Challenges in Chicago: A Community Under Stress

Website: www.blackstarproject.org

The Black Star Project is committed to improving the quality of life in Black and Latino communities in Chicago and nationwide by eliminating the racial academic achievement gap.  This gap is evidenced by discrepancies in statistics such standardized test scores, high school graduation rates, college success rates between Black and Latino students and their White peers.  Although the racial academic achievement gap refers to a crucial issue in today's education sector, the gap is by no means a concern exclusive to education.

Phillip Jackson is the Executive Director of The Black Star Project, he has become a national leader advocating for community involvement in education and the importance of parental development to ensure that children are properly educated. The Black Star Project has served close to 100,000 students in over 175 schools since 1996 in its Student Motivation Program and between 3,000 to 4,000 parents in its parent outreach programs since 2004. This year, Phillip Jackson and The Black Star Project lead the nation back to school with the hugely successful Million Father March 2005. This second annual back-to-school march encouraged men to take children to school on the first day, marking a commitment to a year of positive male involvement in education.