Learning What It Takes for African-American and Hispanic Kids to Compete in a Global Economy

/PRNewswire/ -- January 27th the 100 Black Men of DeKalb in collaboration with seminar promotions and professional speaking company CS Inspires Inc. will be hosting the screening of a new documentary entitled "Two Million Minutes." This film exposes the true facts concerning the widening global education gap between American students and their peers in China and India. The underlining premise of the film raises the question, "Is the American education system adequately preparing our children with the necessary knowledge and skills to compete for jobs within a global economy?"

The title comes from the fact that as soon as a student completes the 8th grade, the clock starts ticking. From that moment, the child has approximately two million minutes until high school graduation, which means two million minutes to build their intellectual foundation, to prepare for college and ultimately career, to go from a teenager to an adult.

The film compares educational standards in the United States with those in India and China by following two students from each of these countries and interviewing them, as well as members of their families, about the priorities in their lives during their senior year in high school. The film is intended to spark discussions and dialogue about American education. How do Americans compare on a global scale? Twenty months in the making, "Two Million Minutes" highlights the various pressures and priorities of these students and their families, providing insight into the changing nature of competition in the knowledge economy.

An even more pressing concern is that African-American and Hispanic students are dropping out of high school at alarming rates. Latest statistics suggest that in seventeen of the nation's 50 largest cities, more than 50% of African-American and Hispanic 9th graders are failing to earn their high school diplomas. After the screening attendees will be encouraged to participate in solution based dialogue on how we can improve the quality of education in DeKalb County and surrounding communities.

This event is free to the public. Parents, educators local political, business and community leaders are encouraged to attend. The screening will take place on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at the McNair High School Auditorium located at 1804 Bouldercrest Blvd, SW Atlanta Georgia. The screening will start promptly at 6:00 PM.

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