Youth Summer Employment

One component of the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is to provide youth with a summer employment opportunity. with pay scales to match federal minimum wage and target 12,000 for up to eight weeks of  summer employment.

ARRA is part of the new stimulus package signed into law by President Obama. This program encourages youth seeking summer employment to contact the person below based on your county of residence. Already available work sites are being identified. The program will serve economically disadvantaged youth between the ages of 14-24.

Eligibility requirements

Youth between ages of 14-24 who are low income, and have one or more of the following barriers:

• deficient in basic literacy skills
• school dropout
• homeless
• runaway
• foster child
• pregnant or parenting
• offender
• individual (including a youth with a disability) who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment.

For more information in Montgomery County,  contact Andrea Dillard at 931-551-9110

Summer Youth Program

Summer Jobs information about eligibility is available on the website www.ncacworkforce.org. The Intake form is a pre-application–it does not guarantee program acceptance! The intake form will also be available at the Tennessee Career Center at  Veterans Plaza 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 406.

We will no longer take phone numbers to apply, however, individuals will be directed to the Intake form on the website.

Clarksville For Obama in partnership with the Montgomery County Democratic Party will host a Honk for Barack Obama rally on Saturday, November 1, in front of McDonald’s at the intersection of Riverside Drive and N. 2nd Street, Clarksville, starting at 10:00a.m.

Clarksville-Montgomery County “League Of Voter Empowerment” (L.O.V.E.)

The League’s mission statement says the group “will endorse and vote for the candidates that we believe best support our agenda and we will work to vote out the elected officials that we know do not have the best interest of their constituents in mind.

During the last election season, nine candidates on the ballot endorsed by L.O.V.E. won their races and are still representing their constituency today. The League encourages everyone to cast your their vote on Election Day; “your vote is your voice!”

The League Of Voter Empowerment endorsements are:

• President of the United Sates: Barack Obama
• United States Senate: Robert D. Tuke
• United States House Of Representatives 7th congressional district: Randy G. Morris
• United States House Of Representatives 8th congressional district: John Tanner
• Tennessee Senate 22nd senatorial district: Tim Barnes
• Tennessee House Of Representatives 67th representative district: Joe Pitts
• Tennessee House Of Representatives 78th representative district: David W. Davidson
• City Judge: Charles Smith
• City Council Ward 3: Vincent S. Kruk
• City Council Ward 4: Edward Fowler
• City Council Ward 5: Candy Johnson
• City Council Ward 8: David Cutting
• City Council Ward 9: Joel Wallace
• City Council Ward 12: Jeff Burkhart

The League Of Voter Empowerment does not support the following referendum question:

REFERENDUM: Shall Resolution 08-7-2, which increases the local Motor Vehicle Privilege Tax for Education from Thirty Dollars ($30.00) to Fifty Dollars ($50.00) to be appropriated to the Clarksville Montgomery County School System’s Transportation Fund be approved?

Senator Thelma Harper and Senator Beverly Marrero will join Atty. Tim Barnes the Democratic Party nominee for State Senate District 22 as special guest speakers at the Early Vote Rally with the Montgomery County Democratic Party this Saturday, October 18, starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Montgomery County Election Commission.

State Senator Thelma Harper is considered one of the most powerful senators to represent the state of Tennessee. Senator Harper has for many years been a prominent and highly influential figure in the political, social, and civic lives of many.

State Senator Beverly Marrero is also scheduled to attend along with several prominent democratic elected officials and Democratic Party leaders.

After the rally party members will be going inside the election commission to vote as a group. The group will then canvass designated areas.

For more information please call (931) 801-4821 or (931) 273-7927

NAACP Hosts 62nd Annual State Convention in Clarksville, TN

The Saturday session of the conference begins at 7:30 a.m. with a breakfast for W. I. N. (Women in the NAACP) and the youth. After breakfast, the conference continues with a variety of workshops for both adults and youth. At noon there will be an awards luncheon followed by more workshops. The evening concludes with the Freedom Awards Banquet beginning at 6:30 p.m.

NAACP Tennessee State Conference of Branches President Mrs. Gloria J. Sweet-Love made the anouncement, which is presented here:

We gather here this morning in this historic “Queen City” to announce that the Clarksville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will host the 62nd Annual State Convention of the Tennessee State Conference NAACP.

The Tennessee State Conference NAACP in coalition with, the mayors of Clarksville and Montgomery County, Business and Corporate Partners, Governmental Entities, Members of Organized Labor and NAACP Officials and members from across this great state come to announce that your city has been chosen to host our Annual Convention.  The Convention Hotel is the Riverview Inn, located at 501 College St, in Clarksville.

Today, our country faces some enormous challenges:

• Ending the disastrous war in Iraq
• Getting our economy back on the right track
• Combating catastrophic climate change
• Addressing an energy crisis, that is putting the squeeze on too many poor & middle class families in America

Today, because we don’t have a living wage, many workers barely make enough per hour to buy a gallon of gas.  Because we have buried our heads in the sand and failed to address “Environmental Racism:”

• Families in our counties and across our state are dying from chemical contamination caused by illegal and irresponsible land fill
• Poor disposal practices that have contaminated soil and water where our people must live and inadequate Health Care continues to fuel Health disparities in our community

We have come because we must have a “living wage” for every worker, we must protect workers “Right to Organize!” and we must work to change the “Employment at will” laws of this state that are both unfair and outdated.

The Events for Thursday, September 25th will be held at the Fifth Ward Baptist Church located at 900 Franklin Street, in Clarksville.

Delegates from across the state will convene for fellowship, training and motivation. Featured speakers for the Convention’s Health/Religious Emphasis Day will include panelists Rev. James Thomas, Rev. Tommy Vallejos, Rev. Jerry Jerkins, Dr. Simi Vincent, Dr. James Hilbert, Dr. Hildreth. Panelists include Rev. Delbert Brown and Rev. Raymond Bowman. Rev. Enoch Fuzz of the Nashville Branch has been invited to moderate the Religious Forum that will focus on the Faith Community and NAACP’s role in addressing and combating social issues. These issues include but are not limited to health disparities, economics and get out the vote.

Rev. R.W. Sibert, President of Missionary Baptist State Convention of Tennessee and pastor of Walnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Murfreesboro will be the keynote speaker for the Religious Affairs/Membership Luncheon.  The forum will continue after the luncheon.

Thursday’s activities will culminate with the Mass Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Faith Out Reach Church located at 731 Windermere Drive.  Rev. Dr. Julius C. Hope, Director of the National NAACP Religious Affairs Department and pastor of the New Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, will be the keynote speaker. The delegates and guest will be served a “Soul Food Dinner” after the services.

On Friday morning, September 26th at Austin Peay State University, Mr. Fred Redmon, International President of Human Affairs for United Steel Workers from Washington, D.C.,  will be the keynote speaker for the Labor & Industry Breakfast. A workshop immediately following the breakfast will focus on labor and industry issues across the state of Tennessee and the nation. Also scheduled for Friday will be the Human Rights luncheon and a Labor Town Hall Meeting, which will take place at the Riverview Inn.

On Friday evening will go back Austin Peay State University where the Youth & College Division will host a Senatorial Debate with candidates for the Tennessee Senate Race.

On Saturday, September 27th all activities will be held at Austin Peay State University.  Dr. Maxine Smith, National Board Member and renowned Civil Rights activist, author and educator from Memphis, Tennessee, will be the featured speaker for the Women In NAACP breakfast. This program will also feature a “Hat Show” by local celebrities and delegates.  The NAACP Youth & College Division will host its annual Vernon Jarrett Youth Awards luncheon at noon on Saturday.

That evening, the Convention will end with the Freedom Awards Banquet at 6:30 p.m.. The invited speaker is newly elected President/CEO for the NAACP, Mr. Benjamin Todd Jealous.

The Tennessee State Conference of NAACP is headquartered in Jackson, Tennessee,  at 27 Brentshire Square, and services more than 45 Adult Branches and 22 Youth and College Chapter across the State of Tennessee.

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

Attending the announcement  program were local chapter President Jimmie Garland; NAACP Officers & Members; Mayors Piper & Bowers; Co-Chairs  Rev. Frank Washington and Rev. Jerry Jerkins; members of the clergy, commissioners, council persons, and other elected officials.

For Additional Information Contact: Gloria J. Sweet-Love @ (731) 660-5580, Fax: (731) 660-5002, or E-Mail @

Photos by: Terry McMoore

Every day in America, 540 children are arrested for various crimes, though in many cases there are mitigating situations that cause these children to come in contact with the system. Ms. Stafford suggests that we must not be “in such a hurry” to just lock up a child.

One major finding by juvenile justice professionals is that more attention should be paid to the mental heath of the child. Children in juvenile justice often have mental health and substance abuse problems, have a higher percentage of learning disabilities, have frequent histories of trauma abuse/neglect, violence in the home, and/or have parents with substance abuse problems.

We are not saying that detention is not needed, states Ms. Stafford. If a youth is deemed to be a threat to society, then detention might be needed, but children should not be locked up for status offences such as truancy, running away and being unruly. The present detention practices are contributing to overcrowding and an overrepresentation of minority youth in detention centers.

Minority youths make up about 23 percent of the population of Tennessee, yet they make up close to 53 percent of the detention population, according to a recent Juvenile Justice report. Montgomery County numbers are also very disturbing.

Ms. Stafford went on to say that “all is not lost” and we all can make difference in reversing this trend by doing our part. Check and see what a child needs first; a child should not have to be remanded to state custody to receive effective counseling. Early identification and intervention, positive advocacy, system accountably and culturally competent services are a must if we are to help today’s youth.

The program was followed by an overview of the many community-based organizations , each with table displays for the eager crowd of parents, elected officials, law enforcement officers and educators packed with information and educational materials about services that are available locally to help keep our youth out of trouble, and keep them mentally and physically healthy, motivated and encouraged.

Dr. Merriel Bullock Neal, Esq. Chair of the local DMC Task Force reiterated the message and the mission of the local task force and that is “It is easier to build a child than repair an adult”