The Progress Plaza and Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan

Yesterday which was July 9, 2009 we did research on The Progress Plaza. As we did the research we learned that the founder of the Progress Plaza was a man named Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan. Dr. Leon Sullivan was born the only child on October 16, 1922. Dr. Leon Sullivan died at the age of 78 on April 24, 2001from leukemia. During his life time he was a well known man. He had an impact on millions of people throughout the world especially people in the US and the continent of Africa by teaching self help principles of empowerment and community development. Sullivan was born during a time of racism and his grandmother was as influence on him in his early life. She taught him the importance of faith, determination, faith in god and self-help. Also Phillip Randolph was a mentor to Sullivan and helped him to learn how to organize and mobilize. Sullivan stood about 6’5, attended Charleston Garnet High School for black children and received a scholarship for sports to West Virginia State College in 1939 which ended due to a foot injury and he was forced to pay for college by working in a steel mill. Sullivan became a minister at the young age of 18. He took his first active role in the civil rights movement by helping to organize a march on Washington D.C. in the early 1940’s. Dr. Sullivan believed that jobs were the key to improving African American lives and in 1958 he asked that Philadelphia’s largest companies interview young blacks. In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s Dr. Sullivan initiated a successful operation in the Philadelphia to boycott companies that didn’t offer employment to black people. The slogan was “Don’t buy where you don’t work” and the boycott was extremely effective since blacks constituted about 20% of Philadelphia’s population. Sullivan estimated the boycott produced thousands of jobs for African Americans in a period of four years. As a response to the newly opened opportunities in 1964 Dr. Sullivan founded the OIC and there are 60 active centers in 17 countries around the world. He also founded the Progress Investment Associate and the Zion non-profit Charitable Trust. Reverend also established inner city retirement and assisted living complexes in Philadelphia and other cities throughout the US named Opportunities Towers. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan was also the founder of the Progress Human Services Center that was built in 1987 which includes:
* New pathway project
* Youth Scholars charter school
* OIC of America
* Emerging Contraction program
* North Central Victims Services
* P.I. Associates International
* Center of Social Policy and Community Development
* Asian Tobacco Education and Cancer Awareness

Throughout the late 1990’s the Reverend Dr. Sullivan brought world and business leaders together to expand the successful Sullivan Principles into Global Sullivan Principles of Corporate Social Responsibility. The Reverend Dr. Sullivan has been a recipient of many accommodations throughout his life time. These are a few which includes:
* Presidential Medal of Freedom(1992)
* Notre Dame Award(1999)
* Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award(1999)
* NAACP Spingarn Award.

African American Sites of Memory

Charles Blockson is the founder of the Blockson Collection. He also created the Historical Marker Program in 1990. This program was funded by the William Penn Foundation. The Historical Marker Program brings attention to the national significance of the African Americans contribution to the historical, social, political-economic, and cultural heritage of Philadelphia. The Marker also shows the African American experience in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. It shows the creation and development of the nation’s most important religious, educational, economic, and cultural institutions which constitute the local and national significance of Philadelphia’s historic African American community throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The African American markers were given public designation by the State of Pennsylvania Commission on Historical Landmarks through the academic research, archival collections and civic organizing efforts by Charles Blockson. The markers are important to historians, geographers, curators, and librarians for the very fact they are sites of historical and geographic memories. This multimedia virtual heritage resource will connect the places recognized by the markers to the significant holdings of the Blockson Collection. Because of these markers they also illuminate larger themes of more universal significance to the national African American and American Historical narrative. Just as the aim of the State of Pennsylvania historical marker program is to enhance public awareness and education about the history of African Americans in Philadelphia, PA.

Second Life and African American History

We are researching Historical Landmarks in Philadelphia, PA to create a space in the Second Life virtual universe. We have only just begun to collect information about a couple landmarks so far. We’ve looked at Progress Plaza and The Legendary Blue Horizon. We are a group of interns at Temple University working with the BITS summer program.

My name is Angelique, I’m 17 and I am currently a senior at The Philadelphia High School for Business and Technology. I would like to one day become a world renowned Photographer and own my own studio, I would also like to study theatre arts and become a Broadway actress.

Samantha, 17 and Lanee, 18 are aspiring Lawyers from Philadelphia who dream to open and own their own Law Firm in the future and to also become the next female Johnny Cochran.

Malcolm Jones, 17 is also a High School senior who attends Mathematic Civics and Science Charter. His future career of choices are Fashion Design/ Fashion Retail or to become a Pediatrician. He wants to work for a prestigious hospital or for a high end clothing company like Gucci or Versace.

Rochelle Hamilton, 20 is a 2007 graduate from Strawberry Mansion High School, she has also graduated from Thompson Institute in 2008; she is now a certified Medical Assistant. Her ideal dream is to become a doctor.

Shyniqua, 17 lives in North Philadelphia. She is another High School senior who attends Roxborough High School. Her dream is to become a Midwife. Her goals are to finish High School and get into college.

What we are doing.

We are creating a virtual world of African American Landmarks in Philadelphia.
So if you want to learn more about the history in your home town this is the place.