A Message from Our President, June 2020

PLC is saddened, but we remain strong and focused. We stand as one with the peaceful protesters condemning racism. Long before hashtags and viral videos inspired protests of injustices in our country, PLC founder, the late Dr. Frederick B. Phillips, championed the struggle to provide culturally-relevant human services to deserving children and families of color.

Growing up in 1950’s Philadelphia, Frederick Phillips was charged by the Civil Rights Movement and inspired by his community. While attending Penn State as an undergraduate, he was a founding member and first president of the Frederick E. Douglass Association, demanding Penn State increase Black undergraduate enrollment; a prelude, perhaps, to the collaboration that would follow as he and his contemporaries revolutionized human service systems and programs for children and families of color.

Later, as a Doctor of Psychology, he founded Progressive Life Center, Inc. (PLC) in Washington, DC to give a voice to court-involved Black youth and their famlies. During this time, he pioneered the development of NTU (pronounced in-to), a culturally-relevant service delivery model  built on a foundation of spiritual principles. NTU remains central to PLC’s work and programmatic efforts.

Today, we honor Dr. Phillips’ living legacy and PLC’s founding mission focused on culturally-informed human services for all in need. With many hurdles behind us, we will continue our work, and to live by the NTU principles of HARMONY, BALANCE, INTERCONNECTEDNESS and AUTHENTICITY!

Keep the faith, and stay the course of justice for all,

Dr. Laurence E. Jackson