Jackson, MS - On Friday, the Mississippi Association of Educators will award Southern Echo, Inc. the MAE Human and Civil Rights Award in Educational Service for its time-honored commitment to empowering African Americans by working to eliminate racial disparities, bolster economic development and close the educational achievement gap in Mississippi. The annual award is presented to non-profit organizations and community groups, outside the education profession, that contribute to the “improvement of relations within the public school community for persons within their local community or area.” Southern Echo will accept the award during the annual MAE Human and Civil Rights Scholarship Award Banquet this Friday.

This occasion marks the second time this week Southern Echo is being recognized for its outstanding leadership and commitment to improving education for African Americans in Mississippi. On Tuesday, President Obama’s White House selected Southern Echo’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Joyce Parker, as a “Champion of Change” for her commitment to educational excellence for African Americans. The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future Initiative that recognizes outstanding Americans committed to empowering their communities through grassroots efforts.

Joyce Parker is Chair of the Board of Directors of Southern Echo, Inc and is the founder and Director of Concerned Citizens for a Better Greenville, a grassroots organizing group in the largest city in the Mississippi Delta. Her work has focused on public education and civic engagement and the organization actively involves young people together with older people in the training process and the organizing work.

“We here at Southern Echo are grateful for the honors,” said Chairwoman Parker. “We hope the recognitions allow us to continue doing grassroots work that empowers our communities and inspire others to join us in reshaping better institutions for our children to grow and learn.”
Southern Echo is a leadership development, education and training organization working to develop effective accountable grassroots leadership in the African-American communities in rural Mississippi and the surrounding region.

Recently, MS student , Southern Echo Inc. Board Member, and organizer at Nollie Jenkins Family Center, Kamiesha Smith shared her thoughts on poverty and how policy decisions affect the lives of the poor with a panel including Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives; Dr. Cornel West, democratic intellectual and professor at Union Theological Seminary; and Jonathan Kozol, a public education expert and author, among others. The panel, “Vision for a New America: A Future Without Poverty,” demanded a major policy address on poverty, and asked President Obama to do more – much more – to reduce poverty in America.

“What more has to happen?” Mr. Smiley said. “How many more people have to die or fall through the cracks?”

During the live-broadcast event, discussions ranged from changes to health care, the education system and safety net programs to how the fiscal cliff deal and upcoming debt-ceiling bill have affected and will affect the nation’s poor. A common theme ran through the discussions: The nation’s leaders aren’t doing enough, and income inequality continues to plague the country, with the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer.

“Politics has neglected the poor,” Dr. Sachs said, calling the state of poverty in this nation a “calamitous situation” in which the underclass “no longer has a helping hand.”

Mr. Kozol emphasized that “the only avenue of exit for the poorest children in this country … is to give them absolutely terrific, exciting, beautiful, spectacular and expensive public education – and to fund it not simply at the high level as the richest suburbs, but at a higher level because those children need it more.”

Ms. Smith emphasized similar points. She shared, “that a quality education is the best path out of poverty.” She discussed her desire to work hard to continue to help lift the voices of other young people in Mississippi and across the county in the struggle to achieve a quality education for all students.

The event was broadcast live last week from Washington, DC. It is being rebroadcast this week on PBS. For more information on the rebroadcast, please check your local listings.

Southern Echo, Inc. is now accepting applications for our small grants program for mature grassroots community-based organizations engaged in community organizing work.

The primary purpose of this program is to strengthen low-income communities and neighborhoods by investing in the development of local leaders through the community organizing process.

Grants of up to $20,000 (note that the average grant size is $15,000.00) are awarded, supported by training and technical assistance, to strengthen community organizing groups and help them to connect to networks and coalitions.

Click HERE to access the cover sheet for the grant application. Click HERE to access the application and guidelines.

Southern Echo, Inc. is now accepting applications for our small grants program for mature grassroots community-based organizations engaged in community organizing work.

The primary purpose of this program is to strengthen low-income communities and neighborhoods by investing in the development of local leaders through the community organizing process.

Grants of up to $20,000 (note that the average grant size is $15,000.00) are awarded, supported by training and technical assistance, to strengthen community organizing groups and help them to connect to networks and coalitions.

Click HERE to access the cover sheet for the grant application. Click HERE to access the application and guidelines.

All applications must be postmarked by May 22, 2012.