PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) – 21 August 2024 --  For the 17th consecutive year, the City Of Philadelphia will ring in the academic year for school children throughout the School District of Philadelphia, which commences on Monday, 26 August 2024, with the observance of the National Million Father March which the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://houseofumoja.net) is leading and organizing.  
        On Monday, 26 August 2024 --  the first day of the 2024-2025 academic year for the School District Of Philadelphia, the House Of Umoja, Inc. will lead by example with a march from the institution’s office at 5625 West Master Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Overbrook High School which is located at 5898 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Fathers and Father Figures are asked to arrive at the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s office at 5625 West Master Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 7:00 A.M. on Monday, 26 August 2024.  Participants will also carpool to support those participants who are elderly or have health issues which may make it difficult for them to walk to Overbrook High School.  The cars will form a motorcade that will be a component of the march from the House Of Umoja, Inc. to Overbrook High School on Monday, 26 August 2024.  The 2024 National Million Father March in Philadelphia is supported in part by the Philadelphia Activities Fund (https://phlactivitiesfund.org);  the Father’s Day Rally Committee (https://fathersrally.com);  and City Of Philadelphia Councilmember The Honorable Curtis Jones, Jr.
              Established in 1968,  the House Of Umoja, Inc., an internationally acclaimed institution that has a successful track record in addressing and reducing violence and positively transforming the trajectory of the lives of over 3,000 male adolescents in Philadelphia that spans 56 years, is encouraging all Fathers throughout the City of Philadelphia to participate in the 2024 National Million Father March by taking a proactive role in the education of their child by, among other things:

• Escorting their child to school on Monday, 26 August 2024 – the first day of the 2024-2025 academic year for the School District of Philadelphia
• Meeting their child’s teachers and the principal of their child’s school
• Obtaining a copy of their child’s roster and a copy of the academic calendar of their child’s school
• Checking their child’s homework every day
• Reviewing their child’s test scores in English Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, etc.
• Enhancing their child’s literacy skills level by reading to their child and having their child read to them​

  “Improving exponentially the literacy skills of school age children throughout the School District of Philadelphia is a primary focus of the 2024 National Million Fathers March. This year the Philadelphia theme is #ReadingIsResistance.  Each year, through the administration of tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science statewide, the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment measures the skill level of school children in English Language Arts – reading and writing – and mathematics and science.  I had an opportunity to review the 2022-2023 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test result for English Language Arts – reading and writing.  Only 34% of all of the school children enrolled in Grades 3 through 8 throughout the entire School District Of Philadelphia are proficient in English Language Arts – reading and writing.  Low reading levels of 4th grade students are one of the determinants of the school to prison pipeline. Our READING Is RESISTANCE Initiative, which was launched earlier this year will continue to address the abysmal lack of proficiency in literacy skills of students enrolled in the Philadelphia School District.   Through Reading Is Resistance, we will also continue to push back against the banning of African American literature and history,” remarked Queen Mother Falaka Fattah. 
 
        The National Million Father March is an initiative created by the late Mr. Philip Jackson which was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois under the auspices of the Black Star Project (www.blackstarproject.com).  For further information about the National Million Father March which is now orchestrated by Fathers Incorporated, visit the website of Fathers Incorporated at www.fathersincorporated.com or send an electronic mail communication to:  [email protected].
-https://www.houseofumoja.net/mfm
 
        For further information about the House Of Umoja, Inc., visit the institution’s website at https://www.houseofumoja.net; call (215) 473-5893; or send an electronic mail communication to:  [email protected].

CONTACT: 
 
Mr. Anthony Bannister-Fattah
Coordinator, 2024 Philadelphia Million Fathers March
House Of Umoja, Inc.
(215) 473-5893
E-Mail:  [email protected]
 
Queen Mother Falaka Fattah
President and Chief Executive Officer
House Of Umoja, Inc.
Advisor, 2024 National Million Father March
(215) 473-5893
E-Mail:  [email protected]

P R E S S A D V I S O RY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anthony Bannister-Fattah (left) speaks at the entrance to Overbrook High School after leading a march to highlight the importance of fathers in preventing violence. He is accompanied by City Councilmember Curtis Jones (center) and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (right). (PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WHYY/Emma Lee). 

CONTACT: 
Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President & CEO
(215) 473-5893; [email protected]
 
        PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) – 20  February 2024 – Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the birthplace of the United States of America – the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net), a globally acclaimed institution, will launch its “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative in partnership with The City Root (https://www. thecityroot.com), an online publication which is founded by Mr. Kevin Chevalier who serve as the publication’s Publisher and Editor, in observance of African American History Month on Saturday, 24 February 2024 from 6:00 P.M. through 10:00 P.M. at the Ultra Silk Gallery, 3808 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania..    “Reading Is Resistance” Initiative is the brainchild of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the House of Umoja Inc. and a component of Philadelphia’s observance of the National Million Father March.   Addressing the rise in the banning of African American literature by schools and public libraries that is occurring in cities throughout the United States will also be explored by the House Of Umoja, Inc. during its observance of African American History Month on Saturday, 24 February 2024 at the Ultra Silk Gallery at 3808 Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.   The American Civil Liberties Union in Massachusetts (www.aclum.org) provides a list of literary works penned by African American authors that are being removed from schools and public libraries on its website. A number of schools and public libraries in Western Pennsylvania; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania have removed literary works penned by African American authors.  The arbitrary removal of books in schools and public libraries that has occurred in Pennsylvania, which raises constitutional issues, is being met with legislative push back.  Pennsylvania State Senator The Honorable Amanda Cappelletti has introduced legislation into the Pennsylvania General Assembly which prohibits schools and public libraries from banning books (see “Montgomery County State Senator Wants PA To Prevent Schools, Libraries From Banning Books” at https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/bill-prevent-book-bans-school-libraries-pennsylvania).  The book bans initiated by school boards in Pennsylvania are also being challenged by parents and community activists who have filed right-to-know requests to gain access to information regarding the various school boards’ decision to ban books (see “Moms For Liberty’s Extreme Agenda Gets Pushback From Pennsylvania Community,” at https://www. advocate.com/news/pennsylvania-pushback-moms-for-liberty). 

Therefore on Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm, House of Umoja Inc will co-host art and activism series PIECES OF PEACE at Ultra Silk Gallery located 3808 Lancaster Avenue in University City. Event is partnered with The City Root, an online Rolling Stone-esque publication, features the “Books vs Bullets 1968 - Present,” a multi-sensory panel discussion accentuated by an art exhibit, and live performances.

Currently, the 55 year old House of Umoja Inc. is continuing its 17th year as the Philadelphia component of the National Million Fathers March;  the march mobilizes fathers and father figures to be active in their children’s education. In 2007, the late David Fattah, Sr., patriarch of the House of Umoja, were selected by the late Philip Jackson, Founder of the Black Star Project and the Million Fathers March, to implement the march in the City of Philadelphia, teacher, David Fattah, Sr. proudly took the mantle and for twelve years mobilized fathers, uncles, neighbors, mentors, and friends to walk their children to school on the first day, secured their children’s rosters, met their teachers and school staff, and became more engaged in their children’s education. 

With a special focus on non-custodial fathers, in 2019 the House of Umoja launched its “Fathers Lead to Read Literacy Campaign,” led by Anthony Bannister-Fattah. He is the grandson of Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President and CEO of the House of Umoja, to encourage fathers and their children of any age to read and discuss books among one another as a bonding and educational exercise.

The City Root is an online, Rolling Stone-esque publication focused on the Greater Philadelphia Area that highlights the incredibly talented music scene and publishes important and entertaining stories and articles — from social commentary and media to sports and satire. Led by Publisher & Editor, Kevin Chevalier, The City Root is proud to bring Pieces of Peace to Ultra Silk Gallery alongside House of Umoja to showcase artist Amber Fulton, a student from the Philadelphia High School for Girls and the DASH program, and to offer a stage to an established group, Purple Phire, that deserves more shine. Further, Mr. Chevalier, a teacher and coach at Sayre, recognizes how valuable the Million Fathers March could be for his students and how beneficial an emphasis on reading will be in order to create more opportunities in higher education and in their future profession.

The House of Umoja, Inc., a Pennsylvania registered 501(c)(3) organization that empowers youth and communities through peace, culture, innovation, and education, drawing from its rich history of transforming lives, brokering peace, and creating global models of social change.

CONTACT:
Anthony Bannister-Fattah, Philadelphia Coordinator, 2024 Million Fathers March
Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, Advisor - 2024 Philadelphia National Million Fathers March
House of Umoja, Inc. (Umoja, Inc.)
(215) 473-5893
E-Mail: [email protected] ​

PRESS RSVP IN-PERSON https://www.houseofumoja.net/mediainquiries.html​ 
PRESS REGISTER FOR ZOOM https://bit.ly/HOUCGCFPressConf​
CLICK TO DONWLOAD PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:
Baba Hakim Tendaji
Coordinator, Philadelphia Collard Green Cultural Festival
House Of Umoja, Inc.
(215) 473-5893; text 267.428.6321
E-Mail:  [email protected]
https://houseofumoja.net/collardgreenfest

Your food is supposed to be your medicine and your medicine is supposed to be your food. ~African Proverb --
PRESS CONFERENCE
DATE: WEDNESDAY 31 MAY 2023
TIME: 10:00AM EST
LOCATION: PEACE GARDEN at 5625 Master St (David Fattah Way)
Philadelphia, PA 19131-3248
In Attendance / Agenda:
Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President & CEO, House of Umoja
Baba Hakim Tendaji - Coordinator, Philadelphia Collard Green Cultural Fest
Jacqueline Taylor-Adams - Festival Marketing Committee - Festival Details
Hezekiah - Recording Artist/Producer - Workshop Presenter: HEZEKIAH COLORS, Vol. Green
Black Farmers Representative
BURY YOUR BEEFS CEREMONY - record a beef you may have on a biodegradable napkin and beefs will be buried in the Peace Garden.
Q&A
Principles Available for Interview
Press Kits Available Upon Request

​ PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA)  --  30 Tuesday 2023 -- As it celebrates its 55th anniversary, the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://www.houseofumoja.net), which has brokered peace and invested in the future of children and youths in the City of Philadelphia for five (5) decades, by providing life lines for approximately at least 3,000 adolescent males and positively transforming the trajectory of their lives, continues to cultivate peace and hope in the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States.  On Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 10:00 A.M. at 5625 Master Street (David Fattah Way), the House of Umoja, Inc. will convene a press conference to unveil plans for the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival scheduled for 1 September 2023 through 2 September 2023.  The Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival (https://www.house ofumoja.net/collardgreenfest,html), which is a component of a series of events planned to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the House Of Umoja, Inc., was founded in 1998 in East Palo Alto, California by Dr. Mama Nobantu Ankoanda, an educator, former principal and founder of African-centered community based institutions. The festival was created as a means of raising funds for the Shule Mandela Academy.  It was exported to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the House Of Umoja, Inc. by Baba Hakim Tendaji, a House of Umoja and Philadelphia native who served on the original Collard Greens Festival Committee in East Palo Alto, California. (https://www.collardgreensculturalfestival.com/about).
 
              “When I moved from California back to Philadelphia and reengaged with the House of Umoja, I felt that the House of Umoja would be a great home for and steward of the Collard Greens Cultural Festival for the City of Philadelphia.  Building on Umoja’s strong culture-based community, focusing on accessible holistic health and wellness, and impacting youth and young adult street culture with more positive alternatives that serve their interests and needs are among the things I want to accomplish with the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival.  Our children and younger adults must be presented with an alternative to the culture of street life and the tools to develop better ways of healing.  I am reminded of an African proverb which counsels us that food is our medicine and our medicine is food.  Through the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival, our community will learn that what we eat and what we put into our bodies impacts our physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being.  A balanced and healthy diet which includes vegetables -- collard greens, as an example -- is a component of accessible holistic health and wellness.  Collard greens is cultural staple for African Americans and serves as one of the many healthy foods that should be our medicine.  From a cultural perspective, collard greens or Sukuma, which is the Swahili word for collard greens, is prominently served at meals that include fish or meat  or the main ingredient in stews in many African nations -- the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Benin; Nigeria; Tanzania; and Kenya,” explained Baba Tendaji who serves as the Coordinator of the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival under the umbrella of the House Of Umoja, Inc.
 
          “For fifty-four years, the House Of Umoja, Inc. has cultivated hope and peace throughout the City of Philadelphia.  Through the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival, the House Of Umoja continues to work to cultivate hope and peace in the nation’s sixth largest metropolitan region.  Poverty, poor nutrition, lack of cultural identity, dysfunctional family units, and a lack of hope are some of the underlying causative factors of the current gun violence emergency that plays out on the streets and in public transportation facilities in our great city. A recent report issued by the American Medical Association which was recently brought to my attention pointed out overt racism is the source of early deaths for African Americans.  It is not difficult to see how this occurs.  African Americans are more likely to live in environmentally toxic communities as they reside in older homes with old pipes through which water flows that taints their water supply while African American children attend classes in old buildings which have asbestos and old pipes that provide a tainted water supply.  Most African Americans live in food deserts -- residential areas in which major food stores that could provide them with access to healthy foods -- fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc.  are not accessible.  Then there is the issue of health disparities that encompass lack of access to expedient and high quality medical care and preventative health protocols for African Americans and the failure of health and medical professionals to administer to African American patients the proper medical protocols mandated by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address life-threatening medical conditions and diseases  It is not difficult to understand why there is such a pervasive lack of hope in the African American community.    The foods, cultural events, and workshops presented by the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival will help address many of the causes of the pervasive lack of hope in the African American community. If there is no hope, there will be no peace.  The mission of the Philadelphia Collard Greens Cultural Festival and the House Of Umoja, Inc. is to cultivate hope and peace and move communities and our city to cultivate hope and embrace peace,” remarked Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the House Of Umoja, Inc.
 
          Established in 1968, the House of Umoja, Inc. (https://www.houseofumoja.net)  is an  internationally acclaimed institution that has, for five decades, designed and implemented timeless Global Models for eradicating violence, fostering community development, creating economic sustainability, and addressing many of the key challenges that prevent boys and adolescent males from reaching their full potential and maturing into productive and successful adults.  Its successful track record of positively transforming the lives of approximately 3,000 male adolescents and reducing gang violence, moved universities and institutions to seek the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise.   The Office of Juvenile Justice and Prevention and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)  were among the institutions that sought the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise on gang violence reduction, youth programming, and community development.   Former United States Presidents The Honorable James Earl Carter, Jr. and the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan recognized the House of Umoja, Inc. for its pioneering work that has been documented in published articles such as “A Summons To Life,” by Robert Woodson of the American Enterprise Institute (www.aei.org)  in 1981 and “The Violent Juvenile Offender,” by Paul DeMuro and Richard Allison of the National Council On Crime and Delinquency (www.nccdglobal.org), in 1984.

          To RSVP call (215) 473-5893 or email [email protected]. Press may register to attend Zoom live stream at https://bit.ly/HOUCGCFPressConf.
 
Community members may register for more information about participating in the festival at https://www.houseofumoja.net/collardgreenfest,html. Alternatively, you may contact the House Of Umoja, Inc. (https://www.houseoumoja.net) by calling (215) 473-5893 or by sending an electronic mail communication to:  [email protected].