Videos

Innovation Studio Profile - Black Excellence Group - V1.mp4

Black Excellence Group

Black Excellence Group is a culturally specific service provider who engages young learners in a weekly affinity space while affirming their Black identity. Youth participate in activities that empower them to embrace a confident and positive cultural identity while preserving and sharing cultural heritages and traditions amongst their peers.

Beam vin 3rd draft.mp4

BSTRONG

The Black Scholars Together Reclaiming Our Natural Greatness (BSTRONG) is an extracurricular culturally infused summer program that exposes students to a variety of experiences and activities that increases the self-efficacy needed on their educational pathway via interactive workshops, research projects, volunteer, and civic engagement opportunities. Students gain historical knowledge, cultural values, and community healing artistry that translate to academic excellence and a yearning for lifelong learning.

For more information go to: https://beamvillage.org/

Urban Wings Final.mp4

Urban Wings & Aerospace Leadership Club

Is a supplemental education program for middle school and high school youngsters with the “greatest need.”

With aviation at its core, the program explores the holistic development of young people through hands-on learning strategies using applied mathematics, related STEM activities, and character development with a special focus on the Tuskegee Airmen: their courage, aviation prowess, perseverance, loyalty, education and leadership.

For more information go to: https://urbanwings.club/

REAP

Since 2001, REAP has emerged as one of the stellar youth development program models in the State of Oregon. Commonly known for its ability to engage students and develop their leadership potential, REAP has become an essential resource to many business leaders, educators elected officials, community advocates and parents to ensure students are college and career ready.

For more information go to: https://reapusa.org/

The Piney Woods School

The mission of The Piney Woods School is to provide excellence in education within a Christian community through the creation of an exceptional academic model which supports the tenet that all students can learn, develop a strong work ethic, and lead extraordinary lives through academic achievement and responsible citizenship, but may not have the opportunity to do so for financial or other reasons.

For more information go to: https://pineywoods.org/

Center for Black Excellence

Madison’s need for The Center is clear, and we can only make it a reality if the city’s philanthropic community, business community, and individual donors come together to build this project that will benefit all of us from Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, and beyond. To learn more about the project, download our case statement.

For more information go to: https://www.theblackcenter.org/

The Centers For Black Excellence

MISSION STATEMENT: TO PROMOTE THE UNITY, EDUCATION, AND FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

Bringing Healing. Moving Forward. Together.There are many conversations taking place right now about how Black People are being treated in this country. But, it is also vitally important that we have conversations about how WE are treating EACH OTHER as well. These Panel Discussions are an attempt to do just that. Here are a few of our past discussions. And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our future discussions!

Hannah L Drake

Hannah L Drake is a blogger, activist, public speaker, poet, and author of 11 books. She writes commentary on politics, feminism, and race and her work has been featured online at Cosmopolitan, The Bitter Southerner, The Lily, Harper’s Bazaar and Revolt TV. In 2019 during Super Bowl Sunday,Hannah’s poem, "All You Had To Do Was Play The Game, Boy," which addresses the protest by Colin Kaepernick, was shared by film writer, producer and director Ava DuVernay, and then shared by Kaepernick. The poem has been viewed more than two million times.

To see more of her videos go to her twitter:

Twitter

For more information go to: http://www.hannahldrake.com/home.html

Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center

Video 1: Pre-COVID on October 12, 2019, the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center opened its doors after literally generations of demands. In 1968, members of the Black Student Union protested and asked for programs dedicated to their distinct needs. In 2015, members of the Black Student Task Force’s list of demands included a cultural center. In 2017, a formal proposal and fundraising were initiated, following a lead gift from Nancy and Dave Petrone. The Black Cultural Center is open to all students and undergraduate senior Isaiah Allen is your tour guide today.

For more information go to: https://dos.uoregon.edu/bcc

Video 2: In honor and in celebration of Black History Month, Chief Civil Rights Officer and Title IX Coordinator Nicole Commissiong leads a Roundtable discussion among fellow Black faculty members, staff, and students surrounding the Black experience and community at the University of Oregon.

Shine

Hannah L Drake is a blogger, activist, public speaker, poet, and author of 11 books. She writes commentary on politics, feminism, and race and her work has been featured online at Cosmopolitan, The Bitter Southerner, The Lily, Harper’s Bazaar and Revolt TV. In 2019 during Super Bowl Sunday,Hannah’s poem, "All You Had To Do Was Play The Game, Boy," which addresses the protest by Colin Kaepernick, was shared by film writer, producer and director Ava DuVernay, and then shared by Kaepernick. The poem has been viewed more than two million times.

For more information go to: http://www.hannahldrake.com/home.html

Black Menswear

Black Menswear tells the true story of the Black man through content development, a talent agency, and event curations.

For more information go to: https://blackmenswear.com/

Black and Forth

Black and Forth is a campus with a bold and daring mission to use shipping containers to create an affordable commercial space for Black women, Black men and for business.

For more information go to: https://www.thespicesuite.com/

Black Parent Initiative

Since 2006, BPI’s mission has been to educate and mobilize the parents and caregivers of African, African American and African American Multi-cultural children to ensure they achieve success.

Today, BPI is the only culturally-specific, community-based, non-profit organization in Oregon focused solely on supporting Black/African American families with children 0-10 in the State of Oregon. The majority of our families are from low to moderate-income communities and have complex issues that we address with expertise, compassion and love.

For more information go to: https://www.thebpi.org/

Shining Star Waldorf School

Shining Star Waldorf School provides an environment conducive to the development of free human beings, capable of imparting purpose and direction to their lives. We strive to educate the heart and hands, in addition to the head, in a developmentally sensitive manner. We work consciously in our dedicated effort to create an accessible Waldorf education that prepares children for today’s world.

Our community is strong and founded on the principles of collaboration and community involvement. As a smaller school we offer a rich and varied curriculum with a small number of faculty and smaller infrastructure with plenty of parental involvement. We reinvent ourselves each year with new members of our community and new children who enroll.

For more information go to: https://shiningstarwaldorf.org/

Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI)

Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) was established in 1981, by Tony Hopson, Sr., a lifelong North Portland resident and community leader. It began as a one-week summer basketball camp aimed at providing a positive alternative for African American teens living in an area of Portland that was leaving them behind.

By 1989, SEI had grown into a year-round program providing academic support and comprehensive wraparound services for African American students and their families. In 1997, SEI opened the Center for Self Enhancement, which continues to serve as a safe haven for thousands of children and is the hub of SEI’s work. SEI has remained a pillar in the North Portland community and continues to expand its programs to provide youth and families with a continuum of services.

Today, SEI is a comprehensive, one-stop resource for youth and families, primarily African Americans and others living in poverty or seeking culturally responsive services. It is also one of the city’s leading multi-service organizations, providing thousands of youth, families, and adults with a wide array of education and social services on an annual basis. SEI’s strength is in its ability to meet the complex needs of the children and families it serves, including helping people to overcome cultural, educational and economic barriers.

For more information go to: https://www.selfenhancement.org/

World Arts Foundation

World Arts Foundation Inc. celebrates and preserves African-American contributions in American culture. Founded in 1978, our work integrates the arts and education to inspire culture-building among community leaders, artists, educators, activists, and youth. We are stewards of a multicultural archive which documents our community's legacy in Portland's Albina District. Our programs and community events highlight Albina's cultural heritage for future generations.

For more information go to: https://www.worldartsfoundation.org/

Albina Vision Trust

The Albina Vision Trust (AVT) was created to steward the vision for the future of lower Albina and achieved non-profit status in 2017. AVT seeks innovative solutions with a focus on building partnerships. As a nonprofit organization, AVT is positioned to link private interests and public priorities with community values.

The core values guiding the vision for lower Albina are:

• Honor what was, what happened, and what could be

• Heal ourselves and our communities

• Reconnect to the river

• Build a place to live, work, and play

• Integrate arts in the process and product

• Be intentionally remarkable

For more information go to: https://albinavision.org/about/

Nothing But Quality

Thank you for coming to visit Nothing But Quality. With the grace of God, there is only good news here… Well, most of the time. But always there is the truth and a link to our rich culture, heritage, and traditions. Always pointing toward “education,” in its various forms, as the salvation of free people, and the expression of hope in progress.

While you are here, don’t forget to look at the “pages and posts” that convey what we are learning and what we are offering for your personal and professional development.

With an indelible commitment to children and community, you will discover recent insights as well as reliable ancient wisdom. Most of all, you’ll experience “a good story, well told.”

For more information go to: https://nothingbutquality.com/

Jefferson Aquaponics

Students from Jefferson High School have spent the summer of 2022 building an aquaponics farm and learning about how to grow food within the unit. The unit is now operating and will provide massive amounts of produce for the low-income communities surrounding the high school.

For more information go to: http://www.hopscotchfoundation.com/about

Kairos PDX

KairosPDX was established on the belief that every child is uniquely capable, innately curious, and inherently creative. KairosPDX cultivates and illuminates the next generation of diverse leaders to build a better future for all.

Our approach of dismantling structural racism to create lasting change includes policy advocacy, non-discriminatory training, and professional development services. We provide hands-on learning through our flagship school and serve our community via partnerships and family engagement programs.

Through culturally-competent teaching, intentional interaction, and exposure to diverse role models, we help break down fear and build empathy. We teach our children through our actions and our voices to reject stereotypes and above all, to see the humanity in one another.

KairosPDX is transforming education by catalyzing change and proving that a positive, loving, and secure community can prepare students for optimal learning and compassionate leadership.

For more information go to: https://kairospdx.org/