Here's an email Shawn Welcome sent out after hearing Margaret Beale Spencer November 16, 2006
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Good day all,

It took me a minute to get this email out but I finally managed to squeeze in the time. At the last Atlas conference on Nov 16th where Dr. Margaret Beale Spencer conducted what I considered to be an extremely essential workshop that provided deep views into the issues facing us today regarding education the Black male, some of us decided to do something. This is the beginning of that something.

Before I begin, let me say that I included some folks on this distribution list that I may not have spoken to as of yet, but I recognize that they have the skills or resources or vision necessary to help us develop something revolutionary.

As a reminder, I am Shawn Welcome-Director of Arturo Schomburg Satellite Academy H.S, and my ultimate goal is to design an inter-state consortium between schools and arts/cultures professionals to meet the following objectives:

Expose young Black ( African-American and Latino ) males to different cultures, environments, social experiences and realities
Initiate an E-pal program with possible video conferencing capabilities that would enable us to start relationships with young men and schools, both international and national, in order close the divide between our men, their environments, and the rest of the world. Vision here: Enlighten, deconstruct differences, build connections, initiate metacognition on societal roles/realities, affects of it on us and us on it
Incorporate the arts: choirs, theatre, restaurants, social etiquette, instrumental arts, vocal arts, performance arts, etc
Trips that connect Ny to Boston, Boston to Ny, Both to international regions unknown to our young men ( Damon Smith is already well ahead of us with this one--I'm sure he will share his process and progress )
I have included Dr. Spencer and Mr. Walker on this distribution list because I think it essential that they are aware of wherever we go from this point forward. I recognize them as extreme resources and mentors.

I included Kim Park because she has connections with performance artists that are interested in working within urban schools.

There was a woman at the meeting who runs a boy's choir, ( I forget her name) but I remember that she was interested in joining in on this idea. If anyone has her email/contact information, please forward it to me or forward this email to her. She was in our work-group.

Finally, I added some other African American educators whom I believe have an interest in this work.

This is the beginning of conversations, it is a collaboration. Feel free to add to the list of objectives or share thoughts on adjustments needed to be considered. I figure that we may need an essential question to start this conversation. I offer this one; How can I and my school help in the creation of this consortium?

I am excited at the future that this may create for our young men.....let's start the conversation...