Promotional Materials
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact:
Sandi Goldfarb sgoldfarb@rasky.com
Andy Hoglund ahoglund@rasky.com
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT WINNER, BRANDON LEAKE JOINS TEAM HARMONY FOUNDATION AS PRODUCING PARTNER
Spoken Word Artist, Poet and Educator Will Contribute to Monthly Web Series, HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? Focusing on Social Injustice, Race and Equity on a Global Scale
BOSTON, MA (October 20, 2020) – Brandon Leake, a poet, educator, performer, and the 2020 winner of America’s Got Talent, has joined the Team Harmony Foundation as a producing partner on its new web series, HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? A Boston-based, international nonprofit organization, the Team Harmony Foundation works to educate, inspire, and engage youth around the world in the battle against hate and violence. In addition to his role as producing partner, Leake has written a new spoken word presentation for Team Harmony that will debut during the October 20 edition of HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
Originally established in 1994 by a coalition of business and community leaders, Team Harmony will kick-off its youth-driven, monthly series at 7:00 pm (EST) and 7:00 pm (CET) on Tuesday, October 20, when it will stream live on TeamHarmonyFoundation.org. Featuring Leake and a corps of student reporters from around the globe, the series is aimed at middle school, high school, and college students.
“I have been so impressed by all that Team Harmony is doing and I knew I had to be part of this effort in a big way,” said Leake. “Together, we will stand up against hate and show the world exactly what love can look like. Together we are far more powerful than we ever are on our own.”
Each 45-minute episode of HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? will explore the state of hate worldwide and highlight peaceful activism that promotes tolerance, equity, and inclusion through conversations with political, civic, business and education leaders including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Jonathan Greenblatt, National Director and CEO, Anti-Defamation League, and Emerson College President Lee Pelton, and stories produced by as many as 100 youth reporters from across the US and around the globe. To date, young people from more than 35 countries — including Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Egypt, India Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Uganda and the United States (with 15 states represented) — will help drive programming.
In addition to the web series, Team Harmony has worked with educators to develop diverse program offerings such as a free, downloadable activism tool kit specifically designed for middle and high school teachers and students. Now available, the kit includes age-appropriate activities that promote inclusion and community building, celebrate diversity, encourage unity, and refute hate speech in all its forms.
As part of its ongoing effort to cultivate the next generation of leaders, Team Harmony and Emerson College will also introduce a 10-course Virtual Institute for Activism (VIA) in January, 2021, designed to provide young people with the background, knowledge, and skills needed to raise awareness, engage in difficult conversations, and use their voices to peacefully advocate for racial and social justice. Courses will include Using Social Media for Social Good, the Art of Organizing, and Influencing the Influencer. The inaugural class of VIA will accept up to 200 students from around the world.
The name of the series HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? was inspired by Emerson College President Lee Pelton whose letter to the Emerson community following the death of George Floyd went viral, sparking important and timely conversations. “At the end of his powerful letter, which recounted his experiences as a Black man in America, President Pelton challenged us all by asking ’what are you going to do?’ in response to systemic racism, violence and hate speech,” said Team Harmony board member Josh Zakim, a former Boston city councilor whose late father Lenny Zakim, a respected civil rights activist, and longtime regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, was a driving force behind Team Harmony. “Everyone associated with Team Harmony believes President Pelton’s letter, which has been widely circulated with millions of online views, will spark a global conversation, compelling youth, here at home and around the globe, to take action and work to combat hate,” added Zakim.
To date, Team Harmony has attracted a coalition of organizations including the Anti-Defamation League of New England, The Center for Global Communications, the Boston Bruins, the Carter Presidential Center, The Ben Marion Institute for Social Justice – Atlanta, the Council of American Islamic Relations, Massachusetts Chapter, the Martin Richard Foundation, the Massachusetts Commission of LGBT Youth, The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, the NAACP-New England Area Conference, and Project 351.
About Team Harmony:
The Team Harmony Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) committed to educating, inspiring, and engaging youth of all races, religions, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, and ethnicities from around the globe in the battle against hate in all its forms. The Foundation supports the education and organizing efforts of students, encouraging activism and collaboration through a broad array of no-cost programs and services developed in partnership with an international coalition comprised of nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and business leaders.
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Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact:
Sandi Goldfarb sgoldfarb@rasky.com
Andy Hoglund ahoglund@rasky.com
TEAM HARMONY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES 2020/2021 PROGRAMMING WITH MONTHLY WEB SERIES, HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
Programming By and For Young People Confronts Social Injustice, Race and Equity on a Global Scale
BOSTON, MA (September 17, 2020) – The Team Harmony Foundation, a Boston based, international nonprofit organization working to educate, inspire and engage youth around the world in the battle against hate and violence, today announced the launch of a new, cutting- edge web series, HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?, created by and for young people as part of its 2020/2021 programming. Originally established in 1994 by a coalition of Boston area business and community leaders, Team Harmony will kick-off this youth-driven, monthly series at 7:00 pm (EDT) and 7:00 pm (CET) on Tuesday, October 20, when it will stream live on TeamHarmonyFoundation.org. Featuring a corps of student reporters from around the globe, the series will be hosted by former Boston city councilor Josh Zakim, whose late father Lenny Zakim, a respected civil rights activist, and former regional director of the Anti- Defamation League, was a driving force behind Team Harmony.
Aimed at high school and college students, each 60-minute episode of the HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? series will explore the state of hate worldwide, highlight student activities that promote tolerance, equity, and inclusion through conversations with political, civic, business and education leaders and stories produced by as many as 100 youth reporters from across the US and around the globe. To date, young people from more than 35 countries — including Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Egypt, India Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Uganda and the United States (with 15 states represented) — will help drive Team Harmony programming. Team Harmony has partnered with Emerson College and Escola Superior de Comunicação Social - Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa to develop the campaign and program offerings.
According to Josh Zakim, the name of the series, HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? was inspired by Emerson College President Lee Pelton whose letter to the Emerson community following the death of George Floyd went viral, sparking important and timely conversations. “At the end of his powerful letter, which recounted his experiences as a Black man in America, President Pelton challenged us all by asking ’what are you going to do?’ in response to systemic racism, violence and hate speech,” said Zakim. “Team Harmony believes President Pelton’s question will spark a global conversation, compelling youth, here at home and around the globe, to take action and work to combat hate.”
Upcoming Team Harmony initiatives which will be rolled out in late fall of 2020, includes a free, downloadable activism tool kit specifically designed for middle and high school teachers and students. This tool kit, created in partnership with campaign coalition members and Emerson College, include age- appropriate activities that promote inclusion and community building, celebrate diversity, encourage unity, and refutes hate speech in all its forms.
As part of its ongoing effort to cultivate the next generation of leaders, Team Harmony and Emerson College will introduce a 10-course Virtual Institute for Activism (VIA) in January, 2021, designed to provide young people ages 14-18 with the background, knowledge, and skills needed to raise awareness, engage in difficult conversations, and use their voices to peacefully advocate for racial and social justice. Courses will include Using Social Media for Social Good, the Art of Organizing, and Influencing the Influencer. The inaugural class of VIA will accept up to 200 students from around the world.
Team Harmony has attracted a coalition of organizations including the Anti-Defamation League of New England, The Center for Global Communications, the Boston Bruins, the Carter Presidential Center, The Ben Marion Institute for Social Justice – Atlanta, the Council of American Islamic Relations, Massachusetts Chapter, the Martin Richard Foundation, the Massachusetts Commission of LGBT Youth, The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the NAACP-New England Area Conference.
About Team Harmony:
The Team Harmony Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) committed to educating, inspiring, and engaging youth of all races, religions, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, and ethnicities from around the globe in the battle against hate in all its forms. The Foundation supports the education and organizing efforts of students, encouraging activism and collaboration through a broad array of no-cost programs and services developed in partnership with an international coalition comprised of nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and business leaders.
Team Harmony Coalition Members (to date)
Anti-Defamation League of New England • Atlanta Public Schools • The Ben Marion Institute for Social Justice-Atlanta • Boston Bruins • BRIDGE – Berkshire, Massachusetts • The Carter Presidential Center • The Chica Project • Children’s Services of Roxbury • City Year • Council of American Islamic Relations – Massachusetts Chapter • Empower Peace • Escola Superior de Comunicação Social - Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa • Foundation To Be Named Later • Gavin Foundation • Georgia Equality • Generation Citizen • iHeart Media – Boston • JumpSpark Jewish Federation of Atlanta • Martin Richard Foundation • Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center • Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth • Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association • NAACP – New England Area Conference
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