Breaking the Cycle of Ignorance, Poverty and Crime - A Marshall Plan for the Public Education of Disadvantaged Youth

The National Black Church Initiative, a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African Americans, is proud to premiere our NBCI Education Initiative in collaboration with Vice Admiral David L. Brewer III entitled Breaking the Cycle of Ignorance, Poverty and Crime - A Marshall Plan for the Public Education of Disadvantaged Youth. Our kick-off event on March 16th, 2011 was extremely successful and we are in the process of soliciting partnerships to strengthen the impact this necessary program.

Our Education Initiative advocates a proven community-based, holistic, full-day, 50 week Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K), starting at two years old to post-secondary college graduation or degreed career technical training model, and a comprehensive prisoner education program. Holistic entails a whole family approach, wherein we also account for all of the adverse socio-economic factors impacting student achievement and family structure. In addition to rigorous, full year academic and enrichment programs, the community must become an integral part of the solution and provide the families with centralized social services, healthcare, parent leadership, education and job training, enhanced community center services, travel, full summer programs, and comprehensive prisoner education and training programs.

The foundation for this model is the 17 year, community-based Tangelo Park Program (TPP) in Orlando Florida, the Sunshine Lady Foundation’s prisoner education program at Sing Sing and San Quentin,
and other well researched and proven programs. These programs have produced some impressive results.

• 100 percent HS graduation (currently); 98% since inception
• Approximately 75% four-year college acceptance rate
• 70% of entering first graders reading at or above the 1st grade level
• 77% college graduation rate for a predominantly low income, African-American student population.

This percentage is higher than the national average of 57% and higher than ALL ethnic groups’ national averages which are currently 42% for African Americans, 67% for Asian Americans, 48% for Hispanics and 60% for Whites.

• Approximately 52% reduction in neighborhood crime.
• Housing values have doubled
• Prisoner education - 196 men have graduated with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree. Of these, 41 have been released from prison with zero returning.

Rev. Anthony Evans, President of NBCI says, “NBCI is immensely proud to present a comprehensive educational approach which addresses the social and academic factors affecting dropout rates among African Americans. We believe that Vice Admiral Brewer’s approach addresses the stubborn obstacles undermining African-American achievement. We believe this is the magic bullet.