100 Black Men of America Launches 2008 Speaker Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

100 Black Men of America Launches 2008 Speaker Series with Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr. M.D HOUSTON, TX – Jan 9, 2007 – The Metropolitan Houston Chapter of 100 Black Men of America having recently relaunched it’s flagship mentoring program, is embarking on a remarkable speakers series that will bring world class African American Success stories to Houston for an intimate series of speaking engagements.

The speaker’s series will be held in conjunction with their mentoring sessions on the second and fourth Saturday of each month at the Texas Southern University’s Physical Education Arena in Houston’s historical Third Ward. The 100 is proud to announce that the 1st speaker of the series, appearing on Saturday, January 12th, will be Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr, M.D., who is an accomplished NASA astronaut, physician, and businessman. Mr. Harris a “dreamer who believes nothing is impossible”! He currently serves as president of The Harris Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization he founded in 1998 to develop math/science education and crime prevention programs for America ’s youth. Because he credits his personal achievements to self-empowerment and self-determination, he uses this foundation to inspire young people that they can do anything, if they only set their mind to it.

Harris himself has accomplished many feats throughout his life. In 1990, he was selected as a NASA astronaut and flew his first mission three years later. A payload commander of STS-63, the first flight of the joint Russian-American space program, Harris accomplished his childhood dream by completing a walk in space, becoming the “First African American to walk in Space”. At the time of his retirement from NASA in 1996, he had logged more than 438 hours in space and traveled over 7.2 million miles.

Equally as impressive as his space career, Harris has developed a broad range of business talents. He served as Vice President of SPACEHAB, Inc., where he was involved in business development and marketing of the company’s space-based products and services. He also was Vice President of Business Development for Space Media, Inc., establishing an international space education program for students. In addition, he is a member of the board of some of the leading technology companies in the world.

Collectively, Harris has 37 years of total experience in research, management and hardware/product development. He continues to author numerous scientific publications. A native Texan born in 1956, Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Houston and later obtained a doctorate of medicine from Texas Tech University School of Medicine. A trained aerospace flight surgeon, he completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic and fellowship at the NASA Ames Research Center.

Other degrees include a Master of Medical Science from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston Clear Lake and two Honorary Doctorate of Science degrees from Morehouse School of Medicine and Stony Brook University (SUNY). He holds several faculty appointments including, Associate Professor in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Harris serves on several federal, state and corporate boards. He is also a licensed private pilot.

Throughout his life, Harris has received numerous awards and recognition, including election as Fellow of the American College of Physicians, NASA Space Flight Medal, NASA Award of Merit, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and was the recipient of the 2000 Horatio Alger Award. Married with one child, Harris resides in Texas with his family.

The event will take place on Saturday, January, 12, 2008 at 11:00 a.m . The address for the Physical Education Arena at Texas Southern is 3100 Cleburne, near Ennis & Wheeler.

ABOUT 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA METROPOLITAN HOUSTON, INC.: The mission of the 100 Black Men Of America Metropolitan Houston, Inc., is to improve the quality of life for African-Americans and other minorities by nurturing creativity, emphasizing academic achievement and reinforcing social responsibility. The organization works to empower young people through mentoring, education, health and wellness, and economic development programs. There are 101 chapters of The 100 Black Men, with more than 10,000 members throughout the United States, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean who have served their respective communities by providing programs for more than 100,000 youth globally.

ABOUT THE HARRIS FOUNDATION: Founded in 1998, The Harris Foundation, Inc. (THF) is a 501 (c) (3), non-profit organization based in Houston , Texas , whose mission is to invest in community-based initiatives to support education, health and wealth. THF supports programs that empower individuals, in particular minorities and other economically and/or socially disadvantaged, to recognize their potential and pursue their dreams.

http://www.theharrisfoundation.org/
SUMMARY: What: Launch of 2008 Speaker Series-100 Black Men of America, Inc. Houston Chapter
Who: Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr., M.D.
When: Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 11:00a.m.
Where: Texas Southern University (TSU)3100 Cleburne St.(H & PE Building; near Ennis & Wheeler)
Why: To empower young people through mentoring & education, while nurturing their creativity, emphasizing academic achievement and reinforcing social responsibility through positive images of successful African American men.
E-mail: info@100blackmenhou.org
Web: 100BlackMen of Houston