Celebrating what would have been Dr. King's 79th birthday, PUSH for Excellence (PUSH Excel) will present high school and college students from across the nation with scholarships during a breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 E. North Water Street, Chicago.
A roundtable discussion during the Scholarship Breakfast will feature William "Bill" Cosby, Ph.D., educator and comedian; Cheryle Jackson, president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League; and Jonathan Kozol, author of "Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools" (Harper Perennials, 1997).
Immediately following the breakfast, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition will host a job fair at the organization's headquarters. The job fair offers community members seeking employment -- including returned veterans and ex-offenders -- the opportunity to meet with representatives of leading companies.
"We host this job fair in the tradition of Dr. King of not only educating the people but fighting for access to equal employment opportunities as well," says Rev. Jackson.
Since 1975, PUSH-Excel has sought to encourage students and their parents to strive toward academic excellence, and to make education and the development of America's youth a shared community function. Annually, PUSH-Excel expands educational opportunities to youth across the nation by providing academic scholarships, testing and college preparation, oratorical competitions, and juvenile mentoring and early intervention programs.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization devoted to protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. To learn more, please visit www.rainbowpush.org or call (773) 373-3366. To arrange an interview with Rev. Jackson, please call the numbers listed above.
JOB FAIR
Commemorating the life and achievements of the great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, will host a job fair from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, 2008, at the organization's headquarters, 930 E. 50th Street.
"We know there is not a skills shortage, but an opportunity shortage for minorities in our country," said Rev. Jackson. "We provide job fairs as one more vehicle to level the playing field and allow diverse candidates to establish themselves as valued contributors to the workforce." The job fair, which follows Monday morning's 18th Annual PUSH Excel Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Breakfast, will give community members seeking employment, including returned veterans and ex-offenders, the opportunity to meet with representatives from top-ranked companies. Despite the current economic situation, many are hiring and all will accept resumes.
"This is a great extension of the scholarship breakfast," said Marjorie McKinnon-Price, Rainbow PUSH National Director of Human Resources. "We honor Dr. King's dream by giving scholarships to the youth, and equality in outreach through employment on the day honoring his accomplishments."
Companies in attendance will include Walgreens, Home Depot, Safer Foundation, Schneder Corp., City Bank, National Able Network and more.
The organization's goal is to remind America of Dr. King's mission and dream.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization devoted to protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. To learn more, please visit www.rainbowpush.org or call (773) 373-3366. To arrange an interview with Rev. Jackson, please call the numbers listed above.
18th annual PUSH-Excel Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers 301 E. North Water Street, Chicago. Today, 8am to 10am 773-373-3366 www.rainbowpush.org
Job Fair Rainbow PUSH Coalition 930 E. 50th Street Today, 12noon to 4pm 773-373-3366 www.rainbowpush.org
