Preventing Black Male Suicide in Prince George’s County
“The suicide death rate among Black youth has been found to be increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group.”
A Report to Congress from The Congressional Black Caucus-2019
WE PROVIDE KNOWLEDGE, MEANING, AND VOICE FOR REDUCING THE INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF BLACK MALE SUICIDE IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY.
About The Pinkney Education Foundation
The Pinkney Foundation is a 501(c3) nonprofit organization founded and based in Prince George’s County. The majority of the Board members also reside in Prince George’s County.
It is the largest and most affluent African American majority county in the United States. Prince George’s County is the second-most populous county in the State of Maryland.
Maryland’s Prince George’s County is among nation’s wealthiest Black communities, however it continues to see an upward trend with Black Male suicide according to the County Health Department. However, the increase in suicide rates is not distributed equally among regions, or demographic groups. Over the past decade, increases in the suicide death rate for Black youth have seen the rate rising from 2.55 per 100,000 in 2007 to 4.82 per 100,000 in 2017.
Dr. Bernice Alston, a Black female professional residing in Prince George’s County established The Pinkney Foundation, a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy to bring awareness to suicide, mental health and other related risk factors to male residents in Prince George’s County with a special emphasis on high-risk student populations such as black youth 18 to 24 years of age. We are ringing the alarm on a growing health crisis among Black youth and calling attention to the need for more local, state and federal attention.
Why is this happening?
Although Black youth have historically not been considered at high risk for suicide and self-harm, current trends now challenge that. Researchers found suicides among Maryland’s Black residents increased by 94% during the lockdown of spring 2020, while suicide rates among the broader population were down compared with the prior three years. (Hopkins Medicine, 2021).
College-bound minority youth often struggle financially with college fees, book expenses, and tuition after acceptance into colleges and universities. Black college men are not adequately informed or educated about the determinants that impact their education and how they can improve it. Adverse childhood experiences, systematic racism, discrimination, neighborhood violence, and socioeconomic disparities need to be addressed.
The Pinkney Education Foundation desires to help youth who are eligible for support based upon defined criteria. Our objective is to catalyze action to prevent Black male suicide, create awareness campaigns, and foster the development of future leaders in Prince George’s County.
The vision of the Foundation is to support, enhance, and nurture our future leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and inventors through educational enrichment.
Founders, Elton Emmanuel and Beatrice Pinkney, parented 10 children and instilled in them a strong sense of integrity, character, faith and community support. Elton and Beatrice helped many relatives and neighbors in times of need. We, as their descendants, invested in our education and want to support other young people needing financial and mental support for a college education. The Pinkney Foundation will provide college preparation instruction and college scholarships to minority, need-based students in Prince George’s County.
strengthening the college pipeline
“A good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a prerequisite”
Barack Obama 2009 State of the Union Address
WE PROVIDE MINORITY, NEED-BASED STUDENTS IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY WITH COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AND PREP.
Scholarship Requirements
The applications will be scored based on the following established criteria. Each applicant must meet the following criteria:
The financial need scoring will be based upon the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) information found on the Student Aid Report (SAR) that was issued after you completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. If you have completed your FASFA, the United States Department of Education should have sent you a Student Aid Report (SAR) that contains the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) in the upper right corner of the first page. Please submit a copy of the first page of your SAR for the current year with your scholarship application. If you need instructions for completing your FAFSA or to obtain a printed copy of your SAR, please visit https://fafsa.ed.gov. Please do not provide any other personal financial documents with this application.
Extracurricular activities include membership in school-sponsored clubs/events, sports, part-time jobs, community service projects, etc. These must be current and verified in writing by the sponsor or coordinator; and must have occurred during the current academic year. You may include up to two activities.
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Completed and signed Scholarship Application
- Completed and signed Extra Curricular Activities Verification Form
- An official transcript that contains your cumulative GPA at the end of the Fall period for current school year, semester/quarter (college students) or as of the second marking period (high school)
- An enrollment verification form from your school’s Registrar’s Office (college students only)
- First page of your most recent Student Aid Report (SAR) from FAFSA.
By May 7th Pinkney Scholarship Selection Committee notifies applicants that a complete or incomplete application was received. Incomplete applications will not receive consideration. The Pinkney Scholarship Committee evaluates applications and recommends award recipients.
Final official transcript with the cumulative GPA Grade Reports are due by June 20th. Awards are not confirmed until received.
Recipients will be notified by July 1st, and recognized on the Pinkney Education Foundation Website.
Lump-sum award checks are disbursed to the recipients’ schools by Sept. 1st.
APPLICATION SELECTION
- Financial Need – maximum of 40 points
- Grade Point Average – maximum of 20 points
- Church, Christian Outreach and Community Service Activities – maximum of 30 points
- Extra-curricular Activities – maximum of 10 points
Total possible points = 100 Total points required = 55 or higher
APPLICATION AWARD
- Applicant must be a full-time undergraduate student working toward a degree or professional certification.
- The number and amount of awards will be based on the funds available.
Our Team
Dr. Bernice Garnett Alston
President
Dr. Bernice Garnett Alston retired as a NASA Senior Executive in the NASA Office of Education. She has been a teacher, university professor, Assistant Superintendent with DC Public Schools, Director of the non-profit “Fund for Educational Excellence” in Baltimore and owner of Royal Consulting Firm, Inc.
Mrs. Paris Morgan
Vice President
Paris Morgan has 15 years’ experience as a real estate broker and manager of large commercial properties. She is highly skilled with project and financial management. Ms. Morgan’s bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s degree in Business Administration creates a unique entrepreneurial work ethic.
Dr. Alotta Taylor
Director
Dr. Alotta Taylor, is a senior executive in the federal government. She has a doctorate in organizational development and 30+ years of Federal Government experience.
Ms. Kelly Morgan
Secretary
Ms. Kelly Morgan provides professional support services for the State Opioid Response grant with DSAMH. She has extensive knowledge in methods to integrate primary and behavioral health practices and support services. Ms. Morgan has worked with hospital systems, health commissions, health boards, primary care and specialty physicians for 20 years. Ms. Morgan has a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and a master’s degree in Public Health.
News & Events
Resources
Additional Scholarship Information
Office of Postsecondary Education Programs for Undergraduates
Office of Postsecondary Education Programs for Graduate Students
Board Members
Mr. Clarence Crawford
Mr. Clarence Crawford is currently the President of the Maryland State Board of Education. He is an adjunct professor in the American University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program where he teaches Federal Budgeting, Ethical Leadership, and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). He retired from the Senior Executive Service at the Office of Personnel Management after 39 years of service with the federal government.
Rev. Dr. Edna C. Jenkins
Rev. Dr. Edna C. Jenkins retired as the first female pastor of the historic Embry A.M.E. Church. Rev. Jenkins retired from the D.C. Public Schools after 25 years of service and was employed by the Community Ministry of Prince George’s County as a transitional ministries coordinator. Dr. Jenkins earned a Masters of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity, and in May 1999 received the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. Erique Gumbs
Mr. Erique Gumbs is a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Leader, currently working with The Bridge clinic in Dover Delaware. He holds a B.S. in Psychology from Towson University and a Masters in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University. Erique is a former Division I collegiate scholarship athlete. He has served as Nurse Consultant for Delaware Psychiatric Center and the State Office of the Medical Director. Mr. Gumbs has over six years of inpatient, outpatient, and administrative Psychiatric Nursing experience. He is also a member of the Gamma Theta Lambda Education Foundation Scholarship Committee.
Mr. Harold E. Hodges
Mr. Harold E. Hodges retired from the United States Department of State as the Director of Budget, Bureau of Medical Services. Mr. Hodges is currently the CEO of H. Elliott Associates, LLC. H. Elliott Associates provides management consulting and supplemental education training to mid-career professionals pursuing business degrees and supports small businesses with operational consulting services. He earned a BA from Dartmouth in Economics and a MA from Johns Hopkins University in International Studies.
Dr. Shirley Turner
Dr. Shirley Turner is an Executive Coach with CI International. She holds a doctorate inOrganizational Leadership with a concentration in Academic Leadership. She served as an Adjunct Professor and Graduate Writing Coordinator at Howard University. Dr. Turner served as an instructional coach for DCPS teachers collecting and analyzing multiple sources of evidence of teacher practice during observations, drawing detailed and appropriate conclusions regarding strengths and high priority areas for teacher growth. She is the published author of Catch the Spirit and Be Set Free, as well as numerous peer reviewed and magazine articles.
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