#NNPA BlackPress

The Courage to be Curious: A Head Start Success Story

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In the Head Start program, I found a community of my peers, where we learned civility, courtesy, kindness, and sharing. I learned to share and to compromise; to accommodate and to push back; and to be sensitive and kind to others in the daily exercise of dealing with other people.

Published

1 year ago

February 24, 2025

Oakland Post

By National Head Start Association

Dr. Eric Motley worked as a special assistant to President George W. Bush. He was director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office. He served as executive vice president at the Aspen Institute. In 2017, Dr. Motley published Madison Park, A Place of Hope, adding the author to his resume. Most recently, he joined the National Gallery of Art as deputy director. In an interview with the National Head Start Association (NHSA), Dr. Motley attributed the courage to be curious about his experience at Head Start.

NHSA: When and where did you attend Head Start?

Dr. Motley: I attended Madison Park Head Start in Montgomery, Alabama, in a little African American community called Madison Park. Madison Park might not easily be found on a GPS, but it is there, like so many other small towns that are home to people across the country. Madison Park is in the city limits of Montgomery, but barely. It is an African American community that was founded in 1880 by a group of freed slaves, and my grandfather’s grandfather was one of those founders. It is my legacy. It remains the place that I call home.

NHSA: Is there anything you remember from your time at Head Start?

Dr. Motley: I remember all the kids at the Head Start program were the kids that I grew up within the community. Some kids lived across the street, there were kids that I went to church with, so they were all familiar. I remember the bus driver who picked us up. I remember the school principal Mrs. Shirley Peevey, who was a very rotund, Rubenesque-framed woman who was very demanding and always serious. I remember that she had a wide smile with a tooth missing. I remember two teachers that I had: one was Mrs. Womack and the other was Mrs. Lee. Mrs. Womack and Mrs. Lee were two of the kindest most thoughtful and nurturing women. I think they knew they were transporting precious cargo to some great destination, and so they cared for us with such love, tenderness, and concern. I remember them being ever-present and teaching us our alphabet. I remember playtime, nap time, and I remember our break time where they would bring out celery sticks, carrots, and apple slices. I think it was my first discovery that I did not like celery. And I realized then that it was probably some of the only juice or fruit that some of these kids ever got. But what I most fondly remember is reading time - hearing the stories and all the characters coming alive right before our very eyes.

NHSA: Dr. Motley, how do you think your early learning experience may have impacted your preparedness for school or your experiences beyond?

Dr. Motley: Another quality that my teachers possessed was patience. They were remarkably patient because I was very precocious, and I always had a lot of questions to ask, always. They never hushed me. They encouraged my inquisitiveness and always sought to address all the questions that I had. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a really curious person. I always have a lot of questions and a lot of thoughts about things. Even then, I was unafraid to inquire, to reflect, and to share my thoughts. A large portion of that courage was inspired by those teachers that I interacted with in Head Start.

In the Head Start program, I found a community of my peers, where we learned civility, courtesy, kindness, and sharing. I learned to share and to compromise; to accommodate and to push back; and to be sensitive and kind to others in the daily exercise of dealing with other people. I went on to university, and then I went on to Scotland, where I received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. Those early foundation stones were laid by Head Start, and to a very large degree, propelled me for a lifelong pursuit of reflection, learning, asking questions, and engaging with others.

NHSA: Is there any advice you have for current Head Start children and families or any other wisdom you have to impart?

Dr. Motley: Head Start is rightly called Head Start since it is about the head — the cultivation of the mind — but it is also about giving kids who might not have access or means to get a Head Start, to get a little extra push. So that they, like others who may have the means for other educational alternatives, can compete.

I do think it is critical that parents demonstrate their concern and interest as their kids are going through Head Start…that they be present and that they become a part of that learning experience with their children. It is a reminder to both students and parents of the importance of learning. The students, like I do, will forever recognize the importance of the early investment made in them. The last thing I would say is to teachers: should you lose hope and faith, remember that you never know how the seed that you are planting is going to grow and develop. Most teachers will never have the opportunity to see the materialization and maturity of their students throughout an extended period. And sometimes it takes many years for an idea or a lesson to materialize in a person’s mind and heart, so don’t lose hope. You’re in it for the long game, realizing that the investment you are making will one day make great returns.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie, A Man for All Seasons, captures a moment when a young, ambitious man wonders, “What should I do with my life?” The admirable Sir Thomas More replies, “You are smart, thoughtful, and caring … you should become a teacher.” The young man refutes the suggestion by asking, “But who would know?” Only to have Sir Thomas respond, “Who would know? The children you teach would know; their children would know; God would know. Not a bad audience!” And such is the influence of a teacher upon generations.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Soul and R&B Universe Mourns Loss of Roberta Flack, Gwen McCrae and Jerry Butler

Don't Miss

MSNBC Cancels Joy Reid’s Show “The Reid Out”

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

6 days ago

February 27, 2026

admin

Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,