Creating A New Reality
YBM Leadership Alliance Newsletter
INAUGURAL EDITION
Preparing Young Men for College Through Leadership Development Welcome to the inaugural edition of the YBM Leadership Alliance Newsletter. The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight our events, activities, plans, and goals. As we move forward, we solicit your thoughts, prayers, and financial support in our quest to develop our future leaders. Donations to support these efforts can be made at www. ybmleadership.com.
FEB 2015
2014 ACTIVITIES
Leadership Development YBM LEADERS CONFERENCE
Grant from Wells Fargo
Leadership Luncheon with Joel Ford
GE Job Fair
GE African American Forum Symposium
LEADERSHIP
Leadership Luncheon with Manny Ohonme We had an active year of these luncheons. These events are designed to create personal interaction with our YBM Ambassadors and business leaders. Please contact us if you would be interested in participating.
Speakers in 2014 included: Manny Ohonme – Samaritan’s Feet CEO
Raki McGregor – Business Executive
Patrick Graham – Urban League CEO
Ken Currence – Retired Business Executive
Senator Joel Ford
Service
Operation Sandwich
The young men of YBM participated with the Urban Ministry to make 800 sandwiches to feed the homeless. As YBM CEO, John Martin stated, “this was an opportunity to learn about servant leadership with a hands-on, real world project.�
Loading Sandwiches
Justin Elliott
Allen Anderson YBM had the wonderful opportunity to send three team leaders and seven Ambassadors to the Republic of Haiti for four days. Through the coordinating efforts of many including Tony Reed, they were able to visit a summer camp
Harold Lowe
for girls, an orphanage, a maternity center, and a school. The group also, with loving compassion, washed the feet of the children and were able
to provide shoes for 250 children. Our team was greatly moved by the spirit of the children and adults in spite of very difficult living conditions.
David Nnadi washing feet
College Prep
YBM Scholars Day The second annual YBM Scholars Day was held at Dresslers Restaurant. Twentytwo young leaders were on hand to announce acceptance into the colleges of their choice. Quality institutions on this list included: Duke, Morehouse, WinstonSalem State, NC State, and Virginia Tech. Over 100 proud parents and friends attended this event. Over $10,000 in scholarships were awarded to the students via funds raised during the annual 2014 YBM Golf Open.
Scholars Day College Ambassador Marshall Craft
DUKE University
COLLEGE TOURS
UNC
The
Top 100 The Top 100 Recognition Ceremony was held at Rocky River High School. The high achieving honorees were lauded for their academic achievement, leadership abilities, and community service. Friends and family in attendance were very appreciative of seeing their young men honored in such a positive manner.
Top 100 - Brothers on the covers
Top 100 - Timmons
Top 100 Ceremony Top 100 - LaMarcus and family
COMMON at the Gantt Youth Forum
Hip Hop Artist Common was in Charlotte for a meet and greet and thirteen of our young men were in attendance for this event at the Harvey B. Gantt Center. Common answered questions presented by the attendees. His primary message was to not let yourself be identified by anyone else’s perception. He also said, “be honest and true to yourself and develop and maintain a positive self belief.”
Evening of Excellence Gala
The Annual YBM Gala was held on November 8th at Mercedes Benz of South Charlotte. Over 200 guests were in attendance at this fabulous affair. Ladies were strolling in their shimmering outfits and the well suited gentlemen were strutting their stuff.
John Martin, CEO and Ken Currence Master of Ceremony.
The evening was capped off with a stirring performance from the Tony and Grammy award winning songstress, Jennifer Holliday.
KUDOS 2013 Top 100 Student makes WSSU Dean’s List 202 Thompson Center Winston-Salem, NC 27110 336-750-3330 (phone) 336-750-3332 (fax)
Office of the Registrar Notification of Dean’s List January 9, 2015 Dear Malik Black, In recognition of your superior academic performance, I am pleased to inform you that you have been placed on the Winston-Salem State University Dean’s List for fall 2014. Eligibility to be named on the Dean’s List at the end of each semester shall be based on status as a full-time student (12 SH and above). Dean’s List honors are awarded only to those students who earn a scholastic grade point average of 3.0 or higher in 12 or more credit hours of graded coursework with WSSU in an academic semester, with no grade below C and no incomplete (I) grades on the report. Congratulations on your achievement…and keep up the good work! Respectfully, University Registrar
Leadership College Fair
Fellowship at Friendship
Social - Go Cart Racing
YBM CELEBRATES NATIONAL
MENTOR MONTH
by hosting Mentoring Mondays at Piedmont Middle School
YBM AMBASSADORS
SPEAK OUT
in schools to students about: leadership, finding themselves, and preparing for future success
The YBM Leadership Academy develops young men into strong leaders who will have a positive impact within their schools and communities. YBM aims to create a positive reality where young black men are valued and sought out as 21st century leaders.
UPCOMING EVENTS YBM leadership Alliance IN PARTICIPATION WITH MULTICULTURAL STUDENT AFFAIRS
PRESENTS
An Evening with
Harvey Gantt February 11, 2015 6:00 p.m. Johnson C. Smith University BIDDLE HALL
REGISTER AT www.ybmleadership.com For more info EMAIL Harold at: haroldlowe14@att.net
YBM Leadership Alliance PRESENTS
A fundraiser to provide college scholarships and college readiness programming for young scholars
Wednesday
YBM Leadership Alliance is a non-profit 501c3 focused on youth leadership development
March 18, 2015 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Dave and Busters Tickets $30 per person / $200 team of eight Donations are appreciated. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO:
Facebook: YBMLeadership Email: info@ybmleadership.com
Twitter: @ybmleadership Instagram: ybmleadershipclt
YBM Declares 2015
“The Year of Success”
While 2014 was stellar, we are not resting on our laurels. We are gearing up for massive and unparalleled success this year. To that end, we have declared 2015 “The Year of Success” for YBM.
month positive venture focused on highlighting successful black males. The objective of the YBM Project Success is to change the dialog, media focus, general thinking, and community investment profile from the generally accepted deficiencybased model, (focused on the negative), to the preferred asset-based model, (focused on the positive). This paradigm shift to an asset-based model will help increase the positive and realistic view of black males as assets. We seek to eliminate the stereotypical view of black makes as “at risk” problems that must be addressed, corrected, or eliminated. Our ultimate goal is to develop and inspire a generation of young leaders who will have a positive impact on our community.
In 2015, we are implementing a new initiative called “Project Success.” This is a 12-
In keeping with the Project Success Initiative, the YBM Leadership Alliance events for 2015 will focus on
John Martin Without a doubt, 2014 was an awesome year for YBM Leadership Alliance! We hosted more than 30 events, workshops, and service trips. We extended our leadership impact to the global community with our first international service trip to Haiti. We awarded $10,000 in scholarships to some very deserving young black men. We had an excellent Gala fundraising event featuring Tony and
Grammy award-winning singer, Jennifer Holliday.
highlighting, accelerating and replicating success we identify that already exists. We will show the tremendous amount of positive, progressive and successful activity in our community and extend its effect. YBM Leadership Alliance commits to a yearlong investment of effort, ideas, communication, celebration and more. Each component is designed to highlight excellence and to make the best, better.
A few of the 2015 Project Success initiatives are: ● Celebrating Black History Month: 28 Success Leaders – February ● Celebration of Success Leaders – March 15 ● The “Minority Male Success Summit” – March 28 ● The “Top Young Black Men of Charlotte” Recognition Ceremony – April 26 ● YBM Scholars Day – May 31 ● The “Evening of Excellence” Gala – November 14
SOCIAL MEDIA Find us online at www.ybmleadership.com For questions and event information contact: Ken Currence at currenoct@carolina.rr.com