Cleveland's Marcus Garvey Academy Launches Radio Show

Cleveland, Ohio ---- “I will have faith in myself. I will succeed, and most of all, I will reach my goals. I promise to accept responsibility for my duties and my own actions. I have self-respect and self-control. I can learn! I will learn! I must learn!” That’s the opening of the Marcus Garvey Academy’s Student Creed, and it embodies the school’s belief that all children can learn, given the right tools, support and motivation to succeed.

In an effort to continue this dialogue outside of the classroom, Marcus Garvey Academy School Founder, Alexandria Johnson Boone, will launch a radio show called “Let’s Talk Education”. The show will air every Thursday, 6:30 – 7:00 p.m., on 1490 WERE-AM radio, beginning March 11^th.

Marcus Garvey Academy Head of School, Ross A. Cockfield, will serve as the host. “We see the radio program as a vehicle that gives us the opportunity to host a much needed public forum on education. Education is critical, given the state of the economy - the state of the world, for that matter, and we see ourselves in a unique position to influence the discussion,” said Cockfield.

Cockfield says that educational, business and community leaders and experts from all over Northeast Ohio, in particular, will be welcome on the show. “We look forward to having all types of people on our show: parents, students, people in the public, private and Charter School communities, psychologists, etc. We have so many challenges before us. I mean, how do we improve the conditions of African American males? What kinds of things can we do to address negative behavior in the classroom and what are the most effective forms of discipline? How do we get parents more involved? What's happening to our girls that, nationally, over 80% of school fights involve them – how do we intervene? How do we address education in rural areas versus suburban or urban areas? What does a world class curriculum look like? The topics are endless,” he said.

Mr. Cockfield also said that the new digital age has presented a whole new set of problems in the 21^st century, which he looks forward to also tackling on the “Let’s Talk Education” radio show. “Because of the digital age, educators are now faced with the daunting task of preparing children for problems that have not yet been identified and giving them skills that can't be imagined. A good example of this is the proliferation of computer technology. Thirty, forty years ago, look at the role that computers played in the classroom; they didn’t. Now, we’re in an age of school computer labs, wireless technology, digital photography, online curriculums, social media, etc. And this is all changing at such a rate, that it’s very difficult to stay on the cutting edge of these technological advances. So, how do you prepare a child for the technological future, when you don't know what they'll need 10 years from now? I think that’s one of the biggest challenges that all educators are facing, and I look forward to discussing it on the show,” he said. “Overall, I’m really looking forward to an exciting dialogue and certainly hope that people will tune in every Thursday at 6:30 p.m.”

For more information on the radio show, please call 216/451-7995, ext. 301 or 312.

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Founded in 2002 by Alexandria Johnson Boone, Marcus Garvey Academy (MGA) is located at

540 East 105^th Street

in Cleveland. MGA is a public, community school, serving approximately 200 children, Kindergarten through eighth grade. Since its inception, the Marcus Garvey Academy staff and leadership have worked diligently to provide students with a high-quality multicultural education using an African-Centered infusion curriculum model

They will open an “all girls” high school, the Marcus Garvey Advanced Leadership Center for Girls in the fall of 2010. Applications will be available beginning on April 15^th (for grades 9 and 10 only at this time), by calling 216/451-7995.

For More Information, Please Contact:

Gina M. Hobbs Alexandria Johnson Boone

Gina Hobbs Consulting Marcus Garvey Academy

216/469-4848 (cell) 216/451-7995, ext. 312

ghobbsconsulting@aol.com