The 2060s Project will evolve into a strategic movement with the purpose of ensuring 90% eradication of illiteracy and inequality linked to Black American children and underserved children and communities in the United States by the end of the 2060’s decade. The project’s started on January 1, 2019 and is expected to end on December 31, 2069 – exactly fifty years. Our goal is to make it possible for underserved children in the United States to survive an unforgiving capitalism model.
Origin
The 2060s Project is the brainchild of Ralph Harper, author, philanthropist, motivational speaker and business owner. This initiative was derivative from Mr. Harper book, titled Own the Change – A Values Based Plan to Prepare our Future Leaders. Mr. Harper is firm in his belief that since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther king, minimal focus has been placed on strategies to enhance the life experiences of Black Americans in the United States. Harper believes the time is now to end the era of capitulation with a long-lasting stream of focus on underserved Black American children communities for the next fifty years.
Harper was inspired to write Own the Change in the early months of 2017 after watching one of Martin Luther King’s speeches on YouTube. Harper considers the content of the speech profound. With his powerful oratorical voice King said to a group of men in a small church (paraphrased)…
“Believe in yourself and believe that you’re somebody. Nobody else can do this for us. No document can do this for us. No Lincoln-sonian Emancipation Proclamation can do this for us. No Kenne-sonian or John-sonian Civil Rights Bill can do this for us. If the negro is to be free, he must move down into the inner resources of his own soul and sign with a pen and ink of self-asserted manhood his own Emancipation Proclamations.”
Harper once said… “It seems Dr. King’s words have become forever etched into my memory bank.”
Ironically, the speech content also serves as a grim reminder had King not been assassinated, the entire Black American community and our country would be in a far better predicament today. In His speech, King was reminding Black Americans and the entire United States citizenry of their individual and collective accountability to own their destiny and the future of our country.
Own the Change covers the continuum from the 1860s (freedom) to the 1960s (equality) to the 2060s (accountability). Most of the book-content touts the inextricable accountability of adults/parents to appropriately guide young children to the future – fifty years from now to the end of the 2060’s decade. Own the Change features seven REWARDS life principles that need to be instilled within the minds and souls of our young children starting at age three – Reading, Education, Work, Accountability, Respect, Duty and Saving money while being financially astute.
Distinctions
The 2060 Project, LLC is a for profit company which sells certain retail products, training, speaking engagements and other services. The 2060s Project, LLC will contribute a significant percentage of its proceeds in support of The 2060s Project’s national scope.
The 2060s Project, LLC will also make donations and support approved nonprofit organizations who administer training and mentoring services within the scope and guidelines of the WIN Model and the related seven REWARDS Life Principles. Catherine Harper for Keepers (CH4K) ch4k.net is one of the nonprofit organizations currently approved.
Catherine Harper for Keepers (CH4K) is a nonprofit organization founded by Ralph Harper and his family. Ralph Harper is Chairman of the Board of Directors. CH4K has four pillars, Fatherhood/Family, Mentoring, STEM and Jobs. In fact, the seven REWARDS Life Principles originated in the Mentoring Program at CH4K. The organization is also aligned with President Obama’s national My Brother’s Keeper initiatives.
The 2060s Project is an actual national project initiative which is being managed through The 2060s Project, LLC. The 2060s Project is connected to a strategic movement with the purpose of ensuring 90% eradication of illiteracy and inequality linked to Black Americans and other underserved children and communities in the United States by the end of the 2060’s decade.
The 2060s Project Initiative
The 2060s Project initiative will be led and managed by The 2060s Project, LLC. Ralph Harper is President and CEO.
Mindful of the fact a book alone will never solve the issue of sustained illiteracy, inequality, disparities and all the other attributes of a broken culture in our country, the leadership at The 2060s Project, LLC is leveraging – on a national scale – key thought-leaders to continuously validate and construct the national strategy and related credentials required to execute The 2060s Project plan. So far, thoughts leaders with these disciplines are actively engaged:
- Educators
- Fortune company executives
- Media executives
- Doctor in Sociologists
- STEM professionals
- Chief Personnel Officers
- Bankers
- Finance
Execution – Field Tacticians
The 2060s Project, LLC is currently mapping out a plan to reach as many people known to have access to our target demographic of children. These field soldiers may include but will not be limited to:
- Parents
- Corporate sponsors
- Celebrities
- Superintendents
- Principals
- Teachers
- Parent/Teacher Associations
- Commonly aligned nonprofit organizations
- Mentors
- Field Advocates
The role of Field Advocate will be the most important of all roles. These individuals will be certified as Fields Advocate with strict requirements related the following
- Must exhibit a passion for supporting children
- Must exhibit a clear understanding of the mission of The 2060s Project
- Must read the entire book – Own the Change – A Values Based Plan to Guide Our Future Leaders
- Must exhibit extensive knowledge related the value of our children having the REWARDS life principles instill within them
- Must be able to articulate the supporting data linked to each of the REWARDS Life Principles (i.e. illiteracy rates among US citizens, Black American illiteracy rate compared to the rest of the country
- Must be able to link each REWARDS life principle to a story
- Must demonstrate a strong ability to speak in public
- Must demonstrate the will and ability to deliver speeches to large groups
- Must demonstrate the ability to be interactive with children and adults
- Must have the ability and charisma to engender others to buy into The 2060s Project initiative
Through national marketing strategies, The 2060s Project, LLC will place strict focus on the profound values linked to instilling the seven REWARDS Life Principles within our target demographics starting with children reading at age three years old. Messaging in this phase of the project will be critical. In addition to traditional marketing, trademark branding and social media campaign marketing, The 2060s Project leadership will leverage hundreds of Advocate -speakers whose responsibility will be to relay our message to as many children as possible through speeches at conferences (i.e. Parent Teacher Associations), school assemblies, colleges and universities assemblies, nonprofit organizations (i.e. My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Catherine Harper for Keepers, Yes We Code, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girls Code Too, Mentor.org and more.
The goal is to reach and certify a minimum of one million children in the WIN REWARDS Model and Principles over the next 20 years as we forge ahead to the 2060’s decade.
Technology
A big data project/technology will be implemented to track all our children’s progress including reading levels, graduation levels, affinities, skills, entrepreneur skills and services, specialized certifications (i.e. IT Security, Six Sigma and so on. The technology will also be leveraged as a Workforce Development Model.
Outcomes
Imagine the positive social and economic outcomes of a strategy to breed best-in-class talent over the next fifty years. Imagine the life outcomes tethered to our children whom will have grown up and become adults. They will be doctors, lawyers, CEOs, CIO’s, CFO’s, entrepreneurs, educators, US Senators, POTUS and more.
