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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2017)
January 11, 2017 The Skanner Page 9 Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Black History Calendar Serves as Fundraising Vehicle for Historically Black Colleges and Universities By The Educational Network Y ou’ll never know where you’re go- ing, unless you first know where you’ve been. So, make 2017 your year of self- pride and timeless knowledge with The Educational Network’s “Our History Today! An African-American Journey” Black history calendar and resource guide. In addition to fea- turing hundreds of key facts highlighting the contributions and ac- complishments of nota- ble history-makers, this collector’s edition fea- tures full-page profiles of 13 prominent Afri- can-American trailblaz- ers in politics, education, sports, business, media and film/television; as well as a farewell picto- rial tribute to President Barack Obama. The calendar serves as a national fundrais- ing vehicle for Histori- cally Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), showcases 12 such insti- tutions, and lists nearly $1 million in available scholarships. Since its inception in 2006, the calendar has raised more than $400,000 for HB- CUs. “Across the nation, there’s been a decline in high school graduation rates – especially, among African-American males – which may correlate to the lack of positive, ac- complished role models and knowledge of black history,” said Tracey Alston, founder of The Educational Network. “Understanding that our youth will never know where they’re go- ing until they first know where they’ve been, our 2017 black history calendar celebrates the amazing contributions – past and present – that our people have made to numerous industries beyond sports and mu- sic, the nation and the world.” In conjunction with the calendar, The Education- al Network has also de- veloped an online lesson plan system for teaching Black History and Mul- ticultural Studies to stu- dents, grades K-12. The Common Core-aligned program is currently be- ing used by teachers in several school districts across the nation. FREDDIE ALLEN/AMG/NNPA Curator and Researcher Mary Elliott Shares Insight into New Black History Museum Mary Elliott, curator and museum specialist for the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, pauses next to a slave cabin exhibit during a recent media tour. By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor) T he new Smithsonian National Museum of Afri- can-American History and Culture contains an exhibit that features slave cabins, one that cura- tor and museum specialist Mary Elliott called powerful. Almost as powerful, however, is Elliott’s recounting of the vital input and assistance by one local citizen who inspired many seniors and others to participate in the new museum. “To get all the stories together about the slave cab- ins, we brought in the help of a genealogist and we used our local research here and reached out to the community,” Elliott said. “And, when we were dis- mantling the cabin, the community came out and it See MUSEUM on page 12 The “Our Histo- ry,Today! An Afri- can-American Jour- ney” calendar is available for purchase at select Walgreens stores nationwide and www.BlackHistoryH- BCU.com. For more infor- mation, please con- tact The Educational Network at (312) 470- 0270.
