Chionesu Bakari November 2016 Newsletter by Chionesu Bakari

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

November 2016 vol.4 issue 01

INSIDE THIS ISSUE DIRECTOR’S WELCOME

GIVING TUESDAY! Be a part of the national day of giving Nov. 29th. Make your support count! (check the back page for more information)

CB ALUMS LIFE IN COLLEGE THOUGHTS IN THE 1ST YEAR

MEET OUR NEW YOUNG MEN & THEIR FAMILIES 4 CB GOES GOLFING

PAINTING IT FORWARD 2016 A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT!

GIVING TUESDAY -11/29/2016

UPCOMING EVENTS

Namaste, The climax of the last 10 years has been tremendously satisfying, with what was once a dream becoming not just a reality, but also an ever-evolving organization. We are building up & renewing young Black men in New York City, as well as in the diverse cities and states our alumniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studies in college take them. All the while we have fostered strong families, the principal foundation on which the CB model sits. I am excited and pensive as we accelerate into our 11th year. Our important work of enriching young men is needed more than ever in these uncertain times ushered in by our new President-Elect. The CB model, gives us a unique platform to expand our successful framework. The seeds planted for CB chapters in the cities of Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta are starting to sprout and we are enthusiastic about working with our partners in these areas. I am looking forward to the 6th Annual Rumble Young Man Rumble Conference hosted by CBMA CEO Shawn Dove, at the end of November, which convenes the top leaders in the Black men and boys empowerment arena. This annual gathering of leaders will be a recharging force of sharing promising practices and building collaborations, as Chionesu Bakari moves forward. As we launch our 11th year, we are proud to welcome 10 new young men (including one younger sibling of a current member) and their families to the CB village. While we wish we could serve more, these new families bring with them a commitment to the work of developing their young men and their families. We remain steadfast to our prototype of exposing the young men to historical landmarks, colleges/universities and states. We believe travel will continue to expand the minds of our young men and bring about a broader way of thinking and being. In February 2017, we will tour colleges in the Miami, FL area led by our CB Alumnus and staff member Dante Leary. In July 2017, we will venture to the West Coast, exploring 3 cities, colleges/universities and landmarks in California! To make this happen we have launched a 10 for 10 (years) Campaign to reach our goal of raising $100,000 to cover the cost of this trip to California. In the spirit of exposure to expansive experiences, we were elated for the opportunity to introduce the game of Golf to the young men. Who knows, perhaps this event was the dawn of the next Tiger Woods straight out of CB! Thank you to Mr. Perry Williams and Mr. Martin Baird for coordinating such a phenomenal opportunity. We now have a waiting list of young men that want to learn the game. In addition we appreciate the 9+ men who sacrificed their time to volunteer as instructors and encouraged our young men. Most recently, we were immensely grateful for the successful Painting it Forward 2016 Art Auction Fundraiser for Chionesu Bakari (created & produced by Artist and Gallery Owner Fedrecia Hartley of Zion Gallery, Brooklyn NY). We are more than humbled and appreciative of the community leaders and national artists that donated their time to create works of art for the auction. Lastly, as we enter this time of year and spirit of giving, we hope that you will include Chionesu Bakari on your list of worthy, impactful organizations to support. In fact, this #GivingTuesday (National Day of Giving) on November 29, 2016 is the perfect way to share your support, by contributing and spreading the news on the work that we do. We thank you in advance and welcome any size donation. Go to www. youngblackmanonline.org/cbgivingtuesday for more information. Please mark your Calendars for Jan 29, 2017, as you are invited to join our Family Fun Night of Skating. Stay tuned for more informationâ&#x20AC;Ś

Thank you Horace L. Moore

Founder & Executive Director Chionesu Bakari Program for Young Men

Life in College Perspectives from CB Alumni College Freshman Akeem Stanford - Norfolk State University, VA Akeem Stanford is one of the eight amazing Young Men who completed Chionesu Bakari’s Rites of Passage Program this past June 2016. Akeem, (19) now attends Norfolk State University in Virginia. Akeem is adjusting to Freshman life on campus pretty well. He is enjoying his first semester and has made lots of friends. He seems to have found a good balance between his academics and his social life so far. One of the lessons Akeem carries with him from Chionesu Bakari is to always listen and be considerate when other people are speaking. Akeem stated his class discussions have been interesting during this recent Election Year. He shared his experience in CB encouraged him to vocalize his thoughts more and explore new horizons. These techniques are working for Akeem on campus thus far. He has been meeting a lot people from all over the world and he is happy to have the experiences that his first year at college have afforded him to date.

Julian Beckford - Morehouse College, GA The life of a freshmen college student is such that trying to catch up with one is a great task. Thank goodness for technology (email and text messaging) because it is the only reason I was able to reach Julian Beckford who is a freshman at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. “School is definitely a challenge!” said the 17 year-old when asked how he was doing so far. “Chionesu has helped me know what I need to do to succeed. Without my CB brothers Brandon Westbrook and Quintin Thomas (who are upper-classmen on campus) I don't think I would have been able to make this transition. Chionesu has set a certain bar for me to reach and I'm doing everything in my power to make my mentors and CB family proud.” Finally I asked Julian for advice to pass on to his CB brothers that are coming behind him. “Listen to everything your parents and Chionesu has ever told you. They were 100% right!”

Stephon Fagan - Brooklyn College, NY Stephon Fagan in his freshman year is majoring in Accounting at Brooklyn College. Stephon is doing well in school and finds college life simple. Stephon passed all of his mid-term exams and he currently has a grade of 100 in his Accounting Class. He attributes his successful transition from high school to college to the advice Elder Young, the Dir. of Programming in CB, always gives the young men. Elder Young recommends that when you start a new class, you always want to see the teacher on the first day and ask, what do I have to do to maintain an A grade in your class? So far, he is following that advice and it’s working well. Stephon chose to attend College locally on a full scholarship and forego on going away to College, campus life and student loan debt. He sometimes has second thoughts about that decision, but realizes if he was away he would have a lot of distractions and he would not have the benefit of having daily access to his family. Stephon understands he has a stronger support system living at home while he attends College. With his current schedule, Stephon attends school 4 days a week with classes taking up about 3 hours/day. Two of those days, where he has gaps between classes, Stephon uses that time study and relax. Stephon has met some friends and he is comfortably adjusting to his new learning environment at Brooklyn College.

Recent ROP CB Alum Updates coordinated by LaTasha Green, Tosca Myers and Sharon Swain

CB Welcomes New Young Men and their Families Tiffany Walters and son, Mason

Welcome Tiffany Walters and son, Mason (8) who were introduced to CB by our very own Elder Vaughn Curmon. Mason attended Summer Camp at Imagine You this past Summer. It was there that Elder Curmon suggested Tiffany look into Chionesu Bakari. Tiffany was impressed by what she viewed online and applied immediately. Mason has two older brothers and one older sister (by his dad). During family quality time, they enjoy playing games, going to the movies, libraries and participating in any events in NYC. Mason enjoys basketball and loves video games. Tiffany and Mason have been attending St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church for the past two years. Tiffany already loves CB and is witnessing a small transformation in Mason's independence. Tiffany is learning to embrace the new Mason and the CB Parent Institute. She loves the meetings and enjoys learning and sharing with other parents. Tiffany’s prayer for CB is that, more people learn about Chionesu Bakari & the program grows stronger and larger. Tiffany is currently an NYPD School Safety Officer, previously she taught Pre-K for 11 years within NYC public schools. In addition, Tiffany has her own business as a Weight Loss Consultant for Total Life Changes. Tiffany brings a diverse skill set to CB as she is also a Motivational Speaker, Singer and Prayer Warrior. We are truly happy that Tiffany and Mason are now members of the CB Family. 

Lynette Green and son, Kristion

Lynette Grant and 11 year old Kristion (Kris) joined the CB family this October. Although Lynette is a member of St. Paul she was introduced to Chionesu by her mom. Lynette currently works for Verizon. Kris is a very caring and loving “gentle giant” as Lynette put it. He loves to talk, play basketball and play video games. When they come together at home they enjoy playing uno and planning travel adventures. Already Lynette has found that CB is all about family. Not only is it for our young men but for the parents too. She appreciates having an outlet to discuss her concerns about raising a young man. “I've learned that it isn't all about Kris. I see now that there are things I need to get done personally.” Lynette shared that Kris didn’t think he was going to like CB but by the second week he told her he liked it. With her prayers for CB Lynette also prays that her son matures and grows into the best man he can be. 

Kim Jeter and son, Keenan

Kim Jeter and son Keenan (11), are new additions to the CB Family as of this Fall, 2016. They were exposed to Chionesu Bakari as members of the St. Paul Community Baptist Church. Kim also received recommendations on the program from Elder Victor Young (Dir. of Programming, CB) and Paulette Bailey (Alumni Parent, CB). Keenan, loves video games and enjoys sports; having played football, basketball and soccer. Keenan can be a comedian and he is inquisitive, always wanting to know…why? Keenan and Kim like to have a date night twice a month when they take turns selecting the movie and either go out to a theatre or watch a movie at home. As a new parent of CB, Kim appreciates that the CB parents have been very welcoming. She likes that the staff are very involved with the young men. She feels at ease knowing that Keenan is in good hands. After attending his first meeting, Keenan spoke about how much he enjoyed the meeting and looked forward to the upcoming assignments and trip. Kim’s prayer for CB is that it will expand into other communities so that other young men and 4 their families can benefit. Kim is a supervisor at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services. She looks forward to doing what she can to support the program. 

Yasmin Tempro and son, Jadari Chionesu Bakari is excited to welcome Yasmin Tempro and son, Jadari (10) to the family. Yasmin has witnessed CB’s YM around St. Paul Community Baptist Church where she has been attending for about 15 years. Jadari has two older sisters, Briyante (17) and Tashe (21), both away at college. Yasmin was attracted to the Brotherhood of CB for Jadari. She believes it is very important that her son have positive male role models that he can talk to about things he may not feel comfortable talking to her about. Yasmin said, she is impressed with the depth of the parent meetings and she really liked the welcome packet that CB gave her. “It really shows how they went above and beyond to make new families feel welcome." Their family spends a lot of time traveling together and Jadari loves to cook when they have time, which is rarely considering Jadari plays the guitar, soccer, basketball and lacrosse. Jadari is very observant and brings his charismatic personality to the village. He really enjoyed his 1st meeting recently. Yasmin prays that CB continue to stay connected to the community of young Black men to guide them and help them become confident, well rounded individuals. She is an Accountant, and admittedly good at numbers but Yasmin also does some Event Planning in her spare time. 

Isha Mosley and son, Jeremiah Isha Mosley was looking for a mentoring program focused on Black male influence for her son Jeremiah who is 9. The Director of Jeremiah’s marching band and current CB Father Ty Brown, recommended Chionesu Bakari. Jeremiah’s favorite activity is learning to play chess at his after school program. He also takes swimming classes and karate lessons. Jeremiah enjoys doing things to make people laugh and has a big heart that often leads him to defend people that are in need. It’s been a while, but Isha and Jeremiah enjoy going out for “date night” when they can. They keep busy participating in Jeremiah’s many activities. Isha was nervous about Jeremiah joining CB. She did not know what to expect from the program but she feels comfortable now that she sees how much Jeremiah likes the program. Isha appreciates that Jeremiah has the benefit of being exposed to the older young men and that he can look to them as positive role models. She also appreciates being part of a community where the families have similar goals for their sons. Isha is a high school Math Teacher who loves working with children and event planning. Her prayer for the future of CB is that the program will expand into high schools to bring mentoring and positive messages to the young men that may not have positive role models. In her experience, young men need and are very responsive to love and caring. Isha is looking forward to building relationships in the CB community and doing what she can to support the program. Welcome to the CB Family, Isha and Jeremiah!!! 

Toni Knight and son, Jaylen

Toni Knight and son, Jaylen (9) are excitedly welcomed into CB. They were introduced to Chionesu by one of our current families, Colin, Nicole and son, Preston Kilkenny. Jaylen is a very active young man. He loves to play basketball and is very involved in his church. Toni and Jaylen are proud members of First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, where Jaylen serves as an Usher and sings on the choir. Jaylen also enjoys taking Karate lessons. Although Toni is very new to CB, so far, she shares, she really loves the support available for both the young men and their parents. Toni also stated that she was not expecting the parent participation (Parent Institute) to be so in depth, but she really admires the discipline. Toni believes CB will help mold Jaylen into the young man she would like for him to be. Toni is excited about the positivity that CB sets forth and she is happy she was able join while Jaylen is still young. According to Toni, “Jaylen is at an impressionable age and he needs positive role models to look up to”. Toni is employed by the State of New York Department of Education, in an Adult Rehabilitation and Counseling Program. Toni brings many gifts and talents to CB as a seasoned event planner, not to mention 5 she is very organized, friendly and has fundraising experience.  New Parent Profiles written by Paulette Bailey, LaTasha Green, LaToya Kittrell, Tosca Myers, Charisse Smith and Sharon Swain

A Day of Golf, CB Young Men "On Course to Greatness!!" The young men of Chionesu Bakari continue to be “on course for greatness” and on a beautiful day this past October, they took advantage of a day off from school and went as a group on their first golf outing. CB believes that most things in life present a teaching moment primed with new experiences and some sort of development. This golf outing was coordinated by Mr. Perry Williams / Future CB staff member, and Mr. Martin Baird / Brooklyn Golf Center, both of whom were diligent on making it happen. Mr. Williams said he worked on bringing this to fruition in order to pass his love and passion for golf on to the younger generation. Mr. Baird said, “Too often, opportunities to showcase our young Black men in a positive manner fall by the wayside. I was intrigued by what I heard about CB, and figured why not provide this opportunity, because they are worthy." We are grateful for Mr. Baird who was integral in pulling strings and negotiating numbers to ensure this was made possible. The young men (YM) were split into small groups for lessons on proper form and technique at Riis Park Beach Golf Center, where they also got to practice their swing. Then they took a short drive to Brooklyn Golf Center’s 18 hole Executive Golf Course to work on their short game. Everyone had a good time, and the YM discovered that

there is an art to becoming a skillful golfer. This event afforded the YM with the opportunity to network beyond their everyday alliances and open their hearts and minds to a major sport in the business world. Founder, Horace Moore said that he is very pleased with CB’s first golf outing as it served to expose the YM to yet another new experience, expand their minds, stretch their physical capabilities and introduce them to an arena where major business decisions are made. He is thankful to Mr. Perry Williams and Mr. Martin Baird for the time dedicated to putting this event together for the YM, as well as to all of the men (Donald Donglas, Linsey Johnson, Ricci Leonce, Bernard Mcilwain, George Patterson, James Passintino, Gary Hudson and Elder John Sutton) who thought it not robbery to spend their day off from work teaching the YM the game. CB’s 1st golfing experience was exciting and unforgettable. The YM learned that being patient and steady are necessary attributes to have both on and off the golf course. Some YM even want to play professionally! Needless to say this golf experience was a huge success and everyone is looking forward to future outings on the golf course.  Written by Charisse Smith

Martin Baird Brooklyn Golf Center

Painting it Forward! 2016 What a night of beautiful Art, networking and giving. Chionesu Bakari is indebted to Fedrecia Hartley founder and creator of the Painting it Forward Art Auction on behalf of Chionesu Bakari!

View more info and images from this event on: www.youngblackmanonline.org/galleries & www.ziongallery.com

cont'd...CB Welcomes New Young Men and their Families

Latoya Rogers and son, Dion

Welcome new CB family Rogers/Oliver! 15 year old Dion joins CB with mom Latoya Rogers, who works for NYPD School Safety. They were exposed to CB through their membership at St. Paul. Mom initially discussed the program with Colin Kilkenny. She then suggested to her son that he reach out to one of the Elders and inquire about becoming involved in the program. They joined us this past October. Dion’s noble promise is enhanced by an entrepreneurial spirit and musical talent. Dion has formed his own hat business and was a participant in the Black and Gold Marching Band as a bass drum player. He has learned to play the steel pan and also taught himself to play the piano. To boot, Dion has an ear for music and can play different parts of a song just by hearing them. Mom says Dion is a very outgoing, helpful and considerate young man. As a family, Latoya, Dion and sister, Emani can be found shopping, bowling, at a movie or dining out. Latoya was very pleased to discover that any shyness that she had was quickly diminished by the family atmosphere at our first parent meeting of the season. Latoya already appreciates the family atmosphere and the additional positive male role models and peers that are here for her son. “I hope that the program can be a blessing in my son's life. I hope that he develops bonds that will last a lifetime.” 

Earline Franklin and grandson, Justin

The CB Family welcomes Earline Franklin, grandmother and guardian to 9 1/2 yr old Justin. Justin has one sister and other siblings on his fathers side. He was recommended to CB through his Aunt Cheryl by former parent, Kimberley Register. Ms. Franklin describes her grandson as a smart fast thinker who is "busy", wants to know everything, loves music and likes to dance. She knows that CB helps young men and their families and prays that the men and mentors can do the same for Justin. Justin has attended Cultural Art Academy Charter school since Kindergarten. His favorite subject is Math because he likes numbers and learning different ways to solve problems. He admits that Yes, he loves music and loves to dance and he also loves football and basketball. He already loves meeting with the other young men and spoke of learning about hygiene, how to conduct yourself and speaking up, wearing clothes in the proper manner, and treating people how you want to be treated. Justin comes from a big family - his grandmother had 14 brothers and sisters. Getting together and talking, laughing, joking, cooking and just simply enjoying each other is what they like to do. Ms. Franklin is retired after working 43 years at St. Mary's Hospital Clinic. She helps out with taking care of her grandchildren. She would be happy to help out with CB in any way possible. 

Marcella McMurrin and son, La'Kei

Introducing Marcella McMurrin and her 14 year old son, La'Kei. La'Kei attends Grover Cleveland High School. He is interested in fashion, photography, and plays on the basketball team. Together, Marcella and La'Kei enjoy everything from having fun at home by dancing in the house, to going to the movies. Marcella and La'Kei also enjoy traveling and have been on 7 or 8 cruises! Marcella attends Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and heard about Chionesu Bakari from a friend who is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Marcella is a single parent and states that there are not a lot of men in her son’s life. She has hopes that participation in Chionesu Bakari, would help her son continue to grow into an even better person as he moves toward manhood. When asked is there was anything special she would like to add about her son, Marcella paused briefly and then replied: “He knows who God is. ” Welcome Marcella & La'Kei!  7

2016-2017 Upcoming Events November 2016

November 29 Join us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram for #GivingTuesday

January 2017 January 29 Family Fun Event Roller Skating

February 2017

Feb. Mid-Year Break CB Young Men travel to Miami, FL

March 2017

5th Annual Bowl-a-Thon

& MORE Check our Events Page online for updates on all CB Events

Visit Chionesu Bakari Online Learn More about our Program

#Give2CB Giving Tuesday 11.29.16 This November 29th is #GivingTuesday, the National Day of Giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. As the Holiday season begins, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season when many focus on their holiday and end of year giving. This #GivingTuesday (11/29) you can ensure the success of a young man in Chionesu Bakari, by sharing the good work we are doing on all of your social media accounts and contributing to CB! During #GivingTuesday the more you spread the word about Chionesu Bakari the better, we want to double the number of our followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! We welcome your contributions, remember as little as $5 counts towards supporting the future of the young men... Thank You!

& Support Young Men!

www.youngblackmanonline.org

@cbyoungmen @Chionesu Bakari

For Easy ways to Spread the Word about CB visit: www.youngblackmanonline.org/ cbgivingtuesday

Credits

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

Cover Picture: Camp Ichthus July 2016

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.