Urban Stereotype

Redirecting The Rage and Creating Purpose out of Pain”

My name is Ya’Hawkquah and my son and I turned a negative situation into a powerful business idea. JeNoah was ten years old when he was racially bullied for an entire year. The bullying started out with name calling, pushing and shoving, amongst other things. He was called chocolate kid, and was told that girls didn’t like him because of his skin color. To make matters worse, the bully’s mother worked at the school. This created an unfair power imbalance and JeNoah knew it.

There were several other hostile situations that occurred, but my intention was to let it all go and make it to the end of the year. However, a month before school ended, there was one final incident I couldn’t ignore. The same student who was bullying my son told him a racially derogatory joke, centered around shooting black people. At this point, I had to do something about it, so I requested a formal investigation on the matter.

The duration of investigation lasted three years, but this is when things took an interesting and unexpected turn. By this time, JeNoah was thirteen years old and was being schooled from home. The case was in the final stages of preparation to be filed in federal court. Surprisingly, before the paperwork was filed, JeNoah came to me with a proposal that would change our lives forever. He said dad, I no longer want to go the route of suing the school district. He explained that he had come up with an idea that would create a positive solution for racial change.

He told me his idea would combat negative stereotyping and racism in a unique and powerful way. JeNoah convinced me to stop all legal proceedings, so we could focus on his business idea. We started URBAN Stereotype, an apparel brand and movement supporting positive cultural diversity worldwide. We feel our name, URBAN Stereotype is interesting, because it puts a positive spin to an Urban Legend or Urban Myth about race. The beauty of this concept is that our company promotes Ethnic Unity, Kindness and SelfLove. Our T-shirts and clothing display impactful messaging, promoting change.

The goal is to ensure that all racial groups feel good about who they are. JeNoah also created an iconic logo for our brand. Ironically, days later I discovered an accidental, but meaningful symbolism. I noticed our logo is not just an acronym for URBAN Stereotype. I saw that the design also spelled out the word Us. The Us is extremely significant, because it signifies unity and bridges a gap to the racial divide.

JeNoah is now fifteen years old and is already making a positive impact in the world. He’s won several pitch contests and he recently completed a three month entrepreneurial program, which helped us create a solid business plan for our brand. We’ve also been blessed with the support of several celebrities. We received encouraging words from anti-racism educator, Jane Elliott, and we also received an order from Cleveland’s own Josh and Maria Cribbs. I’m thankful my son came to me with his life changing business idea. He helped me to Redirect The Rage I had because he wanted to focus on the greater good. I will admit that I do believe in justice. However, I’ve realized we can’t fight hate with hate. More importantly, I’ve learned that it’s not about me, it’s not about you, it’s about Us. Learn more about Ya’Hawkquah, JeNoah and URBAN Stereotype at www.UrbanStereotype.com or on social media @ urbanstereotype

BIO: Ya’Hawkquah Lee is a husband, father and entrepreneur. His passion is working side by side with his teenage son, JeNoah. Together they started URBAN Stereotype, an apparel brand and movement supporting positive ethnic diversity worldwide. They enjoy sharing their compelling story of turning a negative situation into a powerful business idea.

UnBAR Café is the Think better, Feel better, Be better, place where everyone is welcome to enjoy our Good Vibes and leverage our positive environment to improve the way they live their life.

12635 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, Ohio 44120

(Parking Lot adjacent to building) 216-293-4480 unbar_cafe

More than a Coffee Shop!

Coffee*Teas*Smoothies*Salads*Baked Goods*Sandwiches

Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free Options

Entertainment: Trivia & Game Nights, Spoken Word/Open Mic Beautiful EVENT SPACE with Reasonable Rates

UnBAR Café embodies the concept that fun and socializing does not have to equate to alcohol or food consumption. UnBAR supports the new normal of alcohol-free socializing via “well being” café model. AT UnBAR every product and v contribute to enriching the lives of our patrons and extends to the communities where we live and work. UnBAR Café provides a physical location for social connection and wellness education. It is known as the Think Better. Feel Better and Be Better place. This tagline is focused on the importance of MIND, BODY and SOUL alignment. The vision is to provide an atmosphere where anyone can visit, make connections, meet up with friends, make new friends or enjoy the quiet in a crowded room. It’s a coffee shop vibe by day and transitions to a chill hangout in the evening with diverse entertainment options. We currently operate in a newly renovated historical building (Shakerlan) within the Larchmere Neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Larchmere represents 10 blocks of upbeat vitality and off beat charm surrounded by unique shops, art an antique stores, restaurants and personal services. The foot traffic is amazing and the surrounding communities demonstrate an affinity towards local small businesses. UnBAR Café is owned by Melissa Hirsch and operated by her son Rorry Garrett II and husband Roderick Hirsch. They have a talented team of 7 Baristas who work hard to maintain a friendly and clean environment where the most delectable smoothies, baked goods, sandwiches and salads flank a menu of coffees, teas, frappes, lattes and cappuccinos. Not to mention the occasional pop up shops featuring some of the best vegan chefs from around the city. UnBAR Café offers a water club to help customers stay properly hydrated using on-site filtered Alkaline water. Lastly, UnBAR Café boasts of a multi-purpose space available for reasonable rental rates. The space can hold up to 85 people, however during COVID-19 the maximum number of persons allowed to ensure social distancing is 40.