Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. announces the launch of, “Learn 2 Live,” a collaborative effort with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) to formally address one of the most critical issues affecting people of color in the United States. Incidents of racial profiling, a lack of comprehensive policies, a lack of trust and legitimacy within the community, and the increasing frequency of tragic outcomes between law enforcement and persons of color have produced an environment of anger and frustration. As the trust gap and sense of civility between police and community widens, so does the need for information, education, and instruction to current and future generations of young persons of color (who stand in harms way) to decrease hostile encounters and most importantly, preserve lives.
The “Learn 2 Live” initiative will provide grass roots training that yield successful encounters between citizens and law enforcement officials. The initiative offers structured workshop settings that provide productive discussion and training forums to understand, enlighten and cultivate positive thinking and appropriate action. Each forum will feature NOBLE’s recently developed, curriculum, “The Law & Your Community,” followed by an interactive (Q&A) police discussion with the audience.
The “Learn 2 Live” initiative will feature a series of community forums nationwide throughout the 2016 calendar year. The program’s initial cities include Hartford, Co-nnecticut; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; Dallas, Texas; Wilmington, Delaware and Washington, D.C.
The community is invited to attend a forum Thursday, March 31, 2016 in the West Side Leadership Academy Auditorium in Gary, Indiana from 9:30 to 12:30 p.m. Local school, law enforcement and political officials will be there. These leaders along with students and community persons will gather to hear and engage in productive conversation that facilitates better police and community relations.
“Learn 2 Live” will provide persons:
- Increased awareness on law enforcement and community policing
- Statistical perspective of persons of color and the legal system
- Factual understanding of legal rights
- Practical strategies and tools to utilize when dealing with police
- Opportunity for more desirable outcomes when encountering law enforcement officials.
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) serves as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to Justice by Action. NOBLE has nearly 60 chapters and represents over 4,000 members worldwide that represent chief executive officers and command-level law enforcement officials from federal, state, county, municipal law enforcement agencies, and criminal justice practitioners.
The mission of the organization is, “To ensure EQUITY IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE in the provision of public service to all communities, and to serve as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to JUSTICE BY ACTION.”
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., whose fundamental purpose is, “Achievement in every field of human endeavor,” is comprised of more than 150,000 members and over 700 functioning Undergraduate and Alumni Chapters on major campuses and in cities throughout the world with an extensive existing population base of persons of color. The fraternity operates approximately 450 “Guide Right;” national youth-based program locations in accordance with our national motto, “Training for Leadership.”
