We hit the road and brought the tour to the Big Easy making our first visit to Xavier University. As usual we met plenty of impressive students who were happy to interact with us, our sponsors and the experts and celebrities we brought to campus.
We heard great comments about the many workshops and panels and the opportunity to meet the tour participants up close. Here is a brief sample of some of the comments:
"My friend Alicia and I had a great conversation with Amir Windom. He truly inspired me to stick with my major and to stay focused!"
- Rosalyn, Sophomore, Memphis, TN, Chemistry Pre-Pharmacy Major
I enjoyed the cooking demo with Chefs Das and Kevin. Each one of them were unique in their cooking styles, and I loved hearing about their journeys to becoming chefs.
When sitting in on Define Your Pretty, I enjoyed the speakers and the topics. It was a great forum for us women, and some men, to just bring our confidence levels up and to feel even more empowered to take on the world.
- Ava, Senior, Philadelphia, PA, Spanish Major
Participating in the UNCF Tour was a very good experience. The lectures that were offered were very insightful and I feel as though they brought the Xavier community together for a quick second through all those that attended. In the end, I enjoyed it.
- Denitra, Sophomore
The UNCF Empower Me Tour was an awesome experience for myself and my peers. I enjoyed listening to successful African Americans share their words of wisdom with us. It was also a great networking opportunity! It's great to know that they really care about giving back to the community in a mentoring fashion. It was empowering and inspiring!
- Kelsey, Junior, Chicago, IL, Sociology Major
It was another great experience for the tour and the many participants who joined us. Thank you to all who made this tour stop a success!
PARTICIPATING in the empowerment tour was very, rewarding. I was proud to see young black men and women eager to gather information pertaining to their education. One of the most rewarding moments of the Empowerment tour was my one on one conversation with Michael J. Burrell, President of Paul Quinn College. The student workshop enabled the students to interact, talk and work with fellow students, professionals , and black entrepreneurs. This tour is a must for college bound students. HBCU’s are a important part of our youths future and our communities.
ReplyDeleteNorris Coleman, S.E.A. Youth Mentor. Houston Tx.
My apology to Mr. Micheal J. Sorrell for misspelling his name. The importance of checking your comments before posting.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting Mr. Sorrell at the Empowerment Tour at Paul Quinn College
Norris Coleman S.E.A. Youth Mentor. Houston, Tx.
My name is Jaime L. Woodard, the founder of We Deserve Our Lives Back.com this web site is dedicated to promoting legislation that will allow many first time, non-violent ex-offenders an opportunity to return to society and regain their lives as productive citizens. They will be given the opportunity to become productive citizens who are free from the lifetime stigma of a federal felony conviction. This stigma has become a civil death sentence for many.
ReplyDeleteMost citizens believe that when someone who made a mistake has completed the punishment decreed by the court, that person has "Paid Their Full Debt to Society" and are thus free to resume their lives as they were before. Nothing is further from the truth. Under current Federal law, someone convicted of a federal felony will suffer the collateral consequences and lifetime stigma of the conviction, regardless of the magnitude of the offense.
In our judicial system, the magnitude of the felony offense determines the degree of punishment decreed by the courts. The collateral consequences suffered upon completion of an offender's court ordered punishment is not. Under federal law, the post conviction treatment of a non-violent offender is the same as that of someone who may have committed the most egregious of violent offenses. There is a remedy for this injustice for those who have violated state laws. Many jurisdictions allow ex-offenders to apply for expungement of their criminal record. State courts grant the request for expungement in many instances. There is no such option available to the ex-offender under current federal law.
In 1999, I was convicted of Theft by Mail; and ten years later, I continue to pay for that valueless moment in my life. True, I belittled myself and inconvenienced many people, but ten years later, I should not have to continue to pay for that same mistake. I deserved my punishment, I deserved the hardship that I encountered after my release, I deserved the denials of employment and having to regain society’s trust, however I, also, deserve my life back.
Since my release, I have furthered my education so I can have the opportunity to become a productive member of society, yet my Bachelors and, soon, Masters Degree in Social Work will be worthless, due to the fact that the federal guidelines for sentencing never implemented an expungement program. Gainful employment is a stepping stone to productive citizenship. One-time ex-offenders learned from their mistakes and should have a chance to establish a career without any barriers. We are not excusing what we did but just asking for that second chance.
If you are a first-time, non-violent, ex-federal offender, know anyone who might affected by the unsuccessful reintegration into society after incarceration of a non-violent, federal crime or simply support the idea of giving people a second chance to live their lives, please contact me. I can be reached at 201-966-1251 or jaimelwoodard@gmail.com. My goal is to get 100,000 signatures and present them to our freeholders, representatives and, finally, Congress. Let's eliminate recidivism and get our lives back. Supporters who want to sign the petition or view comments for the H.R. 5492 bill can visit www.wedeserveourlivesback.com and click on the tab, Petition for H.R.5492.
Jaime Woodard