Medgar Evers Institute

EVERS YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARS (EYES) DAY:THIS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO DO THE FOLLOWING: - TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF HONOR AND TO SEEK AND SPEAK THE TRUTH. - TO TEACH YOUTH HOW TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS, RESPECT OTHER OPINIONS, AND LEARN TO WORK AS A TEAM. - TO CHALLENGE YOUTH TO LIVE RESPONSIBLE LIVES THROUGH ACTIONS AND MAKING A MEANINGFUL IMPACT IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND THE WORLD.ON JUNE 13, 2015, YOUNG PEOPLE, GRADES 8TH THRU 12TH, FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI, PARTICIPATED IN A DAYLONG ACTIVITIES FILLED EVENT, WHICH INCLUDED WORKSHOPS ON: HEALTH AND WELLNESS, THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA - ITS TOOLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, MUSIC AND ART ACTIVITIES, SPOKEN WORDS, A MUSICAL DRAMATIZATION BY A LOCAL GROUP, AND A TOUR OF THE SMITH ROBINSON MUSEUM.MEDGAR WILEY EVERS - LECTURE SERIES:THE ANNUAL MEDGAR WILEY EVERS LECTURE SERIES WAS HELD OCTOBER 31, 2015. THE GUEST LECTURER WAS AUTHOR, PROFESSOR, AND EMMY AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER, HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY BUSINESSMAN GLEN HUTCHINS.WITH APPROXIMATELY 800 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE LECTURE, MR. GATES DISCUSSED HIS SIX-PART, PBS DOCUMENTARY, "THE AFRICAN AMERICAN: MANY RIVERS TO CROSS." MR. GATES AND MRS. HUTCHINS PRESENTED VIDEO CLIPS AND ENGAGED IN VERBAL DISCUSSION ON THE SLAVE TRADE, THE 1960S AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THE ERA OF SEGREGATION TO INTEGRATION, AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.A-TEAAM (AMBASSADORS OF THE EVERS ACADEMY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES):THE A-TEAAM IS A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, BASED IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. THE PROGRAM INSPIRES 40-60 YOUNG MALES OF COLOR IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, TO HONOR THE LIFE AND LIVE THE LEGACY OF MEDGAR EVERS. THESE YOUNG MEN INTERACT WITH A "VILLAGE" OF ROLE MODELS AND MENTORS OF TWENTY-ONE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THAT PROVIDE THEM WITH SUPPORT AND ONE-ON-ONE GUIDANCE, WITH THE GOALS OF INCREASING POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM AND OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN THE WAY THEY VIEW THE WORLD.