As the world continues to move at a lightning quick pace and people are immersed in their day-to-day lives, struggling to survive in a weak economy, parents are pressed to encourage their children, even though they may be in need of encouraging words themselves. Michelle Goldsborough found herself confronted with that issue and in the process of addressing it, the Parents Empowerment Group was born. The group is committed to empowering socially and economically disadvantaged parents and children while strengthening communities through educational workshops. The goal is to provide parents with the tools to assist them with the everyday challenges that occur in their lives, while allowing this positive enlightenment to be passed down to the children. Rolling out had a chance to talk with the busy founder and CEO to discuss the future of this much-needed organization. –christa e. jackson
How did the Parents Empowerment Group get started?
As a paralegal for more than 15 years, I was discussing the black-on-black violence that was occurring in Philadelphia. I went home that night and watched the news, and saw a mother crying because her son had just been murdered … at the time my sons were around the same age [14 and 17] and I thought about how that could have been me. A group of parents that included Amelia Brown, Sandra Dorsey, Dominique London and myself, got together to have a black youth retreat and take a group of inner-city children from Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del.; and Vineland, N.J.; to a golf resort called Harbourtown in St. Michaels, Md. We wanted them to realize there is a whole other world out there, outside of just their community.
What is the mission of the Parents Empowerment Group?
Our mission is to empower parents one person at a time. By strengthening the parent, we strengthen the lives of our children.
Talk about the relaunch of the group and the event this weekend.
In June of 2007 when we had that first retreat, we were just a group of parents who wanted to make a difference. We didn’t know what it took to stay afloat. But now with Jennifer Williams as vice president and general counsel assisting Amelia Brown and others, we are now starting over with our relaunch event on Friday, April 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Independence Visitors Center in Philadelphia. Rolling out’s COO, Randy Fling, [will serve] as master of ceremonies for a great panel of powerful speakers, [which will include]: Michael Blake, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown; Michael Bowlds, president and CEO of Mountaintop Marketing; Margarita Anderson, CEO of the Empowerment Experiment; and Warren A. Brown Esq. We encourage anyone who wants to participate to come out, but you must RSVP ahead of time, and that can be done by going to parentsempowermentgroup.eventbrite.com/.
For more information about the Parents Empowerment Group, log on to https://www.parentsempowerment.org/.
