CB Newsletter - October/November 2014 by Chionesu Bakari

Chionesu Bakari Program For Young Men “Guiding Light of Noble Promise”

“Building on the Foundation”

October/November 2014 vol.2 issue 01

A Word From The Director First, welcome back to all our returning CB young men and families; and a warm welcome to the 12 young men and their families who recently joined Chionesu Bakari. To our 40 CB alumni young men enrolled in various colleges and universities across the United States, we affirm you in your efforts toward academic success and continued positive growth. To you dear Reader, I appreciate your time as I share what we have planned in Chionesu for this program year. This is our ninth year, and we are looking forward to building on our foundation for the next years ahead by focusing on 9 elements from the theme “Fruit of the Spirit.” In addition, this year’s theme for the CB young men will be “Trust.” The CB young men will examine the meaning and application of “Trust” along with developing competency within our 3 core curriculum areas of Decision Making, Character and Skill Development. To explore and develop these areas the young men will participate in workshops utilizing roleplaying, presentations and interactive discussions within CB and with our trusted partners throughout the year. Organization growth is also in focus this ninth year, expanding on the foundation started here in Brooklyn. I am looking forward to building up our emerging CB chapters in Chicago and Atlanta, in addition to planting the seeds for a chapter in Newark, NJ. I am always excited about our mission of exposure for the Young Men and this February 2015 we have a great trip planned! The Young Men will embark on Texas, exploring Houston, TX and the area. There, we will tour Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University, along with other area historical locations and cultural institutions like the Buffalo Soldier Museum. Knowing that a strong family and supportive friends are vital to the success of our young men, several social events are organized yearly that serve as fundraising opportunities and fellowship. This month we kicked it off with a lively Bowla-thon at Bowlmor Lanes Times Square. In January, the fun times will continue at the 70’s party, and in the Spring our restorative Parent Retreat will take place. To build on the momentum of the past 8 years our major social event will be a cruise for CB families and friends in August. This, our 3rd CB cruise, will be a time for relaxation and camaraderie for CB family and friends. In addition, portions of the cruise fees will be matched back to the organization to support our programs. Culminating our program year in June 2015, we will host our 4th Annual Gala Awards and Rites of Passage Ceremony where we will recognize the achievements of the CB young men and honor all of our CB staff and support staff that drive the mission of Chionesu Bakari. Cancer does not discriminate, and having been felt by many of our members our CB family is not immune. With this on our minds, this year, Chionesu Bakari’s charitable focus will go toward supporting cancer awareness. I look forward to joining forces with the staff, young men and CB Parents on projects to increase awareness of cancer prevention and support cancer research. Finally, I am excited to keep you updated on our CB activities through our Newsletter and hope you will enjoy the articles within this issue on our newest young men in College, New Families to CB and more. Your continued support to the Mission and the Vision of Chionesu Bakari is truly appreciated. Namaste Horace L. Moore, Founder/Executive Director

INSIDE THIS ISSUE DIRECTOR’S WELCOME

CB COLLEGE FRESHMAN UPDATES 2 INTRODUCING THE NEW CB YOUNG MEN & FAMILIES

FUN TIMES @ 3RD ANNUAL BOWL-A-THON 6 INTRO TO CB FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM 7 COMMITTEE UPDATES ...HELP WANTED!! CB UPCOMING EVENTS

8 8

Updates from CB College Freshman of 2014 NEW CB ALUMNI COLLEGIANS SHARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THEIR FIRST FEW MONTHS AND CB LESSONS THAT CARRY THEM THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF THEIR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE The Chionesu Bakari family is proud to highlight CB Alumni, Malik Stanford, Dante Leary and Lawrence Powell in this issue. We caught up with these three young men who began their freshman year of College this Fall. Although all three are in the midst of their new busy academic and social schedules, their enlightened interviews reflect on CB lessons that have given them a strong start to their college careers. Malik Stanford graduated from Murray Bergtraum HS and now attends Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina. Malik is studying Math Communications and says that he is beginning to get the hang of things, although the transition was difficult at the beginning. When asked how CB helped prepare him for this transition, Malik stated that all of the lessons and the out of state trips prepared him for life away from home in an invaluable way. Although, we are concerned about all of those wildberry pop-tarts that Malik seems to be eating things seem to be going well for him. Dante Leary graduated from Brooklyn College Academy HS and now attends Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida where he is majoring in Criminal Justice. According to Dante, CB helped him mature into the person he is today. Learning to always show up well prepared and be accountable for his actions, are CB Malik Stanford lessons that Dante believes are helping him get a great university start. Dante grew into a valuable leader at Chionesu Bakari and attributes his growth to the group travel and exposure to college tours, museums and new experiences. Great snacks to send to Dante include strawberry pop-tarts and oatmeal cookies. Lawrence Powell graduated from Brooklyn College Academy HS and attends Edgecombe Community College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Lawrence is Dante Leary an automotive major and his favorite class is his goal setting class. Lawrence who enjoys snacks like Oreos and Doritos stated that his CB experiences helped him immensely. “CB helped mold me into the responsible man I am today”. When asked for a specific example Lawrence stated. “always being on time!” There is something to be said about a system that teaches “if you’re 15 minutes early you’re on time, and if you’re right on time you are late”. We look forward to continued progress reports from these three young men and are confident that they will all have continued success! By LaToya Kittrell Lawrence Powell

CB Welcomes New Young Men and Their Families THIS 9TH YEAR OF CB BRINGS EXCITED NEW YOUNG MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES Young Man: Joseph McMichael ( Joe Joe) Age: 8 Parent/Guardian: LaTasha Green

Young Man: Ozais Anthony Moore Age: 8 Parent/Guardian: Ayana Dillion Why CB? Ayana saw Chionesu Bakari at St. Paul Community Baptist Church and is related to CB Rites of Passage young man, Ajani Parish. Seeing young men doing positive things all of the time, carry themselves well; volunteering for IMLCS, etc. she wanted Ozais to be a part of that. Expectations: Ayana is hopeful that CB will help her and Ozias’ father mold Ozias into the young man he will grow to be; wants him to learn that he doesn’t have to turn to the streets and that you can still be cool and go to church at the same time. First Impressions: Ozais and Mom look forward to Ozais’ first meeting in the next week

Why CB? LaTasha reminisced on seeing Chionesu Bakari’s introduction to the St. Paul congregation during the summer of 2006 while she was pregnant with Joe Joe and knew at that time she wanted him to be a part of the program. Joe Joe’s father passed away when LaTasha was just 3 months pregnant and she knew that as a single mom she would need to expose him to male teachings, mentorship, and brotherhood. First Impressions: Joseph: likes the program; Joseph said he “learned that you have to do good things now so that in the future good things will come back to you” LaTasha: This program is encouraging and inspiring. In parent team, the women share positive things and expertise in their different fields.

Young Men: Raul and Christian Stuart Ages: 11 & 8 Parent/Guardian: Raul Stuart Why CB? Raul Sr. found out about the program through a friend, made inquiries and liked what they were doing with the young men. Loves the unity, the brotherhood, different activities, and teachings (including that of their own history) that is provided for young Blacks and Latinos, especially because there are very few programs of this magnitude. First Impressions: Raul & Christain: Excited; enjoys the brotherhood; enjoys Elder Young’s teaching on the importance of listening to each other Raul Sr. : “This program is going to be very gratifying to Raul and Christian; As a parent, Raul Sr. said he is open to learning a lot from the other parents so that he can develop into a better man.

Young Man: Seydonni Blais Age: 14 Parent/Guardian: Nanonte Dailey

Young Man: Caden Moran Age: 10 Parent/Guardian: La Shemah Williams

Why CB? Nanonte found out about the program through program Director, Horace Moore and CB Parent, Jauquette Greene, both of whom she works with. After hearing about the Program she thought it would be beneficial to Seydonni because he doesn’t have a lot of male peers or a strong male presence in his life; most of his family/friends are female.

Why CB? La Shemah heard about the program through CB parent alumni, Fernanda Stewart ; Caden’s father passed away 6 years ago and he’s been struggling with it more than ever this year. She works with children in the mental health field and is aware of many programs that work with children but sometimes the men within some of those programs are still dealing with their own issues. After listening to Mr. Moore, she knew that CB is a program that is beneficial to young men and would be beneficial to Caden.

Nanonte is looking forward to CB’s focus on exposure from male perspectives, male camaraderie, a higher level of maturity; and guidance for Seydonni to become more focused and to follow through on his creative ideas. First Impressions: Seydonni: Enjoys and respects the program Nanonte: A sense of community and faith. The program is work for the parents because if your son is involved you also have to be involved.

Young Man: Javel McMichael Age: 9 Parent/Guardian: Judith Foster Why CB? Judith found out about CB through a St. Paul member and has also seen the young men in church giving presentations, giving speeches, doing the warrior dance, getting awards, etc. She always thought they were well mannered, well groomed and making a difference. She spoke to some other parents about the Program and wanted Javel to be a part of it. Within CB , Judith is hopeful that Javel will grow spiritually as a young man, to change his attitude and become a leader, to become an independent thinker and a leader. First Impressions: Javel: Ecstatic, excited and loves the program; wakes himself up to be there Judith: After getting over the hump and working out financial concerns; and knowing that a woman cannot teach a young man everything they need to know, she realizes that CB will be most beneficial for Javel.

First Impressions: Caden: As an only child, Caden was very excited to come home from his CB meeting and say, “Mom, I have a big brother.” LaShemah shared she was made to feel welcome; comfortable and at ease by the other CB parents.

Young Man: Joshua Houston Age: 13 Parent/Guardian: Craig and Tameika Houston

Young Man: Garrett Berthoumieux Age: 14 Parent/Guardian: Kenetta Clarke Berthoumieux Why CB? Kenetta heard about the program through CB parent, Toni Miller, whose son Joshua use to attend school with Garrett.

Why CB? Craig and Tameika found out about the program through a close friend, Maya Watson and her mom, who attends St Paul Community Baptist Church. They sought out the program because Joshua is an only child, somewhat introverted and doesn’t have a lot of peers his age. They wanted him to be exposed to mentorship, and a brotherhood where he can learn from his peers In CB, the Houstons are excited for Joshua to gain a sense of independence and confidence; to enhance his independent thinking and to be exposed to different places and things First Impressions: Joshua: Excited. Great camaraderie/new friendships Craig & Tameika: As new parents, they were made to feel comfortable; they found the parent meetings family oriented, interactive and involve all parents; they are impressed and know that young men are on the right track to go forward.

Kenetta looks forward to the brotherhood and mentorship in CB for Garrett and a place where he can share his own life experiences of the ups/downs of adolescence and how to deal with them along with the other young men who may be going through the same thing. First Impressions: Garrett: Enjoys the program; thinks he is amongst a nice group of young men who were very welcoming; thinks Mr. Moore is funny and he looks forward to going back bi-weekly Judith :Was made to feel welcome; comfortable and at ease in parent meeting.

Young Man: : Jaire Marshall Age: 13 Parent/Guardian: Ayanna Hinds-Marshall/Daryl Marshall Why CB? Ayanna found out about the program through CB parents Kimberly Ramdeen, Angela Lynch and Alana Bernard because their children all attended the same school ; she feels CB will be something positive for him to do as he interacts with more young men his age. Ayanna would like for Jaire to see things more positively; to see and have more friends around his age that are doing positive things; to gain and take more responsibility in the things he does, for him to learn that he has to earn things not that he is “entitled” to everything, for them to all work on the parent/ child relationship. First Impressions: Jaire: Positive first experience Ayanna: Positive attitudes along with a genuine warm welcome in the parent meeting.

Interviews conducted & written by Paulette Bailey

Fun, Fellowship and a Lil’ Competition HE O U T T B PA R E N T K C 3rd Annual CB Bowl-a-thon E C CH OUR S OF CO S T

November 1, 2014, Chionesu Bakari’s 3rd Annual Bowl-a-thon. Halloween weekend was the inspiration for the addition of a Costume Contest at Bowlmor Lanes in the bustling Times Square. It was a rainy, damp night but that did not stop the Chionesu Family from coming out and having a great night. The main focus of the bowl-a-thon is to raise funds in the spirit of fellowship to maintain the growth in the program. A portion of the proceeds are contributed to the CB Collegiate Fund that provides care packages to our young men who have graduated and are now attending college. In addition a portion helps to offset the tuition cost of the program for families in need. Every year the friendly competition rises between the parent teams and the staff adding to the excitement of the games during the bowla-thon. The teams are not limited to just the parents though, family members and friends are welcomed to join in, which many do. Once again the CB staff, (who always seem to have a professional bowler on their team) are this year’s bowl-a-thon three-peat winner, dressed in homage to the Jackson 5 as “Bakari 5” To all the CB friends and family members that came out in support of this year’s Bowl-a-thon, you are greatly appreciated. By Tosca Myers

UME

TEAM

Financial Support & Guidance for CB Families CB NOW HAS A FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT MAY NEED IT Chionesu Bakari is a non-profit organization that requires a financial commitment from the families of the participants. The Ms. Lena Hester and Ms. Shirley Lawson quality of this program is well worth every dime that is requested as tuition. However, with the state of the economy as it is now, there is rarely any room in one’s budget to allow for many extracurricular activities. Our founder, Horace Moore, constantly reminds us that most of the things we need can be found within our group. With that knowledge Mr. Moore, asked two of our tenured parents, Ms. Shirley Lawson and Ms. Lena Hester, to provide their financial guidance by way of education, support, and active budgetary planning to those parents who find they are struggling to maintain a tuition payment schedule. Ms. Shirley Lawson and Ms. Lena Hester, who have been with the program for 5 and 9 years, respectively, will provide advice and counseling to CB member parents upon request. They are charged with helping the parents find ways to fund their tuition requirements. These women have been successful in their respective careers, Ms. Shirley in finance for many years and are providing a comfortable living for themselves into their retirement years. In speaking with them, you can absolutely feel their desire to share their knowledge with the rest of the group. To participate, parents simply have to reach out to Ms. Lawson or Ms. Hester to request a meeting. They will be available at the end of the biweekly CB Parent Institute meetings. The only requirement is contact information and total and complete honesty about your financial situation. You have to be ready to disclose your personal spending habits like how many times a week you go to Starbucks, how often you go to Macy’s, On financial planning “Many how much you spend on groceries and the amount spent eating out at people who are wealthy weren’t restaurants. Ms. Hester pointed out one of the major hindrances is that always wealthy. They started off most people are afraid or hesitant to talk about their money problems. with no money. But one of the But she also posed the question, “What’s going to happen if somebody things that they did do was seek knows your financial situation?” Both ladies agree that they can help out advice, so when the money did flesh out a plan and a budget for parents that request assistance. They come in, they understood what they can also provide suggestions on areas where cutbacks or adjustments needed to do because they had some can be made to make additional funds available. kind of blueprint or plan they could This financial counseling will be successful with the cooperation and work on.” consistency of the parents…rest assured that confidentiality will be the -Cheryl Broussard, registered investment basis for offering this opportunity; and trust, openness and commitment adviser and author of Starting Over: Fast will be the key to successful participation. All who may be struggling Cash and Getting Back on Financial Track” with tuition payments are encouraged to reach out and take advantage of this service, keeping in mind that the information and assistance is invaluable…and free. “Proverbs 21:20 says, “There is By Tosca Myers treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”

CB Committee News... Help Wanted!! The Finance Committee is looking for additional members to join. We invite CB parents who have a keen interest in the organization to be part of our fundraising efforts. We are looking for anyone with grant writing experience – (seeking grants), techniques of planned giving, marketing, and soliciting corporations/matching gifts and individuals. Please contact Rhonda Hartley at rhonda.hartley@gs.com or 917 287-4245 and let us know your thoughts! The Special Events Committee is ready to coordinate fun and creative fellowship and fundraising events for the year. We are looking for parents who have experience in fundraising for small or large groups. If you have creative event ideas to assist and ensure individual opportunities for fundraising regarding tuition contact Syeatta Bolden at syeattabolden@ yahoo.com. ` The Social Media/Communications Committee drives the exposure of Chionesu Bakari through Social Media, Print and the Web. This year we are excited to work on new Media, Press and Social Media campaigns for CB. We are looking for any members with savvy writing, social media, photography or graphics skills.. additional expertise in any of our areas is always welcomed. Contact Susan Rodriguez susan@bfuturedigital.net with your interest or suggestions!

Upcoming Events January 2015 CB 70’s Party

June 2015 06/05 - Annual Gala & Rites of Passage Tickets $125, Black Tie

February 2014 CB Young Men - Houston, TX `Historical & College Tours

Summer Session Begins July 6, 2015-August 15, 2015

April 2015 CB Family Game Night

August 2015 CB Family Cruise

Visit Chionesu Bakari Online Learn More about our Program & Support Young Black Men! www.youngblackmanonline.org

May 2015 CB Parent Retreat

Credits

Executive Director Horace L. Moore Newsletter Team Susan T. D. Rodriguez Paulette Bailey Terri Butler LaToya Kittrell Antoinette Miller Tosca Myers Charisse Smith Sharon Swain

CHIONESU BAKARI, a Swahili phrase meaning “Guiding Light of Noble Promise,” is engaged in the ministry of saving and developing young black males by reclaiming, renaming, renewing and reconditioning their minds. We strive to motivate young black male children to think critically and prepare their minds and the minds of their respective parents/guardians for the men they will grow to become.

This newsletter is published by: Chionesu Bakari Program for Young Men 859 Hendrix Street Brooklyn, New York 11207 Phone: 347-708-2008 info@youngblackmanonline.org www.youngblackmanonline.org Available online at www. youngblackmanonline.org/news.