Master's Degree in Engineering from Georgia Tech $7,000!

A recent effort out of Georgia Institute of Technology could give a similar boost to students from low-income backgrounds: The launch of an exclusively online computer science master's degree program with a price tag of about $7,000. https://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2017-05-25/low-income-students-nowhere-to-be-found-in-stem

14th Annual Black College Expo - get accepted on the spot and scholarships

https://www.thecollegeexpo.org/

Princeton Summer Camps

Now is the time for your students to apply to these summer camps. CLICK HERE: http://atthewellconferences.org/ At The Well Conferences atthewellconferences.org From the Fire seeks to nurture and cultivate scholars by providing an enriching environment that combines leadership projects, mentoring from seasoned male influencers. image1.JPG image2.JPG image3.JPG

Excellent Summer Math Camps GRADES 3-12

An efamily member sent her son to this camp every summer and he loved it! She is available to speak to efamily members about it if you have any questions! http://www.txstate.edu/mathworks/camps/Summer-Math-Camps-Information.html

All students invited to YWCPA STEM EVENT!

John Chase Architect Exhibit and Panel Discussion at The African-American Library at the Gregory School 1300 Victor St. Houston, TX 77019

McGovern Medical School Pre-Health Conference - Feb 10th Students interested in medicine should attend!

Ignite: Lighting the Future 2nd Annual Pre-Health Conference │ February 10, 2018 │ McGovern Medical School Presented by MMS Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Student National Medical Association Panels • Speakers • Workshops • Prizes For more information email: Luna.Hernandez@uth.tmc.edu Visit our Website:https://med.uth.edu/diversity/pre-health-professions-conference/

Scholarship Application due Feb 20

http://elliottchandlerfoundation.org/

Floyd Newsome Artist Floyd Newsum A Survey - 1970 to 2018 February 8 - March 29, 2018 Reception February 8 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Floyd Newsum A Survey - 1970 to 2018 February 8 - March 29, 2018 Reception February 8 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM After the Flight, The Land and Sea Shall Meet, 55 X 40", 1992 Floyd Newsum A Retrospective 1970 to 2018 February 8 - March 29, 2018 Reception February 8 from 6:00- 8:00 pm in the gallery The O'Kane Gallery's survey exhibition celebrates the art and service of Professor Floyd Newsum who has taught painting at the University of Houston-Downtown since 1976. Newsum has inspired students and the UHD community through his teaching and professional contributions. Newsum's artistic career spans 41 years and includes more than 92 solo and group exhibitions. Most recently, Newsum's paintings, After the Storm CNN and Ghost Series Sirigu, Janie's Apron, were acquired by the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. He spent his childhood years in Tennessee earning a BFA from Memphis College of Art in 1973 and an MFA from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1975. In addition to many private collections his works are included in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, University of Maryland College Park and Xavier University, New Orleans. His 2003 sculptural work and public art commission Planters and Stems graces the center of Houston's downtown at Main Street Square. From his early 1970s realist portraits of African American acquaintances to his recent more abstract art, Newsum's paintings contain undercurrents that are deeply spiritual and socially acute. His work is often filled with a signature combination of marks, and abstract patterns along with iconography that includes fish, birds, ladders, and women, all of which derive from his memories or literary interests. The seemingly innocent and childlike imagery belies his sophisticated use of West African mythologies and Christian symbolism. The importance of human relationships, family, spiritual hope, reflections of the Civil Rights Movement and cultural and world events, all lend a multi-dimensional quality to his work. In his own words, Newsum has said "I want to provoke thought or conjecture from the viewer. My paintings are a collection of thoughts in a single composition, with the power to present more than one interpretation." O'Kane Gallery in the UHD Welcome Center (Girard Street Building and adjacent to the One Main Building) Take Travis Street north through downtown Houston. After crossing Buffalo Bayou take an immediate right on Girard Street at the light. Take another immediate right and then left to Visitor Parking. The Gallery is located directly above visitor parking (take elevators to third floor). Metered parking is also available to the left of Girard Street. UHD is a stop on the Red Line of the Metro Rail. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00-5:00pm Saturday, 12:00-5:00pm Contact: Shawn Hyder, Phone: (713) 221-8042 (hyders@uhd.edu) University of Houston-Downtown One Main Street Houston, Texas 77002 Visit Website Like us on Facebook O'Kane Gallery, University of Houston-Downtown, One Main Street, GSB 322, Houston, TX 77002

Register with South Central Sportz Youth BASEBALL! All team names honor the Negro League! Great opportunity for boys and girls ages 4-14! Free Cletes with Registration!

All players must register online this year at this link Click HERE Tryouts (required) dates and times at the link above.

UNCF STEM opportunity for High School students. Deadline has been extended to February 15th.

HOUSTON Museum of African American Culture HMAAC ANNOUNCES BLACK HISTORY MONTH EXHIBiTION “SANDRA BLAND”

FEBRUARY 3, 2018-FEBRUARY 28, 2018 HMAAC begins its 2018 Black History Month with the exhibition, “Sandra Bland.” The exhibit opens February 3, 2018 and runs through February 28, 2018. At the heart of the exhibit, curated by HMAAC CEO John Guess, Jr., is an interactive engagement allowing visitors to experience the emotions of Sandra Bland on the fateful day of her arrest, July 13, 2015 resulting from a traffic stop in Waller County. A widely received Stanford University study last year found police officers across the United States more likely to cite, search and arrest black and Latino drivers during routine traffic stops than white drivers. The study findings, based on a nationwide database of state patrol stops, may be the largest compilation of traffic stop data ever assembled, with details from more than 100 million records of traffic stop-and-search data across 31 states between 2011- 2015. Not only did the study find minorities are ticketed and arrested more often, it also found that police in general will use a lower bar to search minorities than whites. According to Guess, “ Blacks are familiar with ‘the talk,’ foreign to most whites, given to black youth with regard to how to act during encounters with police. This exhibit vividly underscores the basis for ‘the talk;’ the fear that the wrong use of words during encounters with police, which the Stanford study found more likely for minorities, can lead to escalation and result in tragedy.” A 2016 Associated Press/University of Chicago study found Americans as a whole are divided over how they think police in their local communities treat racial and ethnic minorities. Forty-five percent say police treat all races and ethnic groups the same, but a majority (54 percent) say they sometimes treat minority groups more roughly. Blacks (81 percent) are especially likely to say police sometimes treat minority groups more roughly compared to Hispanics (63 percent) and whites (47 percent). A majority of whites (52 percent) think police treat all races and ethnic groups equally. “We hope this exhibition will bring our multicultural audience to a better understanding of the fear African Americans have toward encounters with the police,” said Guess. A community panel will take place on February 8 at 6:30 pm at the museum as part of the exhibit. This Black History Month exhibition is graciously sponsored by Melanie Lawson and John Guess, Jr. and the Board of HMAAC. ABOUT HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE The mission of HMAAC is to collect, conserve, explore, interpret, and exhibit the material and intellectual culture of Africans and African Americans in Houston, the state of Texas, the southwest and the African Diaspora for current and future generations. In fulfilling its mission, HMAAC seeks to invite and engage visitors of every race and background and to inspire children of all ages through discovery-driven learning. HMAAC is a museum for all people. As such, it is a multicultural conversation on race geared toward creating a common future. While our focus is the African American experience, our story informs and includes not only people of color, but people of all colors. As a result, the stories and exhibitions that HMAAC brings to Texas are about the indisputable fact that while our experience is a unique one, it has been impacted by and has impacted numerous races, genders and ethnicities.

Community College Student Scholarship in STEM

Are you a community college student who dreams of having a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics (STEM)? Does it sound fun to work on projects and share ideas with NASA engineers, educators, and scientists? Then you should apply to become part of the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) program and explore what could become YOUR future! NCAS gives community college STEM students an authentic NASA experience and encourages them to finish a 2-year degree or transfer to a 4-year university to pursue a NASA-related field or career. If you interested in majoring in a STEM discipline as well as has taken or is concurrently enrolled in 9+ hours of STEM coursework, then you are eligible to apply. Eligibility: U.S. citizenship High school graduate or equivalent and at least 18 years of age Registered at a U.S. community college in the semester prior to the onsite workshop Concurrent enrollment or completion of 9+ hours of STEM coursework Able to commit to a 5 week online session Internet access Key dates: Application Opens: Wednesday, January 3, 2018 Application Closes: Monday, March 5, 2018 Online Course: March 21 – April 25, 2018 Onsite Selections: May 2018 (required: successful completion of 5 week online course for consideration) Onsite Workshops: June/July 2018 For more information as well as access to the application, please visit the following website: https://nas..okstate.edu/ncas/ For questions not answered on the website, please send an email to jsc-ncas@mail.nasa.gov

Founder of Negro League Baseball - Today's Black History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leroy_Grant

Catch on Fire Exhibit Community Artists Collective Jan 25

http://thecollective.org/

NASA Graduate Research Proposals Opportunity

Please share this Fellowship opportunity information with your masters and doctoral networks. Misti Moore JSC Minority University Research and Education Project Manager MUREP Other Opportunities (MOO) Manager Institutional Engagement Lead NASA Johnson Space Center External Relations-Office Of Education 281-483-6716 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Call for Proposals -- NASA Fellowship Activity 2018 NASA Office of Education opened a call for graduate research proposals on January 17, 2018. The NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNH18ZHA003N: NASA Fellowship Activity 2018 is seeking student authored and independently conceived graduate research proposals responding to a NASA Research Opportunity listed in the solicitation. The purpose of the NASA Fellowship Activity 2018 is to support the vitality and diversity of the STEM workforce of NASA and the United States by training and funding graduate students during their STEM academic endeavors and providing access to NASA, its content, unique facilities, and STEM experts. The program details and requirements are outlined in the solicitation document. To be eligible to submit a proposal, candidates must be U.S. citizens or naturalized citizens who hold a bachelor's degree in a STEM field earned before Aug. 31, 2018. Candidates must be enrolled in a master's or doctoral degree program no later than Sept. 1, 2018, and intend to pursue a research-based Masters or Ph.D. program in a NASA-relevant field. Proposals are due March 20, 2018. For full program details, visit: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={1CA633C8-7767-8658-6260-F318694A347B}&path=open . An informational webinar about this fellowship will be presented on Jan. 24 2018 at 4:00 p.m. ET, Jan. 30, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. ET or Feb. 5, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. ET. The telecom number is 1-844-467-6272, and the passcode is 993012. The information to join the meeting via the web will be posted on the solicitation webpage once the information is available. Questions concerning these program elements may be directed to Elizabeth Cartier at elizabeth.a.cartier@nasa.gov . ………………………………………………………………………… You are receiving this email because you have subscribed, through NSPIRES, to a NASA directorate or office-specific mail list. If you wish to unsubscribe to this mail list, access your NSPIRES account, click on Account Management, then click the Email Subscriptions link. If you need assistance, please contact the NSPIRES Help Desk at NSPIRES-Help@nasaprs.com or call 202-479-9376. GrN

High School Seniors Can Apply for Scholarships -Deadline March 5

High school seniors in greater Harris County can apply for scholarships through RMHC of Greater Houston/ Galveston, Inc. Deadline is March 5. Details: https://goo.gl/mjTLck

Click Here to Vote for Best HBCU Band!

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101834146028&ca=ed3b85bd-f64f-43da-8b56-28413b9fe0f9

Community Artists Collective Several Events...& Quilting Club (supplies provided!)

"My start to painting began as a desire to present my mother with a special gift..." Catch on Fire! Exhibition opening at The Collective Thursday, January 18, 2018 6 to 8 p.m. "Catch on Fire," a collection of the art of designer Ashley Washington, opens Thursday, January 25 (RESCHEDULED DATE), at the Community Artists' Collective, 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116, with a reception from 6 to 8:00 p.m. Washington, the owner of Visionary Art & Décor, creates her abstract art to express a feeling of happiness, hope, joy and inspiration. Each painting has a story behind it. The native Houstonian takes pride in the city's diversity of cultures and embraces its melting pot of individuals from all over the world. "That same diversity inspires my love for the arts. A person's journey in life displays a uniqueness of character which can be expressed in my creations," she explained. "Catch on Fire" is based on one of Washington's favorite scriptures, Jeremiah 20:3, "because it expresses a burning desire that cannot be contained so it must be released." She dedicates the collection to her late godbrother James Vaughn, who turned his dark season in life into light for other men who struggled with adversity. "Catch on Fire" runs through February 23. The Collective is open during the exhibition Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 12 noon until 5 p.m. and by appointment. Artist Workshop with Ashley Washington The artist discusses her creative process and technique. Saturday, February 10, 2018 1 to 3 p.m. at The Collective Free January Calendar at The Collective Jubilee Quilt Circle January 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, 1 to 3 p.m. "Catch on Fire" Opening Reception January 18, 6 to 8 p.m. "Catch on Fire" Exhibition Dates January 19-21, 26-28 12 noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment Join the Jubilee Quilt Circle Workshops and demonstrations are offered at The Collective, 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116, on Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m. The Community Artists' Collective invites you to learn about and to work on textiles, including quilting, knitting, crochet and embroidering. Please join us. Supplies provided. Suggested donation is $30 per month.

MLK Speaker - Symone Sanders CNN Commentator

U of H MLK Events

2018 Climate Candidate Forum

The tickets (free) "sales" are open again for the January 27, 2018 Climate Candidate Forum with 7 Congressional District 07 candidates and Rep O'Rourke running for Senate against Ted Cruz. Our last venue maxed out at 265 so now we have moved to a huge cafeteria at West University Elementary School. Please spread the word. :) Very exciting. Go to this link to sign up... making history https://www.eventbrite.com/e/houston-climate-forum-2018-location-change-tickets-41611344652

Register EVENT with Nikki Giovanni

Houston Public Library Quarterly Author Series, highlighting a notable book each season, presents
A Good Cry with Nikki Giovanni

Thursday, February 15 | 7:30 PM
Cullen Performance Hall
4300 University Drive | 77204
All HPL programs are FREE OF CHARGE and open to the public.
Please register online so that we can anticipate the number of guests who plan to attend.
Registering to attend does not guarantee entry. Seating is open and available to the first come, first served, until the venue reaches capacity.

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For over thirty years NIKKI GIOVANNI has held a unique place on the American stage.  A poet, activist, and educator, her fiery, humorous and reflective voice has informed our national consciousness; while her gifts of spirit as healer, sage, and comforting friend have charmed our hearts.
Her 2013 collection Chasing Utopia was a literal hybrid of sentiment, which found the poet reflecting on everything from the sensual pleasures of food to the legacy of President Lincoln, and the future of the nation. With A GOOD CRY: What We Learn from Tears and Laughter, Giovanni returns with what may be her most intimate collection. She reveals the joy and peril of aging, and pays tribute to the poets, thinkers and students that hold court inside her mind and heart including her good friend Maya Angelou, and the many years of friendship, poetry, and kitchen-table laughter they shared before Angelou's death in 2014.
Nikki Giovanni has been an activist and integral figure of the Black Arts Movement of the early 1970s.  She re-established the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a defining institution of the Civil Rights era, at Fisk University in 1965. Cherished and revered by younger generations, in 2016 she appeared as a special guest of the Afro Punk Festival, and has become an icon of the hip-hop community for her early poetic recordings. In A GOOD CRY Nikki Giovanni demonstrates that she is as energetic and relevant as ever, with a deeply personal and moving collection of poems.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A poet, activist, mother, and professor, Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. Over the span of thirty years, she has received nineteen honorary degrees from colleges and universities; numerous achievement, humanitarian, and recognition awards from government, private, and public organizations, including Woman of the Year for Ebony, Mademoiselle, Essence, and Ladies Home Journal magazines.  She has also been awarded YWCA Woman of the Year; the Outstanding Woman of Tennessee Award; an Ohio Womens Hall of Fame induction; Outstanding Humanitarian Award from The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky; two Tennessee Governors Award in the Arts and in the Humanities; the Virginia Governors Award; Caldecott Honors for Rosa; and seven NAACP Image Awards. She was also the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award.
The author of twenty-seven books, Nikki is a University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. She continues to read her work across the country.

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Sponsored by

Education Job located in Houston working for NASA's STEM PATHWAY ACTIVITIES

Job Announcement
NSPACE - Education Specialist
Oklahoma State University (OSU) is seeking a professional to support the NASA Johnson Space Center
(JSC) NASA STEM Pathway Activities – Consortium for Education) in Houston, Texas.
Job Summary:
NASA Educational Programs are dedicated to supporting kindergarten through post---doctorate level
students, educators, and education communities prepare the next generation of explorers through unique learning experiences based on NASA missions and research. The JSC NSPACE Education Specialist position provides educators and students opportunities to engage in NASA research and missions, designed tostimulate interest in the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. JSC NSPACE provides educators and students access to NASA experts, equipment, and opportunities to participate in unique hands---on activities sometimes including on---site experiences at JSC. Additionally, this position is part of the on---site team of Education Specialists, Web Designers, Engineers, Technicians and Project Assistants supporting JSC NSPACE.
Major Responsibilities:
• Experience in the design and implementation of new local, regional, and national STEM
education projects/activities
• Knowledge of NASA education objectives, priorities, and annual performance goals
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels with multiple internal and external stakeholders
and employees
• Knowledge of effective strategies to better engage and influence groups that are historically
underrepresented in STEM fields
• Knowledge of current best practices and research in the implementation of K-16 education
programs
• Ability to make effective use of diverse resources, including multimedia, online, and social media
in the promotion and implementation of education programs
• Ability to implement and evaluate experiential educational activities based on current
educational research and evidence---based practices
• Ability to coordinate multiple activities at one time
• Energetic willingness to learn
• Adaptable/flexible and ability to handle multiple tasks in high pace environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, customer services, presentation, and
interpersonal
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
A background check for finalist is required at no cost to the applicant.
Travel: Some travel required
Hiring Range: $3,958 - $5,936 month / $47,496 - $71,232 year
Application:
https://jobs.okstate.edu In the Keyword field enter 4370 to access the listing and apply.
OSU is an EEO E---Verify employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.Oklahoma State University

Accomplishments of our Mayor sworn in 2 years ago....

Two years ago today, I had the privilege of being sworn in as your mayor. Doing the job continues to be the honor of my lifetime.

I opened my remarks that day with words my late mother said often in my youth: “Tomorrow will always be better than today.” She was right then and she is right now. My mother was optimistic and forward-looking, kind and generous, determined and unstoppable – and so is the City of Houston.

The spirit of Houston was on display for all the world to see during Hurricane Harvey, but we here in Houston see it every day: a city where neighbors help neighbors, where everyday people are heroes, where we work hard and always keep an eye on a brighter future.

I am most proud to lead a city that works every day to blast through barriers that could divide us – race, class, age, gender, orientation, ability, education, partisanship – so that we can build a city of opportunity for our children and their children.

That can-do approach helped us solve the pothole crisis that was dominating headlines when I took office. Little did we know at the time how easy that first big test would seem after the challenges that followed.

With the same action-based attitude, we broke through 16 years of gridlock to solve a pension crisis that threatened to bankrupt our city and leave retired city workers without their hard-earned benefits.

We’re rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and readying for the next storms with the same mindset – working across party lines, taking care of our most vulnerable neighbors and creating a stronger city for all of us.

And in middle of it all, we showed the world what we’ve always known: We’re a city of champions. Our hometown Astros won the World Series. It could never have meant more than it meant in 2017. And that was after Houston put on an amazing Super Bowl.

Houston still faces huge challenges. But I know we can solve them by working together – because, for a people who come from all over the globe, who engage in all walks of life and who have a generous spirit and unlimited gifts in our hearts and minds, tomorrow will always be better than today.

I closed my remarks two years ago with words from the American poet R.L. Sharpe. I will end this letter with the same words, because they are as true today as they were then:

“Isn’t it strange that kings and queens, and clowns that caper in sawdust rings, and common folk like you and like me, are builders for eternity? To each is given a book of rules, a shapeless mass and a bag of tools. And each must shape, ere life is flown, a stumbling block or a stepping stone.”

The Bible says to him whom much is given, much is required. Houston, this is our city, let us preserve it. Houston this is our home, let us protect it. Houston this is our Houston, let us invest in it. And together, let’s move forward to make this the best city that this world has ever seen.

God bless us all!

Warmest regards, 

Houston's MLK Parade - NASA is participating - volunteers needed to assist this year from efamily member Janice Weaver..take the kids enjoy!

From Efamily member Janice Weaver -
 Earnest Goodrich <ebgn4good@aol.com>
To: nanangood <nanangood@aol.com>
Sent: Sat, Jan 6, 2018 10:57 PM
Subject: MLK Parade Volunteers

Hello Friends & Family members,

I hope you ended last year and started this year with a successful BANG!!! I'm contacting you on behalf of the Black Heritage Society's 40th Annual Original Parade & 2nd Annual MLK "Taste of Houston" Festival.

        WE NEED VOLUNTEERS for ALL SHIFTS & POSITIONS

This will be one of our largest parades, not only because of the 40th year milestone, but also because the AFL-CIO union is bringing thousands of members to celebrate with us, so we need all of the support volunteers we can get. Therefore, if you, your family, your friends, your organizations or even your students (who'll be awarded volunteer hours) can participate, we welcome you with open arms.

You can easily volunteer online by accessing:

1) www.BlackHeritageSociety.org;

2) From the Home page, click on the word MORE, in the top header;

3) This will take you directly to the Volunteer Sign-up page where you can signup for as many positions as you like, as long as they don't overlap. Also, please be flexible to change assignments if needed, hopefully this will only happen on rare occasions.

Of course, feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks for your consideration,

Norma 'Nana' Goodrich

Black Heritage Society Volunteer

Earnest 'Babalola' Goodrich, Sr.

Black Heritage Society Volunteer

Excellent Resource for Finding Summer Programs

http://summerprogramfinder.com/

Scholarships - Excellent Resource

https://jlvcollegecounseling.com/scholarships/

Art Event January 18th - Robbie Lee

HISD School Board Member Wanda Adams invites you to KTSU RADIO WE ARE RISING event - HISTORY OF HBCUs

http://ktsuradio.com/tellthemwearerising/

Sad news - Ms. Nellye Joyce Punch - A Legacy of Helping Others!

Nellye Joyce
Lewis Punch
1921-2017
Nellye Joyce Punch, one of Houston's dedicated educators and community activist, departed this life on Dec. 25th and made her earthly transition. She was a devoted science teacher at E. O. Smith Jr. High School for 36 years, Chair of the science department and also worked as a consultant for HISD prior to her retirement. She was a graduate of Phillis Wheatley High School where she met her late husband, Richard H. Punch. They were blessed with two daughters, Sheila A. Lockhart and Delores Christine Browne. The impact of her life will live on for many generations to come. As a faithful member and Elder of Pinecrest Presbyterian Church, her memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 6th at 11:00 a.m. at 4913 Market St.

Published in Houston Chronicle on Jan. 5, 2018http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=nellye-punch&pid=187734753&fhid=2903Mrs. Punch singlehandedly made sure that when the freeway came through 5th Ward there was a Collingsworth Exit - which was originally NOT on the Books! Mrs. Punch was an active member of the Lyons Health Clinic Board with my mom, Mattie Blackshear and started the Baby Buddy program to provide prenatal health and goods to young mothers.Mrs. Punch started a back to school shoe program to provide shoes to kids going back to school. She was active in the Scattergood Club which many of you know my mom was a founder and active leader. Her smile, her steadfastness (I will never forget being at an HTA meeting as a kid in the background sitting next to my mom when Mrs. Punch rose up, stood up, spoke up for our community as one of very few African American teachers in this organization.Those are my personal accounts - more of her life is chronicled at https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/aalgs/00004/aal-00004.html  If you google her you will find many articles of her activism in the Houston Chronicle over the many years of her life.Another role model, sadly gone. Services are tomorrow at the church she worked very hard to keep going with fundraisers and she never left its 5th Ward home.

Photo of Clara Meek with Danny Glover at the Transafrica Fundraiser! Courtesy of efamily member Phyllis Darden-Caldwell

Clara Meek - Friend, Neighbor, Efamily Member, PLEASE READ in its Entirety

CLARA MEEK

1949 - 2017 Obituary Condolences

Clara Loraine Meek
1949-2017
Clara Loraine Meek, retired partner with Vinson & Elkins LLP, passed away Saturday, December 23, 2017 at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Clara was born to Clara Ethel Gray Meek and Omri Rossar Meek, Sr. on June 30, 1949. She was the last of eleven children, and is survived by sister Doris Meek Rowl. Clara was preceded in death by sisters Zelma, Eureka, Bobbie Jean, Delores, Raythalia, Yedobaty, and Gwendolyn, and brothers Edward Johnson and Omri, Jr.
She was a longtime member of Loyal Missionary Baptist Church in Houston where she enjoyed worshipping with her sisters.
Clara's journey began in Marshall, Texas as a bright, energetic young girl attending segregated schools, beginning at the age of four. As a young teenager, she moved to Houston, Texas to attend Jack Yates High School. Upon high school graduation, she attended Texas Southern University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BBA in Management, and even served as an exchange student at the University of Wisconsin. Clara soon evolved into a mature, determined young woman who would eventually enter graduate school at the prestigious Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. There, she earned both a Master of Public Affairs and a PhD. She later earned a Doctorate of Jurisprudence at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, where she graduated with honors.
During her career, she worked as a research consultant at the Ford Foundation; served as a consultant to the New Jersey State Department of Higher Education; assistant dean and assistant professor at Howard University's School of Business and Public Administration in Washington, D.C.; analyst for the United States Commission on Civil Rights; and program analyst and deputy office director for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Upon earning her JD, Clara joined the law firm of Vinson & Elkins LLP in August of 1985. She reached the pinnacle of her career in January of 1994 when she became the first African American partner?globally?at Vinson & Elkins LLP, leading what was then known as Business Litigation. There, she worked with, then managing partner and mentor Harry Reasoner, on complex antitrust cases until her retirement. In her capacity as partner, she also served as chair of the partnership's Election Committee that oversaw the election of new partners. During that time, less than 2 percent of the partners in major law firms in the country were African American.
Reasoner commented, "Clara was an outstanding lawyer. She played great roles in our billion win against the Santa Fe Railroad, and for Shell in an eight month long arbitration in Washington, D.C., where we won several hundred million. Illness ender her career as a great lawyer."
Clara was a strong-willed, dedicated, and determined gentle giant among giants. She maintained hope that 'right' would prevail in spite of the odds. She selflessly gave of herself in the community. She willingly helped numerous individuals and served countless organizations in capacities as both board member as well as ardent supporter. Organizations include TransAfrica, the Houston Area Urban League, the NAACP (life member), the National Council of Negro Women (life member), People on the Move for Christ Ministries (a nonprofit that operates a food pantry in Houston's Third Ward), the African American Studies Program at the University of Houston, and Houston Area Women's Center Guild. She has served on the boards of the local United Negro College Fund, DePelchin Children's Center, Jazz Education, Inc., The Bakari Fund, and the W. J. Durham Legal Society, as well as many other entities.
She also treasured her longtime friendship with mentor the Honorable retired United States Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley. He recounted, "Clara was a preeminent lawyer, very meticulous in everything she did. She had a high sense of professionalism and was always concerned about her fellow man. She was the benefactor of a wonderful education and she sought relentlessly for those less fortunate than she. Even in her latest illness, she never relented seeking justice for all human beings."
Clara was an extraordinarily compassionate and generous individual, often assuming full responsibility for the success of a plethora of causes and various forms of positive social activism and humanitarianism. Outside of organized community service, Clara was known for her strong advocacy for the underserved and disenfranchised, not only in Houston, but also across the United States and even around the world. This was evidenced by her yearlong relocation to Africa to advance her efforts to that end. No stranger to local, state, and national politics, Clara was frequently and vehemently engaged in projects and campaigns, even founding Women for Turner in 1991, in her work to elect Houston's current mayor, her friend, to the position he holds today. This group remains an active component of Mayor Sylvester Turner's campaign.
Clara took most pride in helping to take care of her family, especially as her siblings grew older. She was a devoted sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. Her quiet generosity spoke volumes and is unmatched in most circles.
It is with deep appreciation that her nephew and caretaker, Donald Ray Landor, is acknowledged for his dedication and devotion during her illness.
Clara departed this earth as humbly as she was born. She left it much better than she found it, and moreover, she departed the way she lived?surrounded by friends and family who loved her dearly and will cherish her always.
While Clara supported numerous organizations and charities, she was most passionate about the African American Studies Program at the University of Houston. In her honor, an endowed scholarship is being established in her name within that program. Checks can be made payable to:
African American Studies
Program
University of Houston
Dr. James L. Conyers, Jr.,
Director
Agnes Arnold Hall 628
Houston, TX 77204-3047
Online donations may be made via the following URL: http://www.uh.edu/class/aas/supportus/
Per Clara's wishes, her family will return her remains to her birthplace, Marshall, Texas.

Published in Houston Chronicle on Dec. 31, 2017

Scholarship for Women in Cybersecurity-deadline Jan 31st

President's Scholarship for Women in Cybersecurity There is a huge need for cybersecurity professionals with there being almost 1 million open job positions globally, estimated to grow to a massive 3.5 million openings by 2021. However, what is surprising is that only 11% of the current cybersecurity workspace consists of women, with only a meager 1% of women as C-Level Executives. It is time for women to take a stand toward promoting a cyber safe industry and break stereotypes by coming forward to bridge this gap. EC-Council University, in recognizing this gap, has taken a strong stand in promoting Women in Cybersecurity, globally, by offering a President's Scholarship to encourage and increase the participation of women in this domain. All women are encouraged to apply for this scholarship valued at USD 2000 that can be used against a successful application toward a Bachelors or Masters degree program. Tell us what you think about 'Women in Cyber Leadership' and apply for a President's Scholarship opportunity, awarded by EC-Council University President -Lata Bavisi, a Leading Woman in Advocating Cybersecurity Education. Deserving candidates will be selected on the following criteria: 1 All admission requirements must be met 2 An essay of 200 words on what you think about Women in Cyber Leadership 3 Deadline is 31st January 2018 For more details contact us at presidentsscholarship@eccu.edu

Goodwill online educational website with many useful tutorials, reading and math tips how to use devices such as ipads etc.

Goodwill has a great online educational website with many useful tutorials, including how to operate various devices (e.g., mobile phones, ipads); reading and math tips, and more.  See https://www.gcflearnfree.org. 

Several Programs at MIT for your High School Student

https://oeop.mit.edu/programs