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HeadStart
BronxTalk | Septmeber 24, 2024
There's an expansion of much-needed Head Start early childhood education programs coming to the Bronx. This week's BronxTalk examines the prospects for those programs with the Executive Director of Grand Street Settlement, Robert Cordero, and the Senior Visiting Fellow, of Bronx Center For Educational Innovation, Dr. Meisha Porter. BronxTalk is hosted by Gary Axelbank.
Rev. Michael Blake believes that with Kamala Harris on the ticket, Democrats have an opportunity to win NC for the first time since 2008- Tik Tok
MSNBC | By Alex Wagner | September 24, 2024
Michael Blake, CEO of KAIROS Democracy Project, on Democracy In This Election Cycle & More
Audible | By Clay Cane | September 13, 2024
Former DNC Chair Michael Blake On Voter Mobilization And What’s At Stake For Black America This Election
News One | By Lauren "Bobby Pen" Williams | September 10, 2024
In an exclusive interview with NewsOne, former DNC Chair and New York Assemblyman Michael Blake discussed the urgency of voter engagement, the evolving Democratic Party, and what’s at stake for Black America as the 2024 election looms. With his insights shaped by years of experience and a focus on Black communities, Blake underscored the critical need for mobilization, especially for young and entrepreneurial-minded voters who benefit from Kamala Harris’ vision for an “Opportunity Economy.”
The People for Kamala Harris
How a women-led movement, born in the devastation of 2016, put Democrats on the brink of making history.
New York Magazine | By Rebecca Traister | September 09, 2024
In August 2020, when Joe Biden was teasing the fact that he was choosing his running mate from a group of Black women, Jotaka Eaddy, formerly of the NAACP, was concerned with what she felt was the media and political Establishments’ racist and sexist treatment of the potential candidates, who included Stacey Abrams, Karen Bass, Susan Rice, Val Demings, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Kamala Harris.
Eaddy placed a call to Minyon Moore, a Democratic National Committee official who, along with Donna Brazile, Leah Daughtry, and Yolanda Caraway, is part of a group of veteran Democratic strategists who call themselves “the Colored Girls.” Moore advised Eaddy to organize other Black women to defend and build support for these candidates.
Rev. Michael Blake Shares the Power of “Black Men for Harris” Campaign
Politics and Color | By Neil Foote | August 29, 2024
New York State Assembly Member Michael Alexander Blake was born and raised in The Bronx, New York and is a son of Jamaican immigrants. His mother is a retired 40 year manufacturer and his late Father was an 1199SEIU maintenance supervisor at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx.
Michael is a third term Assembly Member in the New York State Assembly representing the 79th District in The Bronx, New York. Blake has helped lead the efforts to create the first and only statewide My Brother’s Keeper education program in the country, now totaling more $56 million in three years. Moreover, Blake helped lead the charge to Raise The Age of criminal responsibility so that 16 and 17 year olds are not tried as adults in criminal court, increase funding for New York City public housing, continue to fund Diversity in Medicine medical scholarships and had his signature piece of legislation signed into law for Small, Minority and Women owned Business Enterprises with less than 300 employees who contract with New York state get paid in 15 days instead of 30.
Youth Engagement Top Priority As Democrats Prepare To Galvanize Young Voters Following DNC
NewsOne | By Bilal G. Morris | August 23, 2024
The energy was through the roof this week as Democrats from all over the country rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago.
Even with the high enthusiasm, surrogates for the Harris campaign team and non-partisan organizations like the Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition (YBLOC) stressed the importance of continuing to engage with young voters in ways that directly speak to the issues important to them.
Michael Blake on the Democratic National Convention
Center for American Progress Action | By The Tent Podcast | August 23, 2024
Former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Michael Blake joins the show to talk about the Democratic National Convention and the 2024 presidential race. Daniella and Colin also talk about their favorite moments from the convention and a progressive vision for the future.
'That doesn't make any sense': Republican's J.D. Vance defense shut down on CNN
Raw Story | By Kathleen Culliton | July 30, 2024
A Republican's attempt to defend Sen. J.D. Vance's problematic cat lady comments quickly exasperated a Democrat who shut down his argument with a single question: "How are you going to prosecute a prosecutor?
"That was the question Michael Blake, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, put to former National Republican Senatorial committee aide Liam Donovan on CNN Tuesday morning.
Blake's snappy retort came as Donovan tried to claim Vance, Donald Trump's newly anointed running mate, could recover from his current controversy by coordinating an attack on Harris' prior policy platforms.
Project FREEDOM unveiled to combat controversial project
Afro News | By Stacy M. Brown | July 29, 2024
(NNPA Newswire) – A group of well-known Black Democratic leaders unveiled Project FREEDOM, a fresh strategy to combat Project 2025, a contentious 922-page plan to reform the federal government put forth by a conservative Washington think tank and other political allies.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have repeatedly warned in campaign speeches that if Donald Trump wins a second term, he plans to use the conservative blueprint to exert unprecedented presidential power, eliminate the Department of Education and federal housing assistance, and significantly cut or restrict food stamps and other social welfare programs.Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, calling some of the proposals “seriously extreme,” but its architects helped shape his Republican Party platform.
Project FREEDOM, the organizers said in a virtual news conference, is designed to engage Black voters in four key battleground areas.
In the plan, the group says it aims to mobilize voters of color through town halls, community events, digital campaigns and phone banks in Michigan, North Carolina, Las Vegas, and the Pennsylvania/Tri-State area.
Black leaders unveil Project 2025 counteroffer
The Hill | By Cheyanne Daniels | July 25, 2024
Black leaders are presenting voters with an alternative to Project 2025, the controversial plan prepared by conservative groups to guide the next Republican administration.
Project FREEDOM — orchestrated by Until Freedom, Live Free, MPower Action, Woke Vote and KAIROS Democracy Project (KDP) — will canvass, engage in calls and run pro-democracy digital campaigns to help engage voters of color in the days leading up to the election.
The initiative has four demands: the freedom to live, the freedom to learn, the freedom to vote and the freedom to thrive. The project will target seven states in particular to mobilize communities of color: Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Nevada, Ohio and New York.
Michael Blake, founder and CEO of KDP, said the project targets “the work that has to happen to mobilize our country and our communities.”
Black leaders launch counter to Project 2025 in battleground states
ABC News | By Beatrice Peterson | July 26, 2024
A group of prominent Black Democratic leaders on Thursday unveiled Project FREEDOM, a new plan aimed at countering Project 2025, a controversial 922-page plan to overhaul the federal government led by a conservative Washington think tank and other politically aligned organizations.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly warn in campaign speeches that Donald Trump, if he wins a second term, wants to use the conservative blueprint to exert unprecedented presidential power and to do away with, among other things, the Department of Education and federal housing assistance and to cut or restrict the use of food stamps and other social welfare programs.Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, calling some of the proposals "seriously extreme," but its architects helped shape his Republican Party platform.
Project FREEDOM is designed to engage Black voters in four key battleground areas, the organizers told ABC News.
How Kamala Harris is going about finding a VP pick in just 2 weeks
NBC | By Yamiche Alcindor and Jonathan Allen| July 24, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris has looked at the vetting process from both sides now. But she doesn't have much time to spare.
It was only on Sunday that President Joe Biden abandoned his campaign and effectively handed it to her, leaving two weeks for Democrats to nominate her and a running mate if they hope to beat an Aug. 7 deadline to ensure their ticket appears on ballots in every state. Modern candidates usually have months to decide, as Biden did when he dragged his feet in picking her in 2020, and as Republican nominee Donald Trump did while holding a virtual public pageant this year before putting Sen. JD Vance of Ohio on his ticket.
Harris doesn't have that luxury.
She is winnowing her list quickly — in part because of the compressed timeline and in part because several potential candidates, including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, have taken themselves out of the running. In interviews with more than a half-dozen Democratic insiders, the names of a handful of hopefuls have emerged as leading contenders: Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are also in the mix, these people said.
Black men backing Kamala Harris fuel another fundraising spree
Reid Out | By Ja'han Jones| July 23, 2024
Thousands of Black men joined a virtual conference Monday night to fundraise for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, according to the event's organizers. The massive turnout helped dispel toxic myths about Black men’s willingness to back a woman candidate. The event was hosted by “Win With Black Men,” a collective of organizers modeled after “Win With Black Women,” the activist group that held its own, massive Zoom call to fundraise for Harris on Sunday.
Journalist Roland Martin; activists Michael Blake, Khalil Thompson and Quentin James; and political commentator Bakari Sellers hosted the men's conference. Sellers gave a passionate endorsement of Harris while explaining how she was one of the first people to call him when his baby daughter was very ill.
In various corners of social media, there’s been speculation — fueled by social media chatter and, in part, by conservatives who are hardly authorities on Black voters — that Black men will largely be averse to voting for Harris because she's a Black woman. Similarly offensive suggestions were made about Black men in Georgia’s 2022 gubernatorial election when Stacey Abrams was on the ballot in a rematch against Republican incumbent Brian Kemp, but those speculations never came to fruition.
‘Rocking with Kamala Harris’: Thousands of Black men rally, raise money on video call
AJC | By Ernie Suggs| July 23, 2024
In 2019, one of Bakari Sellers’ twin daughters was born with a rare liver condition in a birth that nearly killed his wife. Sellers, a former South Carolina politician and current CNN political commentator, has told the story before.
But on Monday night on a video call with more than 53,000 Black men, he couldn’t stop the tears from coming down as he recounted how his wife and daughter are now well and about the support he got during that ordeal.
“I will never forget, the first person to call me …,” he said, pausing for 20 seconds to get the words out. ” … was Kamala Harris. I am not sure people understand the pain and suffering that goes along with being a Black man in this country. I am not sure people understand what it means to stand strong in this country. To have your back against the wall. But I am going to stand with her because she stood with me during my darkest moment when I almost lost my daughter. When I had to protect my wife.”
Harris makes first public appearance since Biden dropout, joins Black leaders in praising his legacy
The Grio | By Gerren Keith Gaynor | July 22, 2024
The Grio was on the ground as Vice President Kamala Harris received a warm welcome at the White House on Monday in her first public appearance since announcing her candidacy for president.
It was a rare moment on the South Lawn for Harris, as she alone welcomed thousands of NCAA athletes without President Joe Biden by her side. The president, who dropped out of the 2024 race on Sunday, remained in Delaware as he recovered from COVID-19. Harris did not mention her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination; however, she delivered glowing praise for her boss and potential predecessor.
“Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history,” said Harris. “In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who have served two terms in office.”
Black Democrats, Resisting Calls for Biden to Exit, Insist Harris is Only Alternative
NY Times | By Robert Jimison | July 19, 2024
As President Biden faces mounting calls from within his own party to discontinue his re-election campaign, a group of Black Democrats is working to rally support for him — but also to send a firm message that Vice President Kamala Harris is the sole alternative to lead the ticket if he opts to withdraw.
“What we see as the only pathway for Democrats to win this November, as it currently stands, right, is to support President Biden up until he decides that he may not want to run,” said Quentin James, co-founder of The Collective PAC, which aims to help Black candidates seek elected positions and promotes voter outreach in minority communities.
If Mr. Biden chooses to step aside, he added, “the only option is for Kamala Harris.”
Mr. James has joined forces with a number of influential voices in the Black political community to collect signatures from Black men who say they continue to support Mr. Biden and that efforts to force him out of the race go against the wishes of millions of Democrats who voted for him during the primary.
‘Give me a break’: Black Democrats sound off on Biden press conference and gaffes
The Grio | By Gerren Keith Gaynor | July 12, 2024
Following President Joe Biden’s 50-minute press conference Thursday night, where he fielded a range of questions from the White House press corps on foreign policy and national security concerns, Black Democrats say they’re committed to supporting Biden’s reelection campaign.
“I am all in. I’m riding with Biden no matter what direction he goes, no matter what method he takes. I’m with Joe Biden,” U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a close Biden confidant, told NBC’s “TODAY” show.
Clyburn, credited for saving Biden’s 2020 campaign with a crucial endorsement, defended the president’s gaffes on Thursday when he mistakenly called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “President Putin” and later during the press conference called Vice President Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump.”
The #ClayCaneShow welcomes CEO of Kairos: Democracy Project, Michael Blake
SiriusXM Urban View | By Clay Cane | July 01, 2024
Trump’s debate references to ‘Black jobs’ and ‘Hispanic jobs’ stir Democratic anger
AP News | By Matt Brown | June 28, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump warned during his debate with Joe Biden and again at a Friday rally that migrants were taking “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs” from Americans, angering critics who called it a racist and insulting attempt to expand his appeal beyond his white conservative base.
While President Joe Biden’s halting debate performance on Thursday night stirred widespread concerns among fellow Democrats about his readiness, Trump also repeatedly made false claims and repeated conspiracy theories that he’s long promoted during his campaign.
Trump suggested without evidence that Democrats want migrants to displace Americans as voters, and he described the state of the nation under Biden as worse than during the deadly 2017 neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump has often downplayed the racist overtones of the march, once saying there were “fine people on both sides.”
Empowering Minority Voters to Fight Election Misinformation
Bank Info Security | By Anna Delaney | March 07, 2024
Election campaigners Michael Blake and Cynthia Wallace said accurate information and community involvement are needed to protect electoral integrity and empower underrepresented voters. Strategies for countering misinformation range from sourcing internet posts to hosting barbershop meetings, they said.
Blake, founder of Atlas Strategy Group, which collaborates with historically Black colleges and universities to enhance voter engagement, said communities of color are often targets of misinformation and disinformation used to quell voter participation and influence election outcomes.
NY Gov. Hochul slammed after saying Black kids don’t know what ‘computer’ means
The Grio | By Gerren Keith Gaynor | May 08, 2024
“It’s racist and ignorant,” Michael Blake, a former New York assemblyman from the Bronx, told the Grio. A controversial remark about Black children in New York has put New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the hot seat.
While discussing the need to bring AI technology jobs to Black and brown communities at the Milken Institute Global Conference on Monday, Hochul said, “Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is.” The governor’s comment was quickly condemned by New York lawmakers, including Assembly members Karines Reyes and John Zaccaro, who represent the Bronx in the state legislature.
“It’s racist and ignorant,” Michael Blake, a former New York assemblyman from the Bronx, told theGrio. “It’s incredibly disheartening that when at a conference talking about the potential of AI and how it can empower lives, the example that came up was saying that Black kids in the Bronx don’t know what a computer is.”
NEW: NATIONAL AND KEY SWING STATE POLLS SHOW STRONG SUPPORT FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS WITH HIGHEST SUPPORT AMONG BLACK VOTERS
FWD.US | March 6, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an extremely fractured and politically polarizing time, newly released polling shows that support for criminal justice reform – and specifically for reducing the number of people in jail and prison – remains high across parties, with majorities of Republicans and Independents saying that it is important, and with particularly high support from Democrats and Black voters. The national poll, conducted by BSG on behalf of FWD.us, sampled likely and unlikely voters nationwide and oversampled Black voters. It was complemented by three state polls in key swing states with large populations of Black voters in Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and was fielded between February 13-20, 2024.
W. E. B. Du Bois Center to Reflect on Democracy this Season
iBerkshire.com | By Sabrina Damms | March 2 2024
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.— The W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy held a pre-birthday reception on Feb. 22, at Saint James Place in honor of civil rights pioneer W.E.B Du Bois.
During the event community members met the center's first Executive Director Ny Whitaker and Michael Blake, the inaugural visiting scholar in democracy.
The Du Bois Freedom Center’s Post
Linked In | March, 2024
Oh What a Night! Last Thursday, we held our first annual #ReflectionsReception - a celebration of Dr. Du Bois on the eve of his birthday. Our Board, staff, and volunteers were joined by donors, elected officials, nonprofit leaders, business owners, and residents across The Berskshires as we unveiled our theme for 2024 - #ReflectionsonDemocracy featuring our inaugural Visiting Scholar on Democracy, Michael Blake - and introduced our new Executive Director, Ny Whitaker, to our Great Barrington community. For information about our free public programs, or to make a donation in honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, please visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gpRAKCBg
Bronx Net |MLK Remembrance Service
Bronx Net | Reporter Shanel Thompson | February 26, 2024
MLK remembrance service held at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
Youth INC 29th Annual Celebration Gala Honors Senator Bill Bradley, Raises $3M
EIN Presswire| February 20, 2024
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, February 20, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Youth INC, a leading venture philanthropy organization, successfully hosted its 29th Annual Celebration Gala, recognizing the remarkable achievements in youth development of its Nonprofit Partners and Senator Bill Bradley, who was presented with The John C. Whitehead Leadership Award by Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner, for his significant contributions to collective action and civic engagement.
“Youth INC is such a great organization. Many have good intentions and innovative ideas for helping others but often struggle to sustain their efforts. Youth INC offers the kind of counsel, guidance, and capacity building that has enabled over 100 organizations to achieve their best,” said Senator Bill Bradley upon receiving the John C. Whitehead Leadership Award. “It is a great honor to be a part of this mission.”
New campaign set to mobilize voters of color ahead of 2024 election
The Hill | By Cheyanne M. Daniels | February 08, 2024
A new voter engagement campaign is targeting young voters and voters of color ahead of November’s presidential election.
Kairos: Democracy Project plans to mobilize the two groups by highlighting advocacy and the benefits of democracy in daily life. The project will rely heavily on influencer engagement and grassroots organizing.
Why Biden wasn't on the 2024 New Hampshire primary ballot
CBS News | By Hunter Woodall | January 24, 2024
The last time President Biden ran in the New Hampshire primary, he didn't stick around to see the results.
For the state's 2024 primary, his name wasn't even on the ballot.
Back in 2020, he was a supposed frontrunner struggling to look like one, fresh off a sluggish performance in the 2020 Iowa caucuses. He asked New Hampshire voters to help him flip the narrative and deliver him a comeback. He snarked back at critics, belittled a younger challenger and called one woman "a lying, dog-faced pony soldier" at a campaign event.
Then he skipped his own campaign party, headed to South Carolina, and finished a distant fifth in New Hampshire's primary, faring worse than the former mayor of a midsized Midwestern city
Fifteen years ago, Barack Obama was inaugurated as America’s first Black president
The Grio | By Gerren Keith Gaynor | January 20, 2024
Fifteen years ago today, the United States of America achieved something that it had not done in its more than 230-year history: a Black president was sworn into office.
Former President Barack Obama, the son of a Kenyan father and a white mother, took the oath of office on January 20, 2009 to become the 44th U.S. commander in chief and forever change the course of American politics.
The skies were clear on that Tuesday and temperature just below freezing when Obama gave his inaugural address before the largest audience for any event staged in the nation’s capitol. As the first president born in the 1960s, his entrance into the White House marked a generational change, but most notably, it was a turning point for race in America.
Will Dem Election Wins Solve Their Joe Biden Problem?
The Daily Beast | By Ashley Southall | November 11, 2023
In 2020, Joe Biden rode the electability argument all the way to the White House, convincing his party he was the only Democrat who could defeat Donald Trump.
One year out from the 2024 election, Democrats have put significant electoralwins on the board despite Biden having the lowest approval rating of any post-World War II president heading into a re-election year except for Jimmy Carter in 1979. He trails Trump in most of the battleground states likely to decide the Electoral College.
Voters seem to be saying they like Democratic policies over what the Republicans have to offer—especially on abortion rights, as shown by Tuesday night’s results in Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia. But when the pollsters come calling, they’re taking out their frustrations on Biden.
Strive empowers Black men through unity, education and community support
Daily Northwestern | By Samanta Habashy | November 21, 2023
A beacon of support and empowerment, Strive is Northwestern’s exclusively Black-male club. Founded on the principles of unity, education and community outreach, Strive stands as a vital student organization, providing a safe and relaxed space for Black men in an environment that can often be isolating, SESP junior and Strive President Jackson Gordwin said.
“I’ve just always been passionate about helping the Black community, specifically the Black male community just because it’s something that I closely identify with,” Gordwin said.
Former DNC Chair Michael Blake On Voter Mobilization And What’s At Stake For Black America This Election
ABC News | By Leah Hope | November 02, 2023
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Alumni of the Obama presidential campaign shared memories Thursday in anticipation of the 15th anniversary of Barack Obama's first presidential victory speech. Progress on the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park can be seen from blocks away.
"This structure forces you to look up in spite of everything that's going on in this community, this neighborhood," Obama Center, Construction Core Superintendent Timothy Quiles said. "Look up. How can you not be inspired?"
Obama team reuniting in Chicago to mark 15th anniversary of historic presidential win
Chicago Sun Times | By Lynn Sweet | October 30, 2023
Fifteen years after Barack Obama’s historic presidential victory, marked by a giant celebration in Grant Park on Nov. 4, 2008, thousands of Obamaworld veterans are gathering this week in Chicago for their first official reunion. Natalie Bookey-Baker, a vice president at the Obama Foundation who worked for then-first lady Michelle Obama in the White House, said about 2,500 alumni are expected. They are veterans of Obama’s two Chicago-based White House campaigns, his two terms as president, related political operations and his foundation.
Reunion activities — formal and informal — will run Thursday through Saturday. The main events will be Friday at McCormick Place, taking place after the Obama Presidential Foundation’s 2023 Democracy Forum.
A Little Momentum for Marijuana
NY Times | By Ashley Southall | October 30, 2023
Earlier this month, three cousins finally opened ConBud, one of New York’s first licensed marijuana dispensaries.
A crowd gathered at the corner of Delancey and Orchard Streets on the Lower East Side for ConBud’s grand opening on Oct. 19.
“At 13, I was incarcerated for two nickel bags,” Coss Marte, the chief executive, said, referring to $5 bags of weed. “And today, we’re going to sell more than that.”
Former DNC Chair Michael Blake On Voter Mobilization And What’s At Stake For Black America This Election
PR Newswire | October 17, 2023
NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CONBUD, the world's first dispensary owned and operated by formerly incarcerated people, today announces its New York City grand opening, slated for Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 5pm. One of the first recreational dispensaries to be awarded a social equity CAURD license by the state of New York, CONBUD is the sixth licensed cannabis retailer in New York City and the only licensed dispensary in its Lower East Side neighborhood. Located at 85 Delancey Street, CONBUD promises to deliver New York's finest cannabis to adult consumers and second chances to New York State's justice-impacted community.
"CONBUD stands as a symbol of hope and progress, showcasing a vision for a future where consumers and businesses partner to reduce recidivism rates, rebuild lives and create stronger, more inclusive communities," stated CONBUD CEO Coss Marte whose story of incarceration, redemption, and entrepreneurial hustle comes full circle with the launch of CONBUD.
Green Bronx Machine to hold first-ever gala and Game Changing awards
Bronx Times | October 04, 2023
On Oct. 9, at Inside Park at Saint Bart’s, Green Bronx Machine will host its first-ever Growing Something Greater Gala, an immersive one-of-a-kind cocktail and culinary showcase prepared by a team of Restaurant Associate Chefs at Google, honoring a community of transformative leaders in innovative “green” education.
For this inaugural event, founder Stephen Ritz and the team that grows healthy students and healthy schools, will turn the iconic landmark, Inside Park at Saint Barts, into an interactive replica of the Green Bronx Machine classroom complete with six tower gardens — a vertical farm — and the state-of-the-art Green Bronx Machine mobile classroom kitchen with video station.
“This evening represents our collective moment, from the Bronx to the world! We are so honored to celebrate the talent and diversity of our programs and heroes, especially our NYC teachers and students,” said Ritz. “To think the food served will be locally grown is further proof that NYC is leading the way. I promise everyone a night they will never forget so that children can live a life beyond all expectations! Please join us and get involved!”
Biden, Storyteller in Chief, Spins Yarns That Often Unravel
NY Times | By Michael D. Shear & Linda Qiu | October 10, 2022
WASHINGTON — Standing in front of Floridians who had lost everything during Hurricane Ian, President Biden on Wednesday recalled his own house being nearly destroyed 15 years ago: “We didn’t lose our whole home, but lightning struck and we lost an awful lot of it,” he said.
Mr. Biden has mentioned the incident before, once saying that he knows what it’s like “having had a house burn down with my wife in it.”
In fact, news reports at the time called it little more than “a small fire that was contained to the kitchen” and quoted the local Delaware fire chief as saying “the fire was under control in 20 minutes.”
The story is not an isolated example of embellishment.
Three Jamaicans to Receive Caribbean American Heritage Awards in Washington DC
Jamaicans.com | By Stephanie Korney | October 2023
The Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) announced that Jamaicans Michael Blake, Stephen “Cat” Coore, and Jacky Wright will be honored at the 30th Annual Caribbean American Heritage (CARAH) Awards Gala on November 17, 2023. The event, which will take place at the JW Marriott in Washington DC, is the premier celebration of the achievements of Caribbean Americans and the supportive contributions of Friends of the Caribbean toward Caribbean American interests.
Future In Color: Black Economic Blueprint Launches Ahead Of March On Washington 60th Anniversary
News One | By Brianna Sharpe | August 23, 2023
The dynamic trio of French and her partners, fintech executive Ashley Bell and former New York Assemblyman and Atlas Strategy Group CEO Michael Blake, aims to leverage their expertise and vision to reshape the narrative surrounding Black economic empowerment.
Future in Color stands on four robust pillars: innovation, ownership, investment and advocacy. This approach centers around the concept of the Black GDP — a cumulative economic contribution and potential of Black and brown communities across the globe. By fostering a thriving Black GDP, Future in Color seeks not only to shape economic landscapes but also to drive technological advancements, market disruptions and transformative solutions that can catalyze societal progress.
Caribbean Diaspora Political Engagement - CRPC Webinar
CaribNation TV | August 28, 2022
CRPC Webinar – “Caribbean Diaspora Political Engagement”
Streamed live of CaribNation TV YouTube Chanel Presenters:
Nigel Stephens
Myesha T. Ward
Michael A. Blake
Moderators:
Ambassador Curtis A. Ward CRPC Chairman &
Karen B. Francis, PhD CRPC Board Member
2nd Annual My Brother’s Keeper Event Celebrates Young Kings in The Bronx
Norwood News | By Julian Nazar | March 13, 2022
One hundred and fifty Bronx-area high school students filed into Monroe College’s Mintz auditorium in Fordham Manor on Wednesday, Feb. 9, for the second annual Bronx event, celebrating the nonprofit, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK).
As “The Champion” played on a loop before the event got underway, on top of each table were small water bottles, snack bars, yellow Monroe College folders, and framed inspirational quotes from notable figures like basketball legend, Michael Jordan, and rapper, songwriter and record producer, Kendrick Lamar. Four TV monitors projected various PowerPoint presentations during the event.
Launched in February 2014 by former U.S. President Barack Obama, the MBK Alliance is an initiative that was created to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color, to ensure all youth could reach their full potential. An extract from the organization’s website reads, “Our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world.”
Former DNC Chair Michael Blake On Voter Mobilization And What’s At Stake For Black America This Election
the WHITEHOUSE | By Broderick Johnson | December 14, 2016
The White House is hosting its final MBK National Summit today, and launching our #IamMBK Digital Day of Action. As we near the end of the Obama administration, we are celebrating the historic progress underway to expand opportunity for all of our kids, and want to make sure that there is no doubt that MBK is here to stay! Tune in to the President's remarks today at 4:45pm ET.
President Obama will deliver remarks at the Summit to lift up what’s working and applaud efforts to scale and sustain this critical work for the long-term. Here’s how you can get involved and take action right now.
Budget includes funding for Obama inner city program
News Day | By Michael Gormley | April 01, 2016
ALBANY — A small, little-noticed part of the state’s $156 billion budget is funding for New York’s version of the My Brother’s Keeper program, a signature effort of President Barack Obama to help inner-city youth, which supporters say will pay dividends for decades.
Assemb. Michael Blake (D-Bronx) gave an impassioned speech Friday about the budget’s $20 million in funding for the program as well as other elements of the state budget being passed Friday that include paid family leave and a $15 minimum wage. Blake spoke of how his father cleaned floors and his mother managed to raise a family while surrounded by poverty. Blake said elements of the state budget being voted into law Friday would provide a critical leg up for families like his.
The President Speaks at the Launch of the My Brother's Keeper Alliance
The Obama White House | May 04, 2016
IPresident Obama delivers remarks at the launch of the My Brother's Keeper Alliance at Lehman College in the Bronx, NY, May 4, 2015.
What’s at stake for Democracy?
As the efforts for voting rights reform fail in the Senate, former Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Michael Blake, joins Daren Jaime on BronxNet to discuss what it could mean for 2022 Primary Elections.
Black and Brown people will end up in Jail from Mayor Adams' crime package
Former Assembly Member Michael Blake discusses New York City Mayor's new crime package, and why it misses the mark.
