A Black History Month Event, “Restoring Our Communities: Social Activism and Local Solutions”
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Ford Leadership Forum welcome Robert Woodson of the Woodson Center, along with his associates, to Grand Rapids for a conversation on grassroots solutions to social problems, on how to reduce violence, and how we can go about creating resilient citizens and communities.
About our speakers:
Robert L. Woodson, Sr. is Founder and President of the Woodson Center, 1776 Unites and Voices of Black Mothers United. He is an influential leader on issues of poverty alleviation and empowering disadvantaged communities to become agents of their own uplift. Woodson is a frequent advisor to local, state and federal government officials as well as business and philanthropic organizations.
His social activism dates back to the 1960s, when as a young civil rights activist he developed and coordinated national and local community revitalization programs. During the 1970’s he directed the National Urban League’s Administration of Justice division. Later he served as a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Woodson is frequently featured as a social commentator in print and on-air media, including C-SPAN, CNN, Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Mark Levin Show, Meet the Press, and other national and local broadcasts. He is a contributing editor to The Hill, The Washington Examiner, and The Wall Street Journal, and has published in influential newspapers and journals such as Forbes, National Review, The Washington Post, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vanderbilt Law Review, and other national and local media outlets.
He is the recipient of the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship award, the Bradley Prizes presented by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the 2018 William Wilberforce Award, The Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship, Hillsdale College’s Freedom Leadership Award, and many other awards and honors.
Woodson is the author of several books, including On the Road to Economic Freedom, The Triumphs of Joseph: How Today’s Community Healers are Reviving Our Streets and Neighborhood, Lessons From the Least of These: The Woodson Principles, and the newly released #1 best seller, Red, White and Black: Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers.
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André M. Robinson Director-Milwaukee Violence Free Zone for the Milwaukee Christian Center
Prior to his employment as the Director of the Milwaukee Violence Free Zone (MVFZ), with the Milwaukee Christian Center (MCC), the Latino Community Center (LCC), and the Running Rebels Community Organization (RRCO), André Robinson dedicated 14 years to the Social Development Commission (SDC). During those 14 years, Mr. Robinson held several key positions. He began his tenure with SDC as a “Research Assistant”, followed by a position responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of 145 programs administered by the agency. Eventually, Mr. Robinson was promoted to “Planner III”, responsible for program development and subsequent grant-writing. Mr. Robinson also worked as a graphic design artist and communications specialist for SDC. During that time, he was responsible for giving the largest community action agency in the State of Wisconsin their presence on the world wide web by developing and maintaining the agency’s very first webpage. The technical experience derived from the communications position compelled Mr. Robinson to take on the challenge of becoming the Information Systems Manager for the agency. In this position, he was responsible for the network maintenance of 14 remote sites in conjunction with helpdesk coordination for the administrative offices.
Since his departure from SDC, Mr. Robinson has been utilizing the wealth of knowledge he has amassed during his time at SDC to advance the efforts of the MCC (2013-Present), LCC (2005-2012), and the RRCO (2012-2013-Regional Director) as the Director of the Milwaukee Violence Free Zone (MVFZ). At MCC, he is the overseer for program operations within five of Milwaukee’s largest, most challenged, high schools that have historically been plagued with gang violence, low attendance, low enrollment, and low, to non-existent, parent involvement. Through the efforts of Mr. Robinson, his team, and collaborative partners, the Milwaukee Chapter of VFZ is recognized as the flagship/model for all of the individual chapters of VFZ throughout the country; and he and his team are often called upon to train new VFZ teams in other cities. Mr. Robinson continues to make dents in the armor of poverty by showing the youth of his schools and community that their goals are indeed attainable. Through his work with the MVFZ and the variety of community entities that he collaborates with, he will continue to assist the youth of Milwaukee and other cities across the country to realize and maximize their social and academic potential.
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Sylvia Bennett-Stone, Director of Voices of Black Mothers United
Sylvia Bennett-Stone serves as the Woodson Center’s Director of the Voices of Black Mothers United initiative. After losing her daughter to senseless violence in 2004, Sylvia began her life-long commitment to helping uplift the lives of others by founding the Innovative Approach Foundation and chronicling her own healing journey in her book Mindfields: A Healing Journey to Survive the Murder of a Child. It is from these committed efforts to serve the community that she started Voices of Black Mothers United. With Sylvia at the helm as Director, the VBMU initiative has grown to service thousands of mothers who have lost children and are implementing solutions to address community violence.
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Gary Wyatt is the Founder and President of He Brought Us Out Ministry Inc aka North Hill Community House. A non-profit, faith-based community organization established in January 2001. Gary was licensed and ordained into the ministry on March 10, 2001. He is married to Patricia Wyatt of 31 years, and they have children.
Gary is the Author and Publisher of the true story “From Dealing to Healing” published in 2001, a story that tells how he was raised in the inner city surrounded by alcohol, drugs, and heartache and how he fell deep into addiction to the drugs he was selling. After coming to the end of his life, with suicide on his mind, he finds his way out through his spiritual journey toward salvation.
He has been featured in “Ministry Empowers North Hill Community” (Akron Beacon Journal March 2005) “War on Poverty” (Wall Street Journal April 2005) and featured in numerous other articles.
Gary Wyatt has established several community outreach events such as the annual Toys for Tots Program that has been established since December 1991 to present. He formed and organized local block watches for 3 area neighborhoods in May of 1998, which helped to shut down neighboring drug houses and has since brought back peace to the neighborhood. He was also involved with the Welfare Reform through the Faith base initiative for the Grassroots Leaders brought about by the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise {www.cneonline.org} and Governor Bob Taft in April of 1999. His most recent yearly outreach establishment Is the Night Out Against Crime in partnership with the City of Akron and the Back to School Community outreach.
He established; He Brought Us Out after school Tutoring Program, Building Blocks Enrichment Summer Camp Program, HBUO Advocacy Youth Mentoring program, Certified Financial Literacy Instructor thru HSBC North America, and President and founder of the North Hill Community House.
His most recent accomplishments are; Winner of the Good Neighbor Award given through Character Counts Akron and also selected as YMCA Adult Volunteer of the Year {East Akron} and The Black Pages: Honoring Excellence February 2006.
Gary Wyatt served as an Advisory Committee board member for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for 3 years. The Black Achievers committee Board member East Akron YMCA. Member of the 100 Black Men of Greater Akron. Served on the 2009 56th Presidential Armed Forces Inaugural Committee Washington DC. Military escort for the NASA Astronaut Crew STS-126 crew. Winner of the 2009 Charles Salem Humanitarian Award, Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition The Honorable Betty Sutton, Armed Forces 56th Inaugural Committee Certificate of Appreciation. United State Navy Reservist Retired 34 years. 2009 Federal Executive Board Employee Recognition Award. City of Akron 2009 Stimulus Advisory Board Committee member. Leadership Akron Class XXVII. Leadership Akron on Main guest speaker. City of Akron beautification award. YMCA Rosa Parks Eric Gardenhight memorial Community Service Award 2018. Appointed Akron Ambassadors committee 2020. Appointed to the City of Akron Planning board commission by Mayor Dan Horrigan. Retired US Postal Maintenance Manager 34 years. Appointed to the Police Chiefs Advisory Board for Hiring minorities.
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Patricia Wyatt is the Co-Founder and Vice President of He Brought Us Out Ministry Inc. aka North Hill Community House, a non-profit, faith-based community organization established in January 2001.
She co-authors with her husband the book “From Dealing to Healing”, a heartfelt story of how his drug selling and drug additions caused death and destruction and heartache, but through her support and the support of God changed their lives and made their story to be a testimony to others.
Patricia Wyatt along with her husband has established several community outreach events such as the Toys for Tots Program which has been established since December 1991 to present, she has formed and organized local block watches for 3 area neighborhoods in May of 1998, which helped to shut down neighboring drug houses and has since brought back peace to the neighborhood. She was also involved with Welfare Reform through the Faith base initiative for the Grassroots Leaders brought about by the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (www.woodsoncenter.org) and Governor Bob Taft in April of 1999, “The Night Out Against Crime” in partnership with the City of Akron and the Back to School Community outreach.
She established along with her husband; He Brought Us Out after school Tutoring Program, Building Blocks Enrichment Summer Camp Program, North Hill Community House Food Pantry, HBUO Advocacy Youth Mentoring program, Certified Financial Literacy Instructor thru HSBC North America, and Vice President and co-founder of the North Hill Community House.
Some of her accomplishments are; board chair for YMCA, Recipient of the Good Neighbor Award given through the Character Counts of Akron, Charles Salem Humanitarian Award for the year 2010 awarded by the Mayor’s office, Women’s History Project of the Akron Area Inc, awarded the 2011 Women of the Year of Faith Award. A graduated Neighborhood Leadership Class of 2014 and a Graduate of Mayor’s Citizen Institute 2020 Class IV. Featured in the Akron Life Magazine, February 2016 Article “We Are North Hill.” She has also worked with International Institute of Akron on the Listening Project on Multi-Ethnic Conflict and is a part of the Community Welcoming Summit with International Institute of Akron and The City of Akron.
She served as an Advisory Committee Board Member for Pregnancy Care for 3 years, North Hill Community Development Corporation for 4 years, and is currently serving on East Akron YMCA Board and Akron Tree Commission, Serves as An Ambassador for the City of Akron. She also volunteers at Haven of Arrest devotions for the ladies at the Harvest Home and is a volunteer Coach for Girls On The Run Northeast Ohio.
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Jon D. Ponder is the founder and CEO of HOPE for Prisoners, Inc. Mr. Ponder was appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval to the Nevada Sentencing Commission in 2017 and was appointed to the Governor’s Reentry Taskforce and the US Commission on Civil Rights Nevada State Advisory Committee in 2016. He serves as a Commissioner with the Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education.
He serves as an ordained chaplain with Chaplaincy Nevada. He oversees all aspects of the programs and services provided by HOPE for Prisoners, including a comprehensive array of program components designed to assist individuals to successfully reintegrate into society. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategic planning for the organization and is extremely passionate about the value of mentoring for persons coming out of correctional settings. Mr. Ponder’s personal experience with the judicial system gives him the expertise to provide training for offender populations in correctional settings as he has for 15 years. In 2020, Jon was granted a pardon from the State of Nevada as well as a full Presidential pardon from President Trump.
His personal life experiences uniquely equip him to provide guidance, direction, and motivation for individuals attempting to navigate the challenges they face during the reintegration process. His genuine heart and engaging manner have helped countless people become the best versions of themselves. Jon works tirelessly to reach as many former offenders, community leaders, and partners as he can. He is often invited to be a motivational or keynote speaker and consults with law enforcement agencies and community partners across the country who are working to export the HOPE for Prisoners model to their area.
