Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program

 

LJCVscholarship@gmail.com

 

LELAND-JOHNSON COMMON VISION ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY CONTEST FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

 

February 2013

 

DEAR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR:

 

The Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program is conducting an essay contest for the purpose of awarding a scholarship to two deserving students from the Junior and Senior classes from several metro high schools for this academic year.  The purpose of this contest is rooted in the origins of the Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program (LJCV), now 22 years old. 

 

It is designed to encourage high school seniors from the two LJCV target groups—African American and Jewish—to review their family and personal histories in order to discuss through the essay format, answers to specific questions about those experiences.  The contest is open to:

 

Ø  African American high school students, whose families have experienced the history of slavery, bigotry and discrimination in the United States, and…

 

Ø  Jewish high school students, whose families have experienced anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination in the United States or abroad.

 

The topic for this first essay contest is formulated in these two questions:

Describe the common struggles and challenges that African Americans

and Jews have faced that connect their historical experiences.  

How do these connections impact you in society?

 

By initiating contact through you and your office, it is our objective to “get the word out” about this scholarship contest via your normal communication channels—through digital media, in print, on air/broadcast, through social media and “word of mouth.”  In order to help you and your leadership staff evaluate the components and criteria for this scholarship contest, as well as the rationale for encouraging your students to enter/participate, we have enclosed the following informational documents:

 

Ø  About the LJCV, OUR HISTORY and OUR MISSION

Ø  Contest rules and materials necessary to apply for the LJCV Student Scholarship Essay Contest

Ø  And a small poster for promoting this contest in your building.

 

We sincerely hope you will find the LJCV Student Scholarship Essay Contest of interest and worth promoting for the purpose of helping us identify students who might be engaged in participating in this unique and worthwhile competition.  Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

 

Respectfully yours,

 

MEMBERS OF THE LELAND-JOHNSON COMMON VISION BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Dr. Josie Johnson, Arnold “Bill” Aberman, Martha Arradondo, Dr. Wendy Bach, Alan Bensman, Sherrill Borkon, Dawn Campbell, Pamela Cosby, Cheryl Chatman, Max Fallek, Laura Ferenci, Bill Lerman, Susan Lieberman, Matthew Little, Andrew McGlory, Katie McWatt,* Rod Shilkrot, Lynelle Shire, Marilyn Weisberg          

 

 

LJCVscholarship@gmail.com

 

ABOUT THE

LELAND-JOHNSON COMMON VISION PROGRAM

 

The Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program strives to prepare leaders by providing Jewish and African American high school students with knowledge and understanding of their forebears’ unending struggle against racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination.

 

For several years, an innovative year-long program and curriculum for an average of 20 students, African American and Jewish from metro high schools, focused on parallel culture, history, social action and educational travel.  The Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program experience not only increased participating students’ knowledge base, it also succeeded in rebuilding at this isolated level, the historic and once-effective relationship between African Americans and Jews through these engaged high school students—the future leaders of both communities.

 

In addition to monthly lectures, speakers, interactive activities, field trips, and community service projects during the school year, each Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program class traveled annually to Washington, D.C. to further research the history of the tenuous relationship between these two strong minority communities, meet with Minnesota congressional representatives, and tour historic sites and landmarks pertinent to this important forum topic.

 

The Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program has now evolved into what we hope will survive as an ongoing annual college scholarship program, still focused on the origins of the initial Leland-Johnson Common Vision Program and further strengthening, through our talented youth, the relationship between these two wonderful communities.