“There
has been no previous time in history when the success, indeed
the survival, of nations and people has been tied so tightly to
their ability to learn. Today’s society has little room for
those who cannot read, write and compute proficiently; find and
use resources; frame and solve problems; and continually learn
new technologies, skills and occupations.” In response to
these challenges, the National Urban League movement has forged
a partnership with nearly twenty Black organizations to mount
a Campaign for African American AAAchievement. A
major component of the Campaign is the National Achievers Society,
which translates into the Black community’s honor society.
This prestigious association is an out growth of The Congress
of National Black Churches (CNBC) and the National Urban League’s
Black Church Leadership Conference held October 13-15, 1997. At this gathering, more than one hundred fifty of the country’s most influential religious and civic leaders and scholastic experts assembled to address the educational crisis facing the African-American community. Thus, the Society was forged as a strategy to create a national group achievement presence in which young people can aspire and participate. It is designed to draw nationwide attention to young African -Americans who demonstrate determination and achievement in school, in their community and in their life. The
National Achievers Society is modeled after the McKnight Achievers
Society, a program developed by the Florida Education Fund to
enhance the academic and social achievement of African-American
youth. Founded by Dr. Israel Tribble, former President of the
Florida Education Fund, the McKnight Achievers Society is a volunteer-based
initiative that supports parents and community leaders to work
with and on behalf of youth throughout the years. The goals of the National Achievers Society are to: (1) inspire youth to recognize that academic achievement is attainable; (2) nurture youth as they pursue their educational, social, and personal goals; (3) counter the pervasive and damaging public image of African-American youth that many youth have come to internalize and many adults have come to believe; and (4) energize adults to rededicate themselves to preparing children to meet the academic and job standards of the 21st Century. To-date, more than 16,000 youth have been inducted into this notable association.
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