Help NSBE Impact Ferguson
Tax deductible
A Letter from the National Chair Sossena Wood:
A succession of events involving injustice against blacks has left my heart heavy with grief. Most recently, the decision of the grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown has left me puzzled about what the decision really indicates to our youth. I admit that I, too, felt confused and devalued, even though I was not the one slain by the officer. The symbolism of the decision has led me to question whether human beings in the United States are unequally valued, with liberty and justice for…some.
During this time, I think continuously of the children of Ferguson and those in the St. Louis metropolitan area. What is going through their minds? What conversations have loved ones had to hold with them to explain the violence against Mike Brown?
Although tragic events like the recent one in Ferguson are not new to our communities, they should never be ignored. They require a people united by purpose and vision, ready to influence today, determined to achieve a better tomorrow. I ask that you help NSBE give the best way it knows how, through the sharing of “NSBE Luv” with the communities of Ferguson and the St. Louis metropolitan area. Our core values as a national organization are community, charity, excellence and “NSBE Luv.” These values implore us to be culturally responsible members and citizens, empowering us with the right and charging us with the obligation to speak up for our communities.
NSBE’s national leaders, the National Executive Board, wish to give the students of Ferguson a more positive experience than they may have been exposed to for the past four months and, perhaps, years prior. To accomplish this, NSBE wishes to raise funds to send 100 middle school and high school students to NSBE’s 41st Annual Convention, in Anaheim, Calif., and expose them to engineering. We believe that exposure such as this will light the NSBE Torch within them to “effect a positive change in the quality of life for all people” and inspire the students to engage in a continuing pursuit of education.
For these reasons, we ask that all of NSBE’s stakeholders contribute to a $1-million fund to send Ferguson students to Anaheim and make a substantial, long-lasting, positive impact on the St. Louis metropolitan area.
NSBE wishes to support the education of students in the local area and improve the math and science aptitude of children in the public schools of St. Louis, Ferguson, Riverview Gardens, Normandy and University City, to name a few. With the help of this fundraising campaign, we wish to bring one of our most well-known programs, the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK), to the St. Louis metropolitan area. If funds are collected in time, we will be able to launch the program in 2015 and properly vet qualified candidates to be mentors to many children in the St. Louis area.
We understand deeply that events like Ferguson’s happen far too often in our communities. This campaign is our way of helping on a national level. But for those who want to be involved in our mission, please know that NSBE is well-embedded in many urban and suburban communities across the United States and internationally. To find out more about the National Society of Black Engineers and its mission, please visit www.nsbe.org.
Sossena Wood
National Chairperson
National Society of Black Engineers
The mission of the National Society of Black Engineers is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community."
A succession of events involving injustice against blacks has left my heart heavy with grief. Most recently, the decision of the grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown has left me puzzled about what the decision really indicates to our youth. I admit that I, too, felt confused and devalued, even though I was not the one slain by the officer. The symbolism of the decision has led me to question whether human beings in the United States are unequally valued, with liberty and justice for…some.
During this time, I think continuously of the children of Ferguson and those in the St. Louis metropolitan area. What is going through their minds? What conversations have loved ones had to hold with them to explain the violence against Mike Brown?
Although tragic events like the recent one in Ferguson are not new to our communities, they should never be ignored. They require a people united by purpose and vision, ready to influence today, determined to achieve a better tomorrow. I ask that you help NSBE give the best way it knows how, through the sharing of “NSBE Luv” with the communities of Ferguson and the St. Louis metropolitan area. Our core values as a national organization are community, charity, excellence and “NSBE Luv.” These values implore us to be culturally responsible members and citizens, empowering us with the right and charging us with the obligation to speak up for our communities.
NSBE’s national leaders, the National Executive Board, wish to give the students of Ferguson a more positive experience than they may have been exposed to for the past four months and, perhaps, years prior. To accomplish this, NSBE wishes to raise funds to send 100 middle school and high school students to NSBE’s 41st Annual Convention, in Anaheim, Calif., and expose them to engineering. We believe that exposure such as this will light the NSBE Torch within them to “effect a positive change in the quality of life for all people” and inspire the students to engage in a continuing pursuit of education.
For these reasons, we ask that all of NSBE’s stakeholders contribute to a $1-million fund to send Ferguson students to Anaheim and make a substantial, long-lasting, positive impact on the St. Louis metropolitan area.
NSBE wishes to support the education of students in the local area and improve the math and science aptitude of children in the public schools of St. Louis, Ferguson, Riverview Gardens, Normandy and University City, to name a few. With the help of this fundraising campaign, we wish to bring one of our most well-known programs, the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK), to the St. Louis metropolitan area. If funds are collected in time, we will be able to launch the program in 2015 and properly vet qualified candidates to be mentors to many children in the St. Louis area.
We understand deeply that events like Ferguson’s happen far too often in our communities. This campaign is our way of helping on a national level. But for those who want to be involved in our mission, please know that NSBE is well-embedded in many urban and suburban communities across the United States and internationally. To find out more about the National Society of Black Engineers and its mission, please visit www.nsbe.org.
Sossena Wood
National Chairperson
National Society of Black Engineers
The mission of the National Society of Black Engineers is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community."
Organizer
Sharon Smith
Organizer
Alexandria, VA
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
