Good Morning! Today is going to be another hot and humid day with a heat index near 105°. The weatherman is calling for a mixture of clouds and sunshine with a high of 97°.

Did you know that on this day in 1896 the National Association of Colored Women was founded in Washington, D.C.? The association's goals were to protect the reputation of African American women, while also improving social conditions in their communities. Founders of the NACW included Harriet Tubman, Frances E.W. Harper, Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, and Mary Church Terrell. By 1916, their membership swelled to over 100,000. NACW created kindergartens, nurseries, settlements, and homes for working girls, dependent children, and the elderly. Their later focus was on civil rights.  The NACW, which is still active today, was formed by the merging of what two groups? Click here for the answer.

Here’s what’s brewing in the news:

Youth to go homeless

This Friday is “Hope in the Darkness Night.” Over 100 youth from around the Qcity will gather in the parking lot of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in uptown to experience a night of homelessness. The demonstration is to bring awareness to homelessness and to help youth gain a better perspective of what it means to go without. Participants are members of Inspire the Fire, a non-profit organization committed to inspiring change in adolescents through faith, fun, and the arts.

“We are raising awareness about homelessness in the city of Charlotte and we are remembering all the people who lost their homes in Joplin, in Alabama and other places that have suffered these natural disasters,” said ITF founder Dennis Reed. “It’s a demonstration of what it means to put ourselves last and others first.”

The event will go on rain or shine. The youth and some of their families will spend the night sleeping in boxes and going without the comforts of home, including their cell phones. They will also come up with scenarios about how they became homeless.

“We realize that all people who become homeless do not have substance abuse problems,” said Reed. “That could be the case for some of them, but some of them have just had bad times or bad luck. Some of them have college degrees.”

Marquez Moore, 15, said he is participating because he wants to know what it’s like to live on the street. He anticipates it will be hard for him to go without his cell phone, even if only for one night. Prior to being presented with the idea, Moore said he never really considered what it would be like to be homeless. “I just can’t imagine not having a home,” he said.

Moore will be joined Friday night by his mother Raven Young and a younger sibling. Young said she hopes that her two children learn to appreciate the value of money and how hard parents work to take care of their children. She also wants them to learn they are no different from those who are homeless.

“All of us could be less than a paycheck from being in their situation,” she said. “It’s also good for them to know that there are young kids their age that are living on the streets.”

Each summer, ITF facilitates a week long conference for youth (ages 10-21) to exhibit their talents through music, dance visual arts and dramatic workshops. This Sunday they will put on their annual production - which includes original music and theatrical performances - at the McGlohon Theater (130 N. Tryon St.). For more information log onto inspirethefire.org or contact Tonicia Mullins at toniciamullins@live.com
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Case of Broken “Gaydar”

An Indiana man who says he is straight is suing a blood bank for sexual-orientation discrimination after he says he was turned away for “acting gay.” Aaron Pace, 22, visited Bio-Blood Components in Gary, Ind. earlier this month hoping to pocket $40 for a blood and plasma donation but says he was turned away after a screener told him he she suspected he was homosexual. "I was humiliated and embarrassed," Pace, 22, told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's not right that homeless people can give blood but homosexuals can't. And I'm not even a homosexual." The Food and Drug Administration enacted a policy in 1983 that bars homosexual men and women from donating blood. (Read more here)

QUESTION: Do you think the FDA should lift the ban on homosexuals donated blood and plasma? 
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Free workshop for parents with children in public school

A parent workshop titled “Helping Parents Understand Their Civil Rights
in Regard to Public Education” will be held Saturday, July 30 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Johnson C. Smith University – Biddle Hall. Breakfast will be provided.

The workshop is free and open to the public. The event is being sponsored by the Coalition for Strengthening Community Education in Charlotte, JCSU and Crossroads Charlotte.

For more information, contact Rev. Mildred McCullough, CSCEC Chair at mmccullough8@carolina.rr.com or 704.379.7544. To attend, RSVP to Ms. Sherrill Hampton at shampton@jcsu.edu or via fax at 704.378.3536 by Monday, July 25.

*** Do you have something to say? This is your chance to speak out. Share what's brewing on your mind in the comment section below. 

Got news to share with Qcity readers? Email us at editor@qcitymetro.com.
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