Race Equality Foundation - Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities

About the authors

Marilyn L. Steele, Executive Director of Consulting and Clinical Services, has served as a Programme Developer, Research/Evaluation Specialist, Parent Training Specialist and Parent Training Instructor for several agencies. Dr Steele has developed and evaluated two Headstart training programmes, a curriculum entitled Enhancing Family Relationships, and a mentoring programme for African-American youth entitled Reaching Back-Giving Back. She has also co-authored several programmes, including: The Parent Enhancement/Education Programme, Raising Children With PRIDE, A Fatherhood Programme, The community Reclamation Project's Parent Training Programme: A Gang and Drug Prevention Model, both a Male and a Female Socialisation Programme, and HARAMBEE (Let's Pull Together): A rite of passage for African American Communities. As a Parent Training Instructor, she has conducted numerous parent training classes and workshops over the last twenty years, and as a Trainer of Instructors, she has trained over 4,000 professionals to conduct a variety of parent training programmes. She received her BS in Psychology and her PhD in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington. Her clinical internship was conducted at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute. She lives in Los Angeles with her son, Miles David Tanter.

Marilyn K.Margina is currently a consultant for several OSAP funded programmes, where she provides training consultation, workshop presentation and technical assistance. The focus of this work is on African-American cultural influences on community mobilization, alcohol and other drug prevention and parenting. Her other work has included juvenile delinquency prevention with children and families, developing programmes for substance abusing mothers and their drug exposed infants and children, and co-ordinating several federally funded programmes for NIDA, OSAP and OJJDP. She is the co-author of CICC's Effective Black Parenting Program. In conjunction with Dr Steele she has also co-authored the Community Reclamation Project's Parent Training Programme: A Gang and Drug Prevention Model. Ms Marigna is the author of HARAMBEE (Let's Pull Together):A Rite of Passage for African American Communities. She also provides parenting classes for local schools, community based alcohol and other drug treatment programmes and pro-socialisation groups for elementary school children. She received her BA in Special Education from Glassboro State Teachers College and her masters in Social Work from Ohio State University. She lives in Los Angeles.

Jerry Tello, Director of the National Latino Fatherhood and Family Institute In Los Angeles, California, is a nationally recognised expert in the development of treatment and prevention programmes focused on child, family and community strengthening. He provides keynote, training consultation, and technical assistance presentations for health, mental health, law enforcement, school districts and government agencies. Mr Tello has authored, directed and produced numerous articles, videos, curriculum training manuals and theatrical presentations. He has extensive experience in the treatment of children, adult victims and perpetrators of abuse and addictive behaviours, with a specialisation in working with multi-ethnic populations. His focus on the positive development of family identity, rituals, customs and traditions make him a sought after speaker both locally and nationally. He is the author of the parenting model for Latino parents, Cara Y Carazon.

The late Ronald F John son was founder and Executive Director of the National Family Life and Education Centre based in Los Angeles, California. He was a motivational speaker, having more than 20 years experience working with youth and teen fathers. He provided keynote addresses, workshop presentations and consultation to law enforcement, school districts, churches, mental health and government agencies around the is sue s of assisting African-American boys in making the transition from childhood to manhood. In connection with this work he designed and directed the Teen Father Program, which has received national recognition. He also served in a mentor relationship with young African-American males, where he advocated leadership skills, family and gang violence prevention is sue s, male responsibility is sue s and the development of pro-social life skills. He held a Black Belt in Karate and trained young men and women in self-defence techniques. He provided group counselling based on his Ten Steps to the Rites Of Passage Programme for various school districts in California. Mr John son was the author of VISIONS: A Rites Of Passage Workbook for African-American Males, which was funded and published by the California Department of Education.