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CONTACT: Yolanda Neals Kalamazoo, MI (BlackNews.com) - Strength in adversity. That should be the motto of Mothers of Hope, a group of women in Kalamazoo, (Mich) who will deflect the attention from various groups of national White Supremacists whom thousands are alleged to violently rally in Kalamazoo this weekend. Thus placing the security of the overall African-American community in jeopardy much like what these same racist groups did in Toledo, Ohio back in 2005. The women supporting Mothers of Hope are working diligently to capture the attention of the black families in Kalamazoo, especially the young and vulnerable at-risk youth as well as the homeless, whom are prime targets for the supremacist to prey on. The Mothers of Hope intend to supply the vulnerable with much love, food, fun, prayer and priceless information to better help guide their overall community in a more positive direction. The Mothers of Hope gathering is being called The Ultimate Family Reunion and will be held from Noon until 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4th, 2007 (the same day as the white supremacist rally). It will feature food, games, entertainment and inspirational messages to inspire youth and adults; all in attempts to take the focus off of a potentially hostile confrontation of hatred based on race. "We are taking the sour lemons from the fact that the white racists are coming to town, and choosing to make some loving, delicious sweet homemade lemonade out of the opportunity to gather the black family and share in the positive energy of love unified and multiplied," said Yolanda Neals, spokesperson for Mothers of Hope. In support of the Ultimate Family Reunion, assistance from various entities from throughout Kalamazoo and the country have poured in to help. In addition, national speaker and author, Janice Higgins-Hawkins (www.janicehiggins.com) has volunteered to present the keynote address. Higgins-Hawkins lived for decades with the burden she contributed to her mother's murder. She believed that after telling her mother she was molested by her stepfather, he killed her. That burden pressed her toward a life of rebellion that eventually landed her in the Central California Women Facility. Today, she is founder of P.R.O.J.E.C.T. R.A.G.E. (Release Anger and Guilt for Empowerment). The mission of the non-profit organization is to help young people deal with anger and guilt by presenting positive and empowering experiences in their lives. Today, she lives in San Diego, Calf., where she is an evangelist at Faith Chapel Church of God in Christ. Mrs. Janice Higgins-Hawkins life is so incredible that her life is about to be made into a movie. Yes. This Evangelist has a movie deal on the table with Lexicon Entertainment and shooting is scheduled to begin this Fall. Her book tour started in February of 2007 and is slated to be in Atlanta in August 30 through September 6, 2007. CNN will cover her story in a live interview on August 31,2007 CNN Center and she will be featured in an autograph signing at Waldens Bookstore on that day from Noon - 2PM. Mrs. Higgins-Hawkins message to the youth of Kalamazoo will be the 'power of choice' and how they are accountable for the choices and actions that shape their lives. To the Kalamazoo parents, she will share the importance of supporting their children through the midst of all struggles praying all the way to the victory! The Ultimate Family Reunion is part of past and future actions over the last year by various groups of concerned citizens within the community to combat racial profiling and other discriminatory processes in the City of Kalamazoo. "Over the past 10 months we have marched around the police station, begged our city officials for help at commission meetings, hosted community forums, gathered in the community and things simply seem to get worse not better. So now we will come together as a whole on Monday, Aug. 6th, at 6:00pm to unite with others in our community and invite people from across the country as we rally and host a symbolic funeral processional to bury the "D" word (discrimination) just like the NAACP just did for the "N" word. We will focus on ending all of the blatant inequalities that support institutional racism here in this town" says Neals. Participants will meet at the town's Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Rose Street and march a few blocks down to the City Hall steps. "This is our public statement that this city needs to reshape its actions to include more ethnic minority representation in the areas of local government, education, public safety and community leadership," said Neals. "Because we are sick and tired of being taken ill advantage of." The August 4th, rally by the White Supremacists is not a coincidence. Spokesperson for the protesters, radio show host Hal Turner, said they are coming to Kalamazoo to help the police with gang violence against whites. However, the rally comes on the one year anniversary of a very publicized controversial racial profiling case which led to wide-spread media attention and the dismissal of charges on the youth in question, then high school senior Terance Moore, who also happens to be the son of Yolanda Neals. Mothers of Hope is a being supported by over 130 women in this community now that Yolanda Neals and her sister Stephanie Moore began mobilizing the women around issues dear to the heartbeat of the African-American community in Kalamazoo. Mothers of Hope originated back in 1999 with 3 African-American women recovering from substance abuse who saw the need to advocate and support other women going through issues that were directly affecting their families as well as the overall community and rooted in some type of substance abuse as well.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2007
Sonya Bernard-Hollins
269-998-7012
thescribeinc@sbcglobal.net
Mothers of Hope
kzootmp68@yahoo.com
KALAMAZOO MOTHERS NEED NATIONWIDE HELP TO TURN NEGATIVE NATIONAL WHITE SUPREMACIST RALLY AGAINST YOUNG BLACK MALES INTO A POSITIVE MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE
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