lead America.
In September 1982, during the first day of class at Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, a student was stabbed. In 1983, things would be different. The school's new principal, Joe Clark, would be the reason why.

A former Army drill instructor, Joe Clark sees education as a mission. He worked while attending high school to support his mother and siblings. He then went on to get his B.A. from William Paterson College and a Master's Degree from Seton Hall University. The feisty and polsyllabic-speaker Clark was made for the helm of Eastside High. After two years of his leadership, the formerly raucous institution was declared a model school by New Jersey's governor. Clark himself was named one of the nation's ten "Principals of Leadership" in 1986.

Clark thwarts those who believe that the learning process is disrupted by tough discipline. Instead of offering sympathy, Clark held high expectations for students, challenging them to develop habits for success and confronting them when they failed to perform. On a single day during his first week at Eastside, Clark expelled 300 students for fighting, vandalism, drug possession, profanity or abusing teachers. He explains, "If there is no discipline, there is anarchy. Good citizenship demands attention to responsibilities as well as rights."

Clark won acclaim for his achievements in a Time cover story, two 60 minutes profiles, ad appearances on television news and talk shows, all over the world. President Reagan named him a model educator and offered him a White House post as policy advisor (Clark turned him down.) Clark was the subject of the Warner Brothers film, "Lean On Me", starring two-time Oscar nominee Morgan Freeman as Joe Clark. After seven years as principal of Eastside High, he resigned in 1990 and began speaking on the country's lecture circuit. He is a nominee for the National Association of Campus activities 1996 Speaker of the Year Award.

He began his latest crusade in August 1995, when he was appointed director of Essex County Detention House, a juvenile Detention center in Newark, N.J. He says he accepted this challenging position because he is committed to Newark, where he grew up. " I will stay until I have brought about the change, " Clark says. "I can't think of anything more noble."

Through his book Laying Down The Law, his speeches, and his activities as director of Essex County Detention Center -- Clark shares his strategies and success stories with teachers, school boards, parents, businessmen and students. His message is one of pride in self. He believes that "every day, pride in self and school must be reinforced. Every day, the value of academics must be demonstrated." And every day, Joe Clark demonstrates, through his own shining example, how commitment to youth can make America's future leaders better citizens and better people.

Source: http://www.joeclarkspeaker.com/biography.htm