Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. conceptualized PUSH Excel, in 1975, to unite parents, teachers, community members, and popular personalities around the cause of motivating children to stay in school and to “PUSH for Excellence.” Each year for the past 32 years, we gather on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, not only to raise scholarship dollars for deserving students who can’t afford college, but to shine a light on personalities whose life and work inspires student achievement and parallels our cause. Our theme for the upcoming 2023 celebration is taken from one of Dr. King’s speeches to high school students in Philadelphia: “What Is Your Blueprint for Life?” One of this year’s honorees is Emmy Award winner, Ms. Sheryl Lee Ralph of the hit television series, Abbott Elementary.
Rainbow PUSH and PUSH Excel RPC Education Division, along with PUSH Excel Co-Chairman, the Honorable Judge Greg Mathis, are inviting our local, national, and international media family to our Media Launch for the 33rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, January of 2023. The media launch event is Tuesday, December 27, 2022, 10:00 a.m. CST at RPC International headquarters, 930 East 50th Street, Chicago.
PUSH Excel strives to reach the goal of true education, as college enrollment is becoming increasingly challenging for a growing number of students. Since the inception of PUSH Excel, we have always endeavored to support students in their pursuit of academic excellence. Since the debut of our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast in January 1991, we have supported several thousand students in institutions of higher learning, with over $8 million in scholarships. Last year, we provided support to 82 students who were enrolled in 56 different colleges and universities.
Now more than ever, American students face an uncertain future in a world of automation and artificial intelligence. Many experts predict that by 2030, the “robot apocalypse” could be fully upon us. Given the added component of the “new norm” brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that students must be prepared for a changing work landscape, one of hybrid, in-person and virtual settings. PUSH Excel has embarked on designing “virtual” after-school-program models that can be easily replicated by churches and communities nationwide.
Our year-long program is designed to provide resources for students to prepare them for college through test preparation, essay writing, exposure to STEAM, financial/digital literacy, and leadership development. But we know this is not enough, and we need your support to continue our work.
About Post Author
