Chionesu Bakari Program For Young Men “Guiding Light of Noble Promise”
“Moving Forward”
January / February 2014 issue 006
A Word From The Director We are only 45 days into 2014 and in the midst of Black History Month, yet Chionesu Bakari has been exceptionally busy this year with young men’s empowerment workshops and our annual CB Bowl-athon. Let me begin by extending a huge thank you to the CB Families and Friends that participated and enjoyed an exciting night of bowling at Bowlmor lanes. It was a night of fun and healthy competition of 9 teams with our finalists being the Father’s team vs. the CB Staff. A close battle was ultimately won by the CB Staff team. We are excited to share in this issue, the fun and camaraderie experienced in pictures and words, throughout the evening. During the school break in February - the CB Young Men travelled to North Carolina and New Orleans. We welcomed 13 new young men on their first trip with their CB brothers, where all will be exposed to academic and historic sites; and character building bonding techniques. CB Alumni attending the North Carolina colleges of Shaw, Johnson C. Smith, and Winston Salem will lead tours providing a first-hand view of their campuses, dorms and classes. While in New Orleans,the young men will visit the colleges of Dillard, Xavier and Tulane and share experiences with the young men and staff of the historic St. Augustine High School. Inside this issue we are pleased to showcase profiles of our 9 Parent Team Leaders that drive the CB Parent Institute and support my staff. We honor the team leaders that have given their time and leadership to assist in the organization of the program. Also in this issue, you will find out what the young men learned about themselves from the MALIK Fraternity. Additionally, take a moment to learn more about CB Alumni Parents, Byron and Vernell King who along with their son, have been committed to the mission and objectives of the program for the past 7 years. We continue to be grateful for the support of our CB Families and Supporters as we launch each program for our young men and their parents this 2013-2014 session. In April we plan a parent’s retreat and on June 6, please “Save The Date” for our Annual Gala, the culmination of our program year.
Namaste Horace L. Moore, Director
INSIDE THIS ISSUE DIRECTOR’S WELCOME
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BOWLING FOR CB
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MEET OUR TEAM LEADERS
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MALIK FRATERNITY WORKSHOP 7 CB FAMILY SPOTLIGHT
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CB 2013-2014 CALENDAR
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CB SuperBOWL II CB BOWL-A-THON -FUN & FUNDRAISING BRINGS THE CB FAMILY TOGETHER Our second annual Bowl-a-thon fundraiser was held on Sunday, January 19, 2014. Once again, it was a magnificent turn out! I was threatened with potential conflict for the evening, but I hate to miss out on any family fun events so I vowed to be there no matter what. Besides, I wanted to see how great last year’s winning team really was. The event was coordinated by CB parent and Finance Committee Chair, Mrs. Rhonda Hartley. The event was held at Bowlmor Lanes, located in lower Manhattan near NYU’s campus. I asked Rhonda if she could share her keys to the successful event. She stated that the Bowl-a-thon provided an excellent opportunity for the parents to fellowship with one another. The biggest success was that we were able to raise money for our beloved organization. “We had more participants than the prior year and everyone enjoyed the event.” We were split up according to our Parent Teams. There were whispers of some teams bringing in semi-professional players but I can’t confirm that rumor. I do know many of us TALKED a good game. I was lucky enough to be on a team that was a coin toss away from being in the finals. In the end the final match-up was between the Father’s team and CB Staff, (last year’s winning team) – the CB staff team, led by Mr. Moore, was allowed to win again. I am sure that the parents can turn this around next year with some assistance from more family and friends. It is important for CB parents and friends to continue to get the word out about our great program. In addition, inviting family and friends to our events and special occasions opens the door for future sponsorship and enlightens all to the various components of the program – from teachable moments for the young men as well as bonding of the families. Keep in mind, our engagement with the young men doesn’t end with the Rites of Passage program. In fact, this event helped raise funds for our young men who have moved on to college. By Tosca Myers
Remember, Chionesu Bakari Program for Young Men - More than just a Program. A Way of Life!
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ear! Y t x e uN o Y e e S
Meet the Chionesu Bakari Team Leaders Chionesu Bakari’s mission is supported by the CB Parent Institute and their Parent Teams. The Parent Institute is a mandatory component where parents are required to dedicate time on a consistent basis to attend meetings, workshops and retreats for the purpose of spiritual and family development. CB currently has nine (9) teams of 6-8 parents led by a member within CB. Generally the parent team leaders have four or more years of experience within CB. The team leader role is the first line of support and information for their team members on behalf of the CB staff. In addition they often serve as facilitator and mentor to their team members as sometimes challenging experiences of parenthood arise. Team One Leader: Inskip Miller
Team Two Leader: Lenore Fagan
Inskip Miller has been a member of Chionesu Bakari for 5 years. He is the proud dad of CB member, Joshua Miller and daughter Naiima. Inskip is grateful to be a retired NYC Police Sergeant and enjoys cooking, photography and travelling with his wife, Antoinette Miller (Team Three Leader) and children.
Lenore Fagan and her husband Peter are the parents of 15-year old Stephan; they have been involved with Chionesu Bakari for the past 7 years. Lenore is the team leader of Team Two, which consists of Jocelyn Brister, Lenora Everette, Evetta Gaines, Chloe Jiggetts, Hyacinth Jordan, and Vanessa Paugh. Lenore currently works as a Recruiter for Maimonides Medical Center and also enjoys being the Cub Master for Boys Scouts of America – Pack 284. She loves reading and going to the movies but her true passion is advocating for education.
Inskip’s team is quite unique in that it is comprised of the active dads of CB. His team members are, Wayne Hartley, Rick Hutton, Byron King, Colin KilKenny, Maurice Jamison, Alonzo Miller, Raymond Moore, and Dan Rodriguez. Inskip’s principle was Hope and after interviewing him I clearly understand and agree with his optimism. Inskip explains, “One of my hopes is for more participation from the dads, especially when the young men do presentations. The young men enjoy having the dads around heir participation helps the young men build their confidence and healthy self-esteem. For example, teaching them basic foundations of manhood like how to love God, love your peers as yourself, talk to young ladies and tie a tie.” “Another hope I have, ” Inskip shares, “is for CB to get its own space in order to enhance its own identity.” Team Three Leader: Antoinette Miller
The Webster’s dictionary defines Grace as a disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency. Lenore Fagan fits this description in her dealings with her team as she handles all problems gracefully by being open minded and not judging. The team is mostly comprised of seasoned parents who already know the program and can offer their knowledge and experience to the three new parents among them. Grace is also exhibited in the team spirit of kindness and compassion. The “Monthly Team Sister” initiative Lenore has implemented, helps members connect. Each member pulls a name out of a hat; that person will be her partner to bond with outside of their normal monthly call and the CB parent meetings. Doing something nice for each other through time together, prayer, kind words, phone calls, a handwritten letter or card, or some other small token is a gift of Grace.
Antoinette “Toni” Miller is the team leader of Team Three. Team Three members include, Kim Barron, Syeatta Bolden, LaToya Kittrell, Cassandra Kemp, Angela Lynch, and Katwona Warren. Toni along with her husband Inskip (Team One Leader) joined Chionesu Bakari 5 years ago when her son Joshua was enrolled. Toni is passionate and considers herself an advocate for children and says she believe’s in CB’s vision. Toni is a retired police officer and is currently a caregiver, taking care of and supporting her elderly parents. She is an avid runner, and her hobbies include reading, dining out with family, and traveling. Toni is married to Inskip Miller who is also a team captain. They have two children, Naiima and Joshua. Toni was asked to speak to the principle Love. Fo r
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Toni, love helps a team leader interact with others in a loving manner. The principle of love invoked thoughts of scripture for Toni. “If I had to frame it, I would say agape love, the kind of love in the scriptures.” Many times she referenced 1Corinthians 13. “When you are coming from a place of love, it helps you to respect people’s differences and to meet people where they are.” Interviews of Inskip Miller by Antoinette Miller; Lenore Fagan by Terri Butler; and Antoinette Miller by LaToya Kittrell
Team Four Leader: Kimberly Ramdeen Kimberly (Kim) Ramdeen is the mother of three sons; Myles 18, Malachi 12 (currently in CB) and Matthew 9. Kim has been in CB since 2007 when she joined with her oldest son Myles. She previously taught prekindergarten for 16 years. She is now a full-time student at Kingsborough Community College, scheduled to graduate with her Associates degree in June 2014. Kim will study education at Brooklyn College in the Fall of 2014. She loves working with and is a passionate advocate for children. Besides teaching, her favorite activities are home decorating, fashion, and doing what she can to fulfill her calling in life… helping others. Team Four members include; Alana Bernard, Monique Gravenhise, Jacquette Green, Nicole Kilkenny, Delisa Mead-Hedgpeth, and Shawana Walker. When Kim spoke about the principle of Faith, she explained how it applies in her role as a team leader. Kim’s passion was evident, as she expressed, “faith is the foundation of Christian life.” Kim encourages and helps her team understand that results may not be immediate, but they must have faith that things will change for the better. Kim endeavors to keep her interactions with people positive, and always has empathy for everyone she encounters. She also believes that each team member should know their own strengths and the strengths of their team members so that they can support each other and work together to help CB reach its goals. “A team leader should have high standards, encourage their team members to have a positive outlook and promote a common vision for CB…your attitude affects your faith.” Team Five Leader: Millicent Smith Millicent Smith’s strong first impression is balanced by a caring, gregarious and open personality. Millicent first joined CB in 2009 with her son Ishmail, now 16. She has two other children her younger son Ameer, 13, (in CB) and daughter, Naomi who is in her first year of college. For the past 15 years, she has worked as an Alcohol / Substance Abuse Counselor, doing what comes naturally, unconditionally helping others. Outside of CB and the lives of her children, she is focused on her health - from healthy eating to working out in the gym 5-6 times a week. When Milicent was asked to speak on the principle Favor, she defined it as, “acceptance of being given a blessing no matter your past circumstances.” It is her belief that she has received favor throughout her life. As team leader, she accepts the favor and the responsibility to lead a group of parents and is humbled that her strong spiritual base, leadership, and ability to work well within a group setting are beneficial to CB and her team. She strives for her team to continue to be open to their favor and share, in the safe space she fosters. She models how to take positive risks with the program that sometimes entails going beyond comfort zones. “The sky is the limit for CB. Our challenges will only grow us and help us to move forward. “ Team Five members include Rhonda Hartley, Susan T.D. Rodriguez, Simone Walker, Charisse Smith, Kylie John, Heidi Cox, and Monique Darrisaw-Akil.
Team Six Leader: Sharon Swain Sharon Swain and her son Ryan Richardson, age 13, have been involved with Chionesu Bakari since the Fall of 2009. Sharon currently works as an Analyst for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Sharon has been an active member of St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church, Brooklyn, NY for 10 years. She has served on the Security Ministry and completed the Sowers Training Program in preparation to teach Bible study. Her hobbies include reading, listening to music and as well as enjoying family oriented activities and gatherings. Team Six members include; Beverly Bradley, Terri Butler, Annette Honeywell, Shirley Lawson, and Nneka Ramcharitar. Asked to speak to Patience, Sharon thoughtfully shared that patience is a word that describes her personality and leadership style perfectly, as she is generally a patient person. Her view, patience is learned and it is not an immediate process. CB reinforces your parent skills and teaches you to exercise patience in your interactions with your son as he learns and grows. As a leader, she has to ensure that the team comes together and members engage each other and form a cohesive unit. Patience is necessary, while the team members bond and become comfortable. Sharon strives to lead the team to share their concerns, back each other up and know that the entire team is a support system. Patience is applied as Sharon works on nurturing the relationships of the members. Believing in benefits over time, she reinforces the principles that CB teaches, with her team. 5
Interviews of Kim Ramdeen by Sharon Swain; Millicent Smith by Susan T. D. Rodriguez; and Sharon Swain by Terri Butler
Team Leaders cont’d
Team Seven Leader: Denise Simmons Barber I had the pleasure of spending time with Denise Simmons Barber, leader for Team Seven. She is the guardian of nephew, Jacquan Stukes who has attended the program since Summer 2009. Denise’s team members include Yasmin Covington, Cherise Fields, LaToya Harris, and Veronica Moore and Vanilla Singletary. She is thankful and appreciates CB Director Horace Moore, for having faith in her and allowing her to be a leader in the program. Denise actually wears dual hats in the program not only as Team Leader, but also as personal Prayer Intercessor for Mr. Moore. She does not not take this charge lightly and attends monthly prayer intercessor classes at church . Denise shared what commitment means to her as it relates to her role as Team leader. Commitment means being self-motivating and responsible, giving your best without complaining, giving and sticking to your word and not giving up even when you feel like quitting. Being a leader is commitment because you must remain dedicated through struggles and challenges. It is also sometimes like being a parent in the sense that you are giving and sharing information, being a counselor when issues arise within the group or giving advice on personal matters based on your own experience. Additionally, to be a leader you need “renewed strength” and “tough skin”. She encourages and motivates the team by reminding them of their purpose for being in the program – their sons, our young men. In her spare time Denise likes to read christian self help, and motivating books. She also likes to cook, enjoys travelling, and loves to mentor young girls, especially her niece’s friends.
Team Eight Leader: Shaundrika Newman Team Eight’s responsible leader is Shaundrika Newman. She is the mother to Dante Leary (CB Asst. Youth Liaison) and they have been a part of the Chionesu family since the fall of 2006. Shaundrika is currently a licensed professional school secretary. When she is not caring for Dante’s needs and preparing him to enter college she spends her free time concentrating on her health and well-being by regularly attending the gym or just relaxing at home. The members of her team are Mandisa Hall, Cherisse Johnson, Tosca Myers, Towana Philips, and Pamela Watson. As team leader, Sandy, as she is called by the members of her team, is accountable for the success of the team. She feels that it is her duty to bring a positive attitude to the group while making sure Team Eight is on task. Being a team leader is a great responsibility because she has to act as liaison between the team and the staff, ensuring that pertinent information is disseminated timely all the while promoting teamwork and our main focus, which is the growth of the Chionesu Family. Although Sandy is not the oldest member of the group she is the ”big sister,” and as such she incorporates fun while keeping the team on track with assignments at hand. Sandy takes her role as team leader seriously and knows that it requires the consistent time and energy that she gives because she believes in the CB vision.
Interviewed by Tosca Myers
Interviewed by Paulette Bailey
Team Nine Leader: Vernell King Ms. Vernell King is a bookkeeper by profession, the loving wife of Mr. Byron King and a full-time mother of four children. She loves traveling to new places, spending quality time with her family and participating in a multitude of activities revolving around fellowship as a member of St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church. Vernell is a CB Alumni parent and has been a involved since 2007. As a committed member of CB for 6 years, dedication is a principle she is comfortable with. She is team leader of parents whose son’s have graduated from CB, the current team members are Lena Hester, Paulette Bailey, Yvonne Robinson, Fernanda Steward, Stacey Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Tracey Evans, Valerie Powell and Diedre Smith. Vernell shared what motivated her to accept the additional responsibilities that come along with being a team leader. She shared how she manages to keep everything in order and what true dedication means to her when it comes to Team Nine and the Chionesu Bakari family as a whole. For Vernell, keeping things in order is about being constant. She stated, “she is just standing for what she believes in”. “True dedication means being committed to a purpose, following through with what you start, with real goals in mind, and always making sure that your words and your actions are consistent with one 6 another. No relationship can survive without these things and being a team leader is about cultivating trust and bringing the parents together like family.” This lady is the epitome of dedication. Interviewed by Charisse Smith
MALIK Fraternity asks “How do you see yourself?” On December 21, 2013 the brothers of MALIK Fraternity Inc. came to St. Paul Community Baptist Church to teach, share and drop jewels on the young men of Chionesu Bakari. The brothers of MALIK began the workshop with an exercise in perception. They asked the young men to close their eyes and to say the first thing that comes to mind when certain statements are recited. The following was heard: “a girl on the corner with 4 dudes”, “a man with a suit”, and “a young man with a hood on.” This exercise allowed the young men to gain an understanding about how they view themselves as well as how the world perceives them. There were other questions presented to CB, however one of the most important was; “How do you see yourself?” After that discussion a statement of affirmation was developed...”I can see myself becoming something!” The young men were encouraged to cultivate their own HABITS, ROUTINES, and PROCEDURES. They first had to establish what their habits and routines were and discover the origin. Could it be that their habits and routines teach them about their history or has family passed along these attributes? The brothers of MALIK taught us that learning about those few things could give the young men a better understanding of who they are. There were so many great thought provoking questions posed to the young men which will hopefully lead them to always consider why we have so many negative views of ourselves. Finally, the brothers of MALIK advised that our young men should strive to become holistic and well-rounded, always considering what perception they are projecting. MALIK Fraternity advised the young men that it is important to become more than a one dimensional person, acquire several points of view and be open to every possibility of life. The last statement this fantastic group of men left us with was that you are never too young to start networking. Sometimes our young men need to hear a word of affirmation as well as challenged by a voice other than their parents or even their leaders at Chionesu Bakari. I am very thankful to the men of MALIK Fraternity Inc. for their words of wisdom for they have convinced me that I am where God wants me to be. As an added bonus some of the alumnae of Chionesu showed up and shared with the young men their experiences in college. What a great day! By Elder Victor Young, CB Assistant Director
WITH CB, ITS “ALL IN THE FAMILY”
CB Family Highlight: Byron and Vernell King & Family
Byron King Sr. bought his youngest son Byron Jr., a CB Alum in college, to Chionesu Bakari (CB) in 2007 because he and his wife Vernell (Team Nine Leader), believed in the value from the time they heard about the program. However, it was not until 2 years later, in 2009 that
Vernell became an active CB parent. In her words, she was busy with her duties as a wife, a mother of four, her job as a bookkeeper and an active member of St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church. She really did not realize that the program was open to mothers of the young men until her husband began to emphasize repeatedly that it was. Once it was clear to her that the program seeks to work with the entire family to meet the young men’s needs Vernell became an active member of the Parent Institute of CB. She immediately found a
love for CB’s close knit community and the continuous work to ensure that its members bond like family. Her appreciation for the mentors of CB, as well as the way they lead and teach is beyond any words that she can express. Vernell believes traveling to new places is important and loves to do it in her spare time, so naturally she sees the value in CB’s efforts to ensure that every young man gets the opportunity to see the entire country by the time that he completes the program. However, that does not mean that she was not a little apprehensive about her son being able to travel without her. Byron Jr. reassured her that all he was taught prepared him for Continued on page 8 the trip. He told her, he 7 was in good hands. It was
CB Family Highlight cont’d
then, that she really understood the relationships that are cultivated between the mentors and the young men. Vernell views the structure as a pyramid, with the parents and the mentors providing a foundation that supports and elevates the young men. Vernell describes Byron Jr. as a funny kid whose favorite meal is smoked turkey, lima beans and rice. Byron Jr.’s passion for playing football has existed since he was 8 years old and his appreciation for life’s experiences cover both the big and small things. CB has contributed so much to Byron Jr.’s life thus far that Vernell’s greatest prayer for CB is for young men all over the country and internationally one day have the opportunity to join CB too. By Charisse Smith
CB Calendar December 2013 Holiday Calendars - $20 per calendar January 2014 MLK Jr. weekend Annual Bowl-a-Thon February 2014 02/15 - 02/21 North Carolina & New Orleans Trip June 2014 06/06 - Annual Gala Tickets $125, Black Tie
Inspirational Quotes “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” - Whitney Young, Jr.
California Trip June / August 2014 CB Family Cruise Summer Session Begins Please check our website for the latest information
Visit Chionesu Bakari Online “The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself -the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us -that‘s where it’s at.” - Jesse Owens “What wise counsel does not teach, adversity will.” - as shared by Horace L. Moore
Learn More about our Program & Support Young Black Men! www.youngblackmanonline.org
Credits
Editor Horace L. Moore Newsletter Team Susan T. D. Rodriguez Paulette Bailey Monica Britton Terri Butler LaToya Kittrell Antoinette Miller Tosca Myers Charisse Smith Sharon Swain
This newsletter is published by: Chionesu Bakari 859 Hendrix Street Brooklyn, New York 11207 Phone: 347-708-2008 info@youngblackmanonline.org www.youngblackmanonline.org This newsletter is also available online @ www.youngblackmanonline.org
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