A sign was placed in Buffalo earlier this month in dedication to the late Pastor James Hemphill Sr. for the work he has done that helped shape the future we have now. Looking back on the work he completed, we see remnants of his work here in Buffalo’s community today.
Within Buffalo's community, there are a few problems for low-income families, and it may feel as though no one has your back or thinks of you. You are wrong.
In the 1970s-1990s, Hemphill was a major activist and huge forerunner for the community he lived within. He went on to create programs that are still helping Buffalo today and inspiring others to step up for their community.
He knew what Buffalo needed because he was a student at Erie County Community College and the University of Buffalo. As he got older, he was the president of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Buffalo branch along with being the founding member or president of six other organizations.
Along with those organizations, he was the founder of the PACE program, which has been called the prototype for what the Head Start program is today.
The Head Start program was made to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the community. Today, the program helps children from ages six weeks to five years by getting them school ready by preparing them with a solid foundation. Head Start lays the foundation for Buffalo’s children to help them build confidence through topics such as health, nutrition, social skills, and physical activity.
Earlier this month, WBFO sat down with Dr. Chelsea White, the executive director of Buffalo’s Head Start program, and asked her what the head start program provides for the community.
“When head start was initially started it was as a poverty program to help transition families out of poverty," White said. "It began as an eight-week program. However, eight weeks, as we know, is not enough time to help transition or help families or children get gains that they may have lost because of their poverty.”
Being a child of Head Start herself, White continued on with the head start program to ensure other children received the care that she had experienced at a young age. The program continues to change the lives of those who interact with the program, with some families going on to work for Head Start to make a difference for others, much like White.
“I think that what it [ Head Start] does for communities is, it works," White said. "There’s a lot of success stories, because many of our families come in as parent volunteers, and they become substitutes, and we help them to become teacher aides. From there, teacher aids get their degrees.”
Helping the community find access to the tools and resources to become self-empowered adults is just one of the many things the Head Start program provides for the community. They help future generations much more than just by supplying the means. They give hope, much like Hemphill.
For more information regarding the Head Start program, visit https://www.caowny.org/head-start.
Community members can pay homage to the late Hemphill and visit the sign in his honor at 455 Glenwood Ave., in Buffalo.