Community leaders partner with Million Father March
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on August 3, 2017 5:50 AM
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Colebrook
jpitchford@newsargus.com
While having a father figure can make a substantial difference in the life of a child, not every young person has one.
At least for the start of school, Goldsboro community leaders are trying to fill the gap. Several schools in the central attendance area are partnering with Operation Unite Goldsboro to take part in the Million Father March, a program which encourages men in the community to welcome students to class on their first day of school.
The first such event will take place at Goldsboro High School Aug. 7. Operation Unite Goldsboro founder Mark Colebrook said that meeting the kids as they get off the bus is a way to show them that their community cares about them.
"This is an opportunity for the men in the community to show how committed they are to education in the community," he said.
The men, of which Colebrook said there are about 20 signed up, will cheer for the students as they walk into their school on day one.
After Goldsboro High, the group plans to be at every central attendance area school within the first week of class, although that will depend on turnout.
Colebrook said he feels that having male role models is important for both young men and women, even if those men come from the community rather than the home. He encouraged anyone considering coming out to the school to make space in their schedule.
"The number one reason for this is that kids are not just our future but our present, and we can't just keep kicking things down the road," he said. "Anything at all that you can do is appreciated. We're not asking for money, just a commitment of your time."
Goldsboro High will open around 8:30 a.m., and anyone taking part in welcoming the students will gather where the buses drop off. While the march was originally created in Chicago specifically for African-American men, anyone is welcome to take part.
"If anyone in the community, if a woman wants to come out, we'll take that too," Colebrook said. "It's just another form of support in the community."