[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 149 (Friday, October 9, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING TWIN CITIES PUBLIC TELEVISION'S ``BELIEVE IN BLACK YOUTH'' 
                              PROGRAMMING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 2015

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Twin 
Cities Public Television's efforts through the American Graduate 
initiative to provide Minnesota's African American youth with a 
platform to share their educational journeys, challenges, and success 
stories with our community.
  American Graduate is a multi-year public media initiative through the 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting that aids local communities across 
America in finding solutions to the high school dropout crisis that 
plagues our nation.
  I am proud that in Minnesota, Twin Cities Public Television's 
contribution to this national effort has been to explore not only the 
state's achievement gap in our African American community, but also the 
belief gap that fuels it There is often a significant division in 
belief between what children and families of traditionally marginalized 
groups believe they can accomplish and what others in positions of 
power believe these youth are capable of. TPT's effort is aimed at 
exposing these barriers to success and providing youth with an 
opportunity to share their stories.
  TPT's American Graduate supported programming is called ``Believe in 
Black Youth,'' which includes segments on ``Almanac'', TPT's weekly 
public affairs program, online spots and much more. The cornerstone of 
TPT's efforts is a thirty minute documentary titled ``Black 
Brilliance'' which chronicles the journeys of five African American 
high school students to graduation and their dreams for the future. It 
is through stories like those told in ``Black Brilliance'' that TPT 
seeks to help change the narrative of a belief system about Minnesota's 
marginalized African American youth from one of inadequacy and 
disadvantage to one of value and worth.
  Every student in America deserves the opportunity to receive a 
quality education, and ensuring that all of our nation's children have 
the best chance for success in life is the most important job we have 
as leaders, teachers, parents, and Americans. I am truly pleased to see 
Twin Cities Public Television address these critical issues and 
advancing the voices of those in our community who have found it so 
difficult to have their voices heard.

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