I
C ildren helping Child I�n
I .
by n Ed n
Over the 1 t dec de, e
have become aware of the
American crisi of children
viDg children. But with the
. of the Nineties, we are
ety: children helping
dren.
We frequently read about
children collecting money and
food for the homeless d about
young entrepreneurs doing well
at creative ventures to benefit
the less fortunate.
A new organization,
America Sings! Inc., has as its
sole agenda the encouragement
of America's children to help
other children -- whose lives
have been short -circuited by
circumstances out of their con­
trol.
Created by John Jacobson, a
mu ic education consultant and
free lance choreographer,
America Sings!, Inc. envisioned
a noncompetitive gathering of
song and dance youth groups to
raise their voices in positive
choir directors at local schools
over a period of months prepar­
ing for the event, and with little
financial support from the cor­
porate sector, Jacobson real­
ized that vision on April 29, in
Washington D.C.
G oUP 0 over 15,000
children and youths from 43
state re-presenting 415 com­
munities in the United rates,
C nad and Mexico gathered
t the Mall. In spite of heavy
rains, those children were
bright and sincere and joyful in
their singing. It wa a moving
experience. .
What the young people did
a contribute $20 each a a
participation fee to cover their
travel exp n es and equipment
needs for the trip to
Washington. Whatever extra
m ney was n eded was rai ed
b the ung people them elves
from their communities
throu h a variety of ventures. In
fact, when it appeared that
there w uld money left over,
orne of the schools suggested
the remaining funds be given to
a charity. The charity of choice
was the Children's Defense
Fund.
The performance on the
Mall in Washington was unique.
Jacobson had recognized the
true spirit of youth and tapped
into it to create positive direc-
ion for thousands of young
p e ho h ve the energy �d
ill to or for good. HIS
philosophy -- children can
do the things they enjoy while
making a positive contribution J
to their communitie -­
proven overwhelmingly.
For many of the children, this
first venture may lead to
lifetime commitment to service,
whether on full-time, part­
time or occasional b is,
America Sings! Inc. has since
expanded its scope and is now
working on series of regional
fe tivals to be held in com­
munities in the spring of this
year. .
t. JACOBSO PLANS to
coordinate some special events
in 1991 and in 1992, when he
hopes to bring more young par­
ticipants to Washington _ again
for another big event to coin­
cide with the presidential elec­
tion activities. It would be a
unique way of focusing atten­
tion on children in the political
. debate that is inevitable in 1992.
John Jacobson is just one
man working against a moun­
tainous challenge in America to
raise the consciousness of youth
in helping to take responsibility
for making aU our children
whole and safe and ready for the
job of running this country.
I hope that there are other
people who will take courage
from his efforts and see that our
children are inherently what we
think they are: caring. loving.
giving young people who simply
need guidance and example to
do the things that will enhance
their ence an ensure an
American future of which .
can all proud
Am . ca SiDpt the Mall
a triumph of sp . over a
world of negative . and
messag a gift of 1f over a
waste dissipation n energy.
It is the kind of expe . nee every
young person ought to be ex­
posed to in his or he formative
years. �t . is an expe . enee that
says the "trophy" is in e giving,
no in the taking. d that we
are never too young
Chlldr n can do the
thing th y enjoy
lie making a
po It ve contribution
to their communlt
Manon Wright Edelman is
president of the Children's
Defense Fund,a national voice
for children.
As a jun or high . h udent in Baltim re,
Maryl nd, D minique Wilkin' learned all
ab th law gravi y. A ter ch I, n
n r t ba etball c urt the
Patt rson Pa k city playgr und
1 h d tied it.
Sarin 1 'coring his way int the
histor b iks, irst in th C lis urn
at th U niv rsity of G r ia and
n w in th Omni with th Atlanta
Hawks of th BA1 D minqu is
a rnajor s urce of inspirati n r th
super uars f t m rr w.
At R bo , w arc al: In
y ung athl tes t b th an
through ur n ighb r h ourt
al Pr ram. We ar refurbi .hing
-u.· . rund n playgr und urts all
ac ss the country, becau'e we kn w
tha even f r .upersta like Dominique,
there" nothing like a h e
c urt advantage.