A fraternity enlists four universities' help in boosting youths' skills, self esteem and high school graduation rate.
By Associated Press
Published July 7, 2005
TALLAHASSEE - Leaders of Omega Psi Phi fraternity said Wednesday they are turning to four historically black colleges in Florida to boost a program to encourage more black males to stay in school.
They are selling a summer program for at-risk high school students, to help them develop lifetime skills, build their self esteem and remain in school.
"We'll give them the opportunity now or it'll be in the Department of Corrections (prison)," said Randy Nelson, 38, a criminology doctorate. "Who cares more about our community than us? No one."
Of more than 270,000 Florida university students, only 5 percent are black males, while 48 percent of Florida prison inmates are black.
"This is a fight we cannot lose," said state Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville. Hill claimed that just 38 percent of black males graduate from high school or earn an equivalency degree in Florida's public schools.
"The end game here is to connect the dots and then to follow up and find out who's responsible and who's manning the store as it relates to African-American males matriculating through our public school system and going onto college," Hill said.
State Department of Education spokeswoman Melanie Etters said records from 2003-04 showed 52 percent of black high school students either graduate or earn a GED. She said black males have the lowest graduation rate of any ethnic group in Florida public schools.
The four meetings are scheduled July 25 at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, July 27 at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, July 28 at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville and July 29-30 at Florida A&M in Tallahassee.
