Mass Incarceration and Drug law reform Activist takes on Diversity challenge to balance exclusion of colored faces as prominent figures during the Christmas season
Melanin-deficient Santa Claus Charity Supported Fundraiser Designed to Empower Individuals of Color and Invite Holiday Cheer
New York, New York –(ENEWSPF)–November 22, 2016. Terrence Stevens, who is paralyzed and fully reliant on a power wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy, is a reform activist of mass incarceration who spent 10 years of a 15 year-to-life sentence for a first time low level non violent drug offense under the draconian Rockefeller drug laws. Stevens is assisted daily with functional mobility, personal care and turned over every two hours of the night to ease respiratory complications.
Terrence Stevens is founder of a Harlem-based non-profit after-school organization–has been praying for a miracle. The program he founded 16 years ago, In Arms Reach, Inc. (IAR), which helps children of incarcerated parents is about to close down because of a lack of funding.
Mr. Stevens appeared in final episode of Harvard scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, jr.’ six-part national documentary, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. He was also featured as NY 1 New Yorker of the week.
This holiday season Terrance is reflecting on the many happy faces that have passed through his afterschool program and the sadness he would feel if the program would be forced to shut down. His dream is to continue to help the many urban children who rely on their tutoring, mentoring and STEM services, but mainly the program support over the years to children of New York State prisoners that live in his Harlem community and have been left with a great void in their lives because their missing parent.
When he began this program he knows that the stigma of having an incarcerated parent coupled with an unstable care arrangement only exacerbates the trauma a child suffers. Statistics show that this could lead to a host of negative effects including poor academic achievement, drug and alcohol use and involvement with the juvenile and adult criminal justice system.
While conducting a program class one day, a 12-year old participant impacted by the justice system politely inquired why there was no Black Santa Claus. This question led to a series of meetings and the creation and launch of the Melanin-deficient Santa project,
With Santa being one of the first iconic figures foisted upon children, he exists as an incredibly powerful image in the imaginations of kids across the country. However, the jolly character in the red suit typically is displayed as a white man in mainstream America; in commercials, mall casting calls and the silver screen.
In order to help raise funds to save In Arms Reach and to address the need to empower children of color Melanin Moments, an on line digital superstore is having a Thanksgiving Special, https://melaninmoments.com/ of high-quality and easy to use gift-wrapping paper that features melanin-deficient characters. Memorable holiday prints of a Melanin Santa, a fun and stylish snowman, a reindeer, and a young school-aged boy and girl. The product is available in different color patterns in English or Spanish Feliz Navidad text and is ideal for gift wrapping or home decorating.
For the Thanksgiving Holiday if you are interested in giving back to charity, empowering children of color while balancing diversity in America then you may want to consider supporting this worthy fundraiser. You can purchase novelty Black Santa products now available at, https://melaninmoments.com/shop/ during their sale. Thank you for your patronage.
Follow Melanin Moments via Social Media at: www.twitter.com/Melanin_Moments
About In Arms Reach Inc.
In Arms Reach Inc is a nonprofit organization, which focuses on mentoring at risk youth and children with incarcerated parent(s). Located on the campus of City College of New York, IAR not only provides one-on-one mentoring, also after-school tutoring, college preparation courses, creative development through art and music and free prison visitation services. For more information or to make a donation to In Arms Reach, visit www.inarmsreach.net
Source: http://drugpolicy.org
