DO YOUR PART...
LIVE THE COVENANT!

Empowerment begins with each person DOING THEIR PART. We believe in personal responsibility and leadership accountability. We encourage individuals and families to TAKE THE CHALLENGE & LIVE THE EMPOWERMENT COVENANT!

1. LIVE OUR FAITH

Do my part…
1. Join a family of faith and actively participate. Pray, study and apply what I learn.
2. Actively discover and use my gifts and talents.
3. Support the ministry with my time and resources.

Support pastors and help the ministries tackle community issues.

2. STRENGTHEN OUR FAMILIES

Do my part…
1. Create a safe and healthy environment that nurtures and sustains the spiritual, physical, emotional and economic needs of my family and community.
2. Spend more quality time with my family.
3. Develop and understand the benefits of healthy marriages and stable families.

Support leaders and assist them with helping to create healthier African-American families.

3. PREPARE OUR CHILDREN: EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Do my part…
1. Parents: Know what’s happening at school. Get involved.
Attend Parent/Teacher conferences and volunteer at school.
Read to children and have children read to you every day.
Use available people and resources for help:
Ex: Library, Family, Tutors, Churches, etc.
2. Community: Get involved. Go to the classrooms.
Volunteer to read to, tutor, and mentor kids. Encourage ACT preparation/practice.
Attend board meetings and school functions.
3. Youth Development: Provide more opportunities and positive experiences for our youth.
Employment, internships, vocational training, scholarships, etc.

Support leaders and assist them with making changes necessary to help improve the education of African-American children. (ex: Pushing for more funding for schools)

4. EMBRACE OUR CULTURE

Do my part…
1. Instill in our families and organizations the importance of keeping cultural traditions alive.
2. Support and attend cultural arts, activities, events, organizations and venues.
3. Understand the potential economic impact of the arts in our community.

Support leaders and organizations that provide positive African-American oriented arts, cultural activities and entertainment to our community. Ensure the future of arts in our community.

5. BUILD OUR WEALTH

Employment & Entrepreneurship

Do my part…
1. Wealth-creation: Create and build personal wealth through: Employment, saving, ownership, investments, equities, and entrepreneurship.
2. Support: Support black-owned business. Support businesses that support community efforts and businesses that employ African-Americans. Enhance and expand networking and professional support and services.
3. Educate: Ourselves and our children to understand and use our collective consumer spending power. Reinforce the value of professionalism/service-oriented business practices for businesses that serve us.

Support leaders and assist them with implementing changes to help create more employment opportunities and successful African-American businesses.

6. PROTECT OUR HEALTH

Do my part...
1. Become educated on health issues that affect African-American families.
2. Establish a relationship with identified medical and dental providers and get an annual medical, dental and behavioral health check-up or screening.
3. Actively practice a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy, not smoking, exercising, avoiding substance abuse and abstaining from high-risk behaviors associated with HIV-Aids, STD’s and teen pregnancy.

Support leaders and encourage them to make changes that help improve African-American health and increase the number with health insurance.

7. RAISE OUR VOTE

Do my part…
1. Educate myself, my family (including my children) and my community on the issues and candidates.
2. Register to vote. Vote early and/or take someone with me to the polls.
3. Support the development of African-American political strength with a focus on 2012 and beyond.

Support leaders and hold them accountable for implementing needed laws and policies.

8. OWN OUR HOMES

Do my part…
1. Educate myself about my rights and responsibilities as a renter, the advantages and responsibilities of home ownership, and how home equity helps build personal wealth.
2. Budget, manage credit, control spending and work towards owning my own home.
3. Join my neighborhood association and actively participate.

Support leaders and assist them with plans to increase home ownership and improve neighborhoods.

9. CLEAN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

Do my part…
1. Get educated on environmental issues. Share information with others.
2. Make sure my home is free from the impacts of lead.
3. Help keep my neighborhood clean.

Support leaders and assist them with plans to improve environmental conditions.

10. LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR: STOP THE VIOLENCE

Violence Intervention and Prevention

Do my part…
1. Develop stronger relationships with youth. Help intervene and provide positive options. Host positive activities in your neighborhood.
2. Partner with my church, neighborhood and/or organization to help prevent and reduce crime. Citizen Patrols, Neighborhood Watch, STEP UP & STEP FORWARD, Crime Stoppers, Omaha 360, and other community efforts.
3. Partner with others to assist those currently in and coming out of the criminal justice system.

Support leaders and assist them with implementing needed policy changes and plans that reduce our involvement with the criminal justice system and decrease the recidivism rate.

11. STAND FOR JUSTICE

Do my part…
1. Call Human Rights and Relations and other appropriate agencies to get information packets.
2. Contact NAACP, Urban League, Family Housing Advisory Services, or City of Omaha Human Rights & Relations if discrimination occurs and follow through with the process. Document everything.
3. Become aware of the judicial system process – voting for judges and awareness of rights.

Support leaders and assist them with plans and strategies to attain justice and equality.

12. CONTROL OUR COMMUNICATIONS

Do my part…
1. Educate myself, my family and my community regarding the influence of the media.
2. Limit television/video game playing and support positive African-American media outlets.
3. Voice my concerns to media that broadcast and print inappropriate material.

Support leaders and organizations that provide positive news, information and entertainment.

13. CROSS THE DIVIDE: Technology

Do my part…
1. Work to make sure that children in my home and community have access to computers. (use available resources…libraries, neighborhood centers, schools when available, etc.)
2. Work to have a computer in my home.
3. Work to have internet access in my home. (with proper supervision)

Support leaders and assist them with creating technology centers and developing plans to have computers in homes, schools and community centers.