Russell Simmons Helps To Reduce The High School Dropout Rate In Atlanta
ATLANTA, April 23/ — Literate Nation Atlanta, whose mission is to “motivate teens to ‘get into’ high school and prepare for life,” will produce three local student events featuring hip-hop legend and entrepreneur Russell Simmons. Students from six local high schools will receive a free copy of Russell’s inspirational new book, Do You! Northsprings, Westlake, Carver, Therrell, Southside and Washington high schools will participate.
Despite heroic efforts on the part of school administrators and teachers, 43,000 students attend 35 metro Atlanta high schools that generate an average SAT score at or below 900 out of 1,500 or (60%). Additionally, only a small % of students in these troubled schools are sitting for the test.
Dropout rates for these high school students range from 33% — 50% depending on race. The Gates foundation calls this situation, “the silent epidemic.”
“Many of the students failing or dropping out live in an environment that has not sold them on the inviolate interconnection between higher education and success in America. This may be due to influences from their family, socio-economic situation or social group,” said Hinton Dillard, Chairman and Founder, Literate Nation.
Dillard continued, “We, the non-profit and business community, must deliver to the students in these challenged high schools the same advantages students in Atlanta’s private schools enjoy or this unbearable track record will continue. These advantages include constant inspiration, mentoring by successful professionals, a clear understanding of how the business world selects its employees, and access to college campuses.”
Literate Nation Atlanta meets this challenge by producing monthly high school presentations by Atlanta and the U.S’s most successful business executives, entrepreneurs, authors, doctors, lawyers etc. 500 — 2,000 students participate each month. Notable figures involved in our productions include: Russell Simmons, Rhonda Mims (ING), Nikki Giovanni (Virginia Tech), Evern Cooper Epps (UPS), T.J. Holmes (CNN), Melissa Long (CNN), Ron Frieson (BellSouth), Nelson Demille (Author), Ted Hall (WXIA), Brad Meltzer (Author), Greg Fulton (Time Magazine), Stephen J. Cannell (TV producer, author), Shelia Moses (Author) and Daniel Silva (Author).
Each major Literate Nation presentation is prefaced with a one-hour life- skills seminar that teaches students about business, employment and pathways to success.
About Russell Simmons: Master entrepreneur and visionary Russell Simmons has brought hip-hop to every facet of business and media, not only as cofounder of Def Jam Records but also through his involvement in the clothing lines Phat Farm, Run Athletics and baby Phat and Def Jam University; MTV’s Run’s House, HBO’s Def Jam Comedy, and Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry; the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network promoting empowerment in young people; and numerous other ventures in the financial services industry, mobile communications, and philanthropy. A native New Yorker, he is the proud father of two daughters.
About Hinton Dillard: Hinton Dillard is a business executive, entrepreneur, a passionate reader and aspiring novelist. Dillard attended the National Book Festival in 2004, and was so impressed that he decided to launch a literacy program in Atlanta. With guidance from mentors in New York’s publishing industry the Atlanta International Festival of Books (dba) Literate Nation Atlanta was incorporated and achieved IRS non-profit status in 2005. Literate Nation Atlanta has produced or co-produced an event or multiple events each month since incorporation.
Suggestion Box
April 24th, 2007 at 7:59 am
Russell it’s time to make moves (play chess). The hip-hop community (well the media) looks at you as the founder and father of hip-hop.. its time to make big moves for a better community… You have to grow up too… No more dating little girls 21 is legal but not acceptable
April 24th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
thisss mussst ssstop
April 24th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
unfortunatly. its nothing russell simmons, al sharpton nor dr chavis can do about this problem.
it is somethin that has to come from the students themselves.
i dont kno about that “you only have certain options to get out of the hood”.
i made it out of the hood, public schools all my life.
and im in college now.
niggas get content with the life they are living.
they start to believe what they hear about they not gonna make it out the ghetto unless they ballin or rappin.
my parents used ot whup my ass if i brought home bad grades.
they wouldnt even let me drop out of school.
so if these lil niggas was gettin disciplined like they supposed to, it wouldnt even matter if they wanted to get out the hood.
they would do good in school jus so they wouldnt get that ass whupped. you feel what im saying.
russell needs to develop some kind of foundation for the parents. everything starts with them.