Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity

PRESIDENT HAMMOCK TO JOIN NPHC LEADERS AT WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING

As President of Phi Beta Sigma I have convened Sigma’s International Leadership Academy and Domestic Public Policy team to examine the key issues before us regarding the White House Briefing. Sigma’s International Leadership Academy and Domestic Public Policy team reviewed the requirements for the briefing and the main public policy issues the National Pan‐Hellenic Council has been asked to address.

The Sigma International Leadership Academy and Domestic Public Policy team recommends the following:

1. Public Safety: Address Urban Violence through Educational Policy and Mentoring Youth

Background

Urban violence is an on‐going problem throughout the United States. Three quarters of American children have been exposed to neighborhood violence in their lifetimes. Most of the existing research has concluded that exposure to violence leads to restricted emotional development, aggressive behavior and poor school outcomes. Violence is devastating for victims, their families, and their communities. In this challenging climate, it is especially critical that our federal, state and local governments work together with private sector partners, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to find ways to achieve effective violence prevention strategies.

National Pan‐Hellenic Council Resources

Each member of the National Pan‐Hellenic Council (The Council) has longstanding mentoring and community building programs that have historically reached tens of thousands of young people between the ages of eight and eighteen. Many of these programs are more than fifty years old. Our member mentoring clubs reach into schools, churches, community centers and in some areas of juvenile detention and correctional facilities. The Member mentoring programs have evidenced‐based curriculum that addresses issues of self‐esteem, educational development, communication skills, and life‐skills development.

Leadership and Public Policy Recommendations

It is our recommendation that The White House works with The Council to adopt legislation and promote programming that bolsters youth development to eliminate community violence and improve public safety. The Council plans to dedicate resources that will elevate this issue and instruct our membership to strengthen their mentoring and community efforts that can avert the four‐fold economic and policy costs of incarceration and loss resulting from urban violence. In the face of budget deficits, The Council seeks to lead to improve local programming efficiencies, to focus resources on the most effective approaches, and to draw upon available federal resources and private collaborations.

2. Economic Development: Financial Education, Small Business Development and Access to Credit

Background

Unemployment in the US is expected to rise in various sectors of the American economy in 2010. African-Americans and Hispanics are expected to be hit very hard. In fact, African-Americans have the highest national unemployment rate of any major racial or ethnic group. Some estimates indicate unemployment rates range from 14% among African-Americans living in rural states to 25% in urban states like Michigan. In the current economic climate financial management, budgeting, entrepreneurial growth and access to credit remain the largest impediments to economic development within many African-American communities.

National Pan‐Hellenic Council Resources

Each member of The Council, has since their inception, worked in the African-American community to encourage entrepreneurship, financial literacy and strong business management. The Council members’ business education and financial literacy programs can serve as a strong asset to the Administration. The Council members will work to promote business development, new employment skills acquirement and financial management to reduce unemployment rates and economic blight in the African‐American community.

Leadership and Public Policy Recommendations

It is our recommendation that The White House works with The Council to adopt legislation and promote programming that encourages entrepreneurship, financial literacy and strong business management to reduce unemployment rates and economic blight in the African‐American community. The Council plans to dedicate resources toward exploring innovative solutions such as “green jobs,” environmentally‐friendly urban renewal, and micro lending towards a measurable reduction in unemployment. The Council seeks to draw upon available federal resources and private collaborations toward this effort.

3. Educational Excellence: Addressing Educational Excellence Through Collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)

Background

Nationally, a third of all students who enter 9th grade will not graduate with a high school diploma. Data shows that approximately half of African American 9th graders will not graduate with African‐American male drop‐out rates hovering over 50%. The high school to college pipeline is severely fractured. As recently as a half‐century ago, three‐fourths of all African‐American undergraduates enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Today, this number is closer to 20 percent. HBCUs continue to produce about half of all African American professionals and educators. Approximately forty percent of all African-Americans who receive degrees today in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and environmental sciences graduate from HBCUs. Nearly 7 out of 10 Black doctors and dentists earn undergraduate degrees at historically black colleges and universities.

National Pan‐Hellenic Council Resources

Each member of The Council has very deep and longstanding histories at HBCUs, including a number of members serving as University Presidents, university board members, administrators, accomplished alumni, and tenured faculty. Historically, more than half of the membership of the fraternities and sororities that make up The Council are graduates of HBCUs and each organization has been lead by an HBCU graduate. The Council’s membership is well positioned to lead building fruitful high school‐to‐college pipelines.

Leadership and Public Policy Recommendations

It is the Council’s recommendation that The White House works together with the Council to adopt legislation and programs that promote educational excellence. The Council plans to focus on strengthening the pipeline to HBCUs by working to link them with challenged schools to reduce drop‐out rates. The Council seeks to adopt core programs that encourage strong collaborations between the Council’s local chapters, schools, school councils and HBCUs. Using the Council’s robust social and alumni networks, we plan to build career mentoring pathways to excellence.

4. Agricultural Development Addressing Food Deserts Through Farming Collaboration and Equitable Food Distribution

Background

Diabetes is a fast growing epidemic in the US and is ravaging many young people and communities of color. Nearly 95% of diagnosed diabetes cases are type 2, which is preventable but driven by extremely high rates of obesity. It is also one of the most costly chronic diseases. One of the main culprits for the huge surge in obesity and subsequent explosion of type 2 diabetes has been the emergence of so‐called “food deserts,” limited access to quality foods. Earlier this year the Department of Agriculture announced a $1.25 billion settlement with African‐American farmers. These funds will help many African‐American farmers continue to farm their lands, however many of these same farmers are looking for entry to existing markets and for new markets.

National Pan‐Hellenic Council Resources

Each member of the National Pan‐Hellenic Council (The Council) has a number of local chapters and members with longstanding ties to HBCUs, rural communities, farming and agricultural businesses in the rural African‐American South. Our member reach includes schools, churches and community centers. Many of the Council’s membership alumni have contributed to historical agricultural breakthroughs and advances in urban public health and medicine. The Council’s membership has the resource capacity to partner with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and the Department of Education to educate and develop programs addressing inequities in food access and increase interest in agricultural business and sciences.

Leadership and Public Policy Recommendations

It is the Council’s recommendation that The White House works together with the Council to adopt legislation and programs that promote urban gardens and vegetable and produce exchanges fight the diabetes and obesity epidemic. The Council is prepared to engage its membership in helping establish partnerships between community groups and farmers. The Council is prepared to lead efforts to revitalize the strong HBCU agricultural history in a concerted effort to bring together crop innovation, advances in agricultural sciences, African-American famers and community‐based urban health programs.

5. Health and Wellness Addressing Health Inequities and Health Costs Through Community‐Based Education and Public Health Prevention

Background

It has been estimated that the combined costs of health inequalities and premature death in the US is more than $1 trillion. Eliminating health inequities could reduce direct medical care expenditures by approximately $65‐75 billion per year. More than a third of direct medical care expenditures for African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics were excess costs due to health inequalities. Front line community‐based public health agencies employing community health educators not only create jobs, but also can reduce the excess burden of health inequities by more than a third. The return on investment of public health education dollars is significant and measurable. Health educators and community education programs play a big role in front line public health.

National Pan‐Hellenic Council Resources

Each member of the National Pan‐Hellenic Council (The Council) has extensive experience providing health education programs and employment/job‐skills training programs in various communities.

Leadership and Public Policy Recommendations

It is the Council’s recommendation The White House work together with the Council to adopt legislation and programs that promote the creation of community health education jobs to reduce inequities in health. The Council plans on engaging membership to conduct health education workshops and promote the importance of community health workers and community‐based organizations in preventive care. Using the Council’s robust social and alumni networks, especially through HBCUs, we plan to build career pathways in medicine, dentistry and public health. The Council seeks to lead to draw upon available federal resources and private collaborations to address health inequities.

If you have questions, or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Regards,

Jimmy Hammock
International President

PRESIDENT HAMMOCK TO JOIN NPHC LEADERS AT WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING

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