ment uniting people in a quest to accomplish one overarching goal: instilling in the youth a sense of value and virtue. “There has definitely been [an awakening] in consciousness in the community, where we’re starting to see a lot of men step forward and become leaders,” said Besson, a part-time business teacher at the high school. “Although we’ve seen changes in the boys’ behavior, we still have a long way to go. I look at my community’s youth as my children, and I want my children to aspire to more.” Besson has been inspired by his own son, 11-year-old Isiah, to develop programs for Save Our Sons, or SOS, which is now a state-recognized nonprofit organization. Those programs cover everything from sexting and respecting women to dressing for success, and Besson carries them out with help from neighbor and friend Brian Meacham, Lakeview NAACP President Bea Bayley and several other local parents. “We realized that we have to work with other civic organizations to make improvements; we just couldn’t do it by ourselves,” Besson said. “For young black boys, the pathology is really dangerous, and very few organizations are working to change that pathology of from-the-cradle-to-the-jail or to-the-grave kind of pipeline. We want to shut that down and put our boys in schools where they can become really productive … citizens who can be doctors, who can be lawyers and more than just your run-of-themill young urban person. … It’s possible, but the community has to be a partner with these young boys.” The only way to really make that happen, Besson added, is to give the children role models — male role models, something Lakeview was lacking. That absence weighed heavily on Besson’s mind, and when he discussed it with Bayley, the idea of the SOS Network was born. “Someone had to take the initiative and set an example and actually educate people as to what’s the right thing to do and how to go about it,” Bayley said. “On face By LEE LANDOR value, it’s easy to say, ‘Men need to do this llandor@liherald.com or do that,’ but do they have the skills and the tools to do it? I believe [Besson has] encouraged some other men who may not have realized the deficit. Seeing women work in the community, and women forming groups, and women always out there in the forefront, I guess they didn’t realize what impact it was having until somebody actually put it in their faces.” Nights in Lakeview had brought gambling, drinking, drug use and The SOS Network has not only awakened men in the community, it fighting. Some parents stopped paying attention to their children’s educahas also provided significant help to women. According to Besson, 33 tion, as Besson sees it, and, as a result, students were content with perpercent of Lakeview households are headed by single mothers, and many forming below average. People became detached and passive. of them have attended the group’s events, seeking “I saw the degradation of Lakeview taking advice on how to motivate their boys to become place,” said Besson, 43. “It was slow. It was subtle, “I saw the degradation of more civic-minded and academically involved. so you really couldn’t pinpoint it. Why wasn’t this Lakeview taking place ... I Besson, a widower who remarried last year, and felcommunity rising above crime? Why wasn’t it rising low SOS leader Meacham, a father of four, give saw our kids dying in this above all the challenges it was facing, from cleanlithose women credit for their efforts, but call on men ness to the nuisances? It just became dire: I saw our very, very acceptable way, and to step up to the plate. “I believe fathers are the kids dying in this very, very acceptable way, and that that wasn’t acceptable to me.” most important thing that society has to offer,” wasn’t acceptable to me.” Meacham said. “… I put a lot of responsibility on With the help of several community leaders, fathers, and I put a lot of blame on fathers.” Besson, a native of Trinidad who came to New York In order for the SOS Network to reach its goal of raising socially, in 1988, formed the Save Our Sons Network, an organization devoted emotionally and intellectually developed boys, it must teach their fathers to helping boys become strong men. He held the group’s first meeting in to be responsible men, according to Besson, who was raised in a family March, and in the nine months since, he has successfully mobilized See LAKEVIEW’S, page 2 members of the community — particularly men — and started a move-
PERSON 2 0 11
OF THE YEAR
Malverne/West Hempstead
HERALD December 29, 2011 - January 4, 2012
$1.00
YEAR IN REVIEW
Susan Grieco/Herald
Former New York City Mayor Edward Koch swore Malverne Mayor Patricia McDonald into her fourth term on April 4. Koch also honored McDonald’s husband, Steven, an NYPD detective who was shot while on duty and paralyzed 25 years ago. Page 8
n o s s e B n y w r e h S
Showing the community’s boys — and fathers — a better way
Courtesy Terese Lendino
Malvernites Therese Lendino and Laura Casini tied the knot on July 24, one month after the State Legislature approved samesex marriage. Their daughter, Gianna, joined them for the ceremony, which took place at Queens Borough Hall. Page 11
Susan Grieco/Herald
Carl and Scott Rosen, owners of the National Wholesale Liquidators chain, reopened their flagship store in West Hempstead on Nov. 22, three years after bankruptcy forced them to close. Page 17
I
n the dozen years he has lived in Lakeview and the seven he has taught at Malverne High School, Sherwyn Besson has witnessed what he describes as the gradual deterioration of his community.