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Selma, Service, and You

SOURCE:  National & Community Service

Many attribute the 1965 violent attacks on marchers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which became known as “Bloody Sunday,” as a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. The widely reported events of that day changed the minds of many, leading to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a huge step in the quest for a more equitable and just nation.   

As we remember these moments in our country’s history, we are also reminded of President Obama’s remarks at his first inauguration calling us to serve others.

“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.” 

The heroic citizens who marched in Selma 50 years ago and all the others who joined together in the civil rights movement embody that call to service.  They lived up to their duties as citizens and left us with a powerful example that is just as relevant a half century later.

Now it is our turn to step up to make a difference.

Whether it is becoming a mentor, helping veterans, keeping seniors in their homes, or another issue where your talents can be applied, we can all make a difference.

When Women Succeed, the World Succeeds: What They’re Saying About the Let Girls Learn Initiative

SOURCE:  THE WHITE HOUSE / Miranda Houchins

President Obama and the First Lady have teamed up with the Peace Corps to expand access to education for adolescent girls around the world through the Let Girls Learn initiative.

“A good education can lift you from the most humble circumstances into a life you never could have imagined.” 

— First Lady Michelle Obama

70% of the 1 billion people living in extreme poverty are women. Education can change that.

Education is not a privilege, it is a fundamental human right for all. Through a global network of support, the Let Girls Learn initiative will put lasting community-led and community-generated solutions in place for the more than 62 million girls across the globe are not receiving an education. The Peace Corps will be expanding the number of volunteers focused on advancing universal access to education and will continue to break down the barriers to girls’ education in the communities they serve.

The positive effects that an education has not just for girls, but also for their families, communities and countries are boundless. As a global community, we are making progress. While we don’t yet live in a world where every woman has an opportunity to learn, we do have numbers telling us why we need too.

According to data from USAID, one in seven girls is married before her 15th birthday in the developing world. However, girls with a high school level education are up to six times less likely to marry as children compared to girls who have little or no education.

What’s more, an education can save lives. In developing countries, medical complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death among adolescent girls. However, if girls were offered a secondary education, almost 60% of girls under 17 years would not become pregnant in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia.

“We cannot allow challenges to rob generations of young women of their futures.”

— Ambassador Susan Rice

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS & AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP AND RETAIN NEXT-GEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENGINEERS

SOURCE:  Blacknews.com

Washington, DC  — The National Society of Black Engineers, the largest student-governed engineering organization in the country, and the American Society of Civil Engineers announced their renewed strategic partnership in a ceremony on Feb. 24 at the National Academy of Sciences’ Great Hall in Washington, D.C. The organizations’ leaders signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) committing to combine their resources and expertise to increase the retention, representation and development of African-American civil engineers in the U.S. workforce.

“NSBE recognizes that it cannot fulfill its mission without strategic partnerships with the U.S. engineering community,” said NSBE National Chairperson Sossena Wood. “This MOU

Strategic Partnership: Leaders of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) sign a memorandum of understanding, before the Charles Stark Draper Awards Dinner at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. (left to right) ASCE Executive Director Thomas W. Smith III; ASCE President Robert D. Stevens; NSBE National Chair Sossena Wood and NSBE Executive Director Karl W. Reid (Feb. 24, 2015). Photo Courtesy: Blacknews.com

with our first strategic partner, the American Society of Civil Engineers, is another major step toward supporting our members, building our organizations, growing the number of underrepresented engineers and accomplishing much for the U.S. engineering profession.”

“As leading engineering professional societies, ASCE and NSBE are uniquely and strategically positioned to address the U.S. engineering workforce and innovation challenges our nation faces,” said ASCE President Robert D. Stevens, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE. “This MOU represents the collaborative actions ASCE and NSBE are undertaking to attract, develop and retain current and future black civil engineers.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013, African-Americans represented 5.5 percent of the country’s engineering workforce and 5.4 percent of the civil engineering workforce. The statistics also showed that African-Americans represented only 3.4 percent of college students who earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and 3.3 percent of those earning a master’s degree in the same discipline.

Under the terms of the MOU, NSBE and ASCE will offer reciprocal memberships, co-sponsor frequent professional development, continuing education, mentoring and leadership development programming, and promote and support student and local chapter collaborations. The organizations will also engage in large-scale efforts aimed at promoting awareness and interest in engineering careers, such as an upcoming IMAX film and educational project, – DreamBig!