Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy Celebrates Black History With Local Churches

RANTOUL, IL (03/02/2015)(readMedia)-- The Civil Rights Movement drew support from people of many different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs, but the African-American Christian churches played a special part from the freedom songs veiled as hymns to the Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life in the pursuit of justice.

To honor that history, six local churches participated in Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy's music-filled celebration of African-American heritage on Feb. 28. They included The First Baptist Church of Rantoul, Ill., the Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church of Rantoul, Ill., the Rantoul United Pentecostal Church, the Full Gospel Christian Fellowship of Paxton, Ill., the Greater New Light Baptist Church of Rantoul, Ill. and the Mount Olive Baptist Church of Champaign, Ill. A retired Pastor, the Rev. Ronald Baker Sr. of Urbana, Ill., also participated singing the classic gospel song "Precious Lord Take My Hand." Baker was among the original members of Lincoln's ChalleNGe's state advisory board.

The keynote speaker was entrepreneur and activist Javae' Wright Sr. Wright is the founder and CEO of Leadaz Inc., an athletic footwear and sports apparel company. He also runs Lead4Life, a statewide nonprofit organization that seeks to instill leadership in youth.

"Always be ready for the time when preparation and opportunity meet," Wright told the Lincoln's ChalleNGe cadets.

Wright's remarks and several Lincoln's ChalleNGe cadet readings on African-American history were surrounded in song, with the academy's choir, "Voices of ChalleNGe," joined with the church choirs.

"These songs tell the history of black people in America," said Lincoln's ChalleNGe Director Peter T. Thomas of Rantoul, Ill..

Lincoln's Challenge Academy celebrated its 20th anniversary in July 2013. It is the largest single-site program in the U.S. and among the most successful with nearly 14,000 graduates. LCA is a program for 16 to 18-year-old at-risk youths with a curriculum consisting of a 22-week residential phase where cadets experience a quasi-military modeled training program. This is followed by a post-residential mentoring phase, which includes the cadet's goals and objectives and their planned placement activities following graduation.

Cutline 1: Bryon Lynch plays the guitar during the song "Total Praise" during the Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy Black History Month celebration Feb. 28 in Rantoul (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs)

Cutline 2: The Rev. Ronald Baker Sr. (left) sings "Wade in the Water" with Lashaundo Brown and Steven Davis during LCA's Black History Month celebration Feb. 28 in Rantoul (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs)

Cutline 3: Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy cadets sing "Oh Freedom" with the Rantoul United Pentacostal Church during LCA's Black History Month celebration Feb. 28 in Rantoul (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs)

Cutline 4: Leadaz Inc. founder and CEO Javae' Wright tells the Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy cadets to "be ready when preparation meets opportunity," during LCA's Black History Month celebration Feb. 28 in Rantoul (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs)