Dancing For a Good Cause: Chicago’s Iconic Dance Honors the Legendary Mr. Herb Kent, “The Cool Gent”

CHICAGO, IL―The Next Step College Readiness Program with mentoring support for teen moms and teen dads will hold its first annual “Stepping for the Children” benefit from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 2014 at the Oak Lawn Hilton Hotel, 9333 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn, IL. This fundraising event will honor Chicago radio icon and living legend Mr. Herb Kent, “The Cool Gent,” with a night of Chicago-Style Stepping. Proceeds from the benefit will establish an Educational Achievement Award in Mr. Kent’s name and raise funds for the Next Step program which is working to break the cycle of generational teen pregnancy. Mr. Kent will present this award to a Next Step college student.

Next Step helps pregnant and parenting teens complete high school and go to college. Pregnancy is the foremost reason that teen girls drop out of high school; of the teen mothers that give birth before age 18, only 38% graduate from high school and less than two percent of teen mothers attain a college degree by the age of 30. Research has shown that teen pregnancy has a negative influence on the educational attainment of teen fathers making it difficult for them to be financially or emotionally supportive of themselves or their children.

Although the U.S. national pregnancy rate for all teens age 15-19 has declined, the pregnancy rate among black and Hispanic teen girls is more than two times higher than the rate for white teen girls. Given the increasing demands in schooling necessary to qualify for a well-paying job, high school completion and college-and career-readiness are critical to teen parents becoming self-sufficient. Teen pregnancy also affects the future prospects of the children of teen parents. Studies have shown that children of teen parents are more likely to do worse in school than those born to older parents, have a higher drop-out rate, be incarcerated during adolescence, and grow up in poverty. Many of the teen parents in Next Step are the children and grandchildren of teen parents.  Next Step works to break this generational cycle of teen pregnancy and low educational achievement that almost ensures a life of economic hardship.

Next Step is a program of Chicago Child Care Society, a 501(c) (3) organization founded in 1849 and recognized as the longest serving child welfare agency in the state of Illinois. Chicago Child Care Society promotes its mission―to provide innovative, community-based education and social service programs that address current and emerging needs of vulnerable children and their families.

For many Chicagoans, Herbert Rogers Kent, “The Cool Gent,” is one of the most important and legendary figures in Chicago radio history. Mr. Kent’s career spans over six decades as a respected radio personality. Mr. Kent also hosted s weekly TV show, Steppin’ at Club 7 (1995-97), which introduced Chicago-Style Stepping as a cultural form to a broad audience. For the past several years, Mr. Kent can be heard on his popular weekend broadcasts on WVAZ-FM (V103). Mr. Kent was declared the longest running DJ by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009. As the first African-American inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Radio Hall of Fame, Mr. Kent coined the term, “dusty records” to describe old-time favorite hits that have catapulted yesterday’s and today’s African-American music sensations.

Born on the Southside of Chicago in 1929, Mr. Kent has explained how being raised by a single mother in the Chicago housing projects has greatly influenced his life. As a young teen, he studied classical music at Hyde Park High School. He has lectured at Chicago State University to students encouraging them to succeed in their careers and life.

For ticket and donation information, contact Diane Deaderick-DeMartra, Next Step Program supervisor at 773-643-0452, ext. 2417 or you can log onto to the event website at https://nextstepping.eventbrite.com.