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

“Moving Forward”

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issue 008Summer 2014

A Word From The Director

A heartfelt thank you to all parents, young men and supporters as we close our summer program and our 8th program year. With your tremendous support we are able to successfully mentor and transform the lives of the young black men in our community.

We culminated our program year with a glorious Annual Gala honoring Parents and Guardians who tirelessly commit towards the mission of our program. A special thanks to NYC Councilman Jumaane Williams for his presence and support that evening. As well, we were grateful for our gift bag items from Amerigroup, Regina Brewster of SoulPurpose, Rev. Alphonso Wyatt and Sharon

Swain. Be sure not to miss next year’s Gala and Rites of Passage Celebration!

This year our annual retreat in June, titled “Forgiveness...Learning to Trust Again,” set the stage for continued growth with time for reflection, revelation and release. Ms. Michele Hawkins-Jones opened with the “Opportunity Walk” exercise and set the stage for Ms. Janice Hassan, L.C.S.W., B.C.D. & Dr. Robyn Brown-Manning who continued with the subject of “Parenting as a Spiritual Practice.” We look forward to continue to work with them in the 2014-2015 season.

This years’ summer program, enrolling over 50 young men was the best yet! A huge thank you to the CB Staff & Counselors. A special thanks to the young adult staff members, John Robinson, Dante Leary, and Quintin Thomas. They planned and managed an outstanding itinerary of travel, workshops and events. The CB young men had the opportunity to travel to Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, visiting colleges and historical sites. Of particular note were our visits to the Muhammad Ali museum in KY, St. Paul Baptist Church in VA, and Bethune-Cookman University in FL.

Salute to all the young men returning to college and a special salute to our new college bound fresmen, Dante Leary, Lawrence Powell, and Malik Stanford. We continue to cover and pray for each of them and their parents.

I am grateful to the parent teams for creating valuable and insightful workshops this year, which focused on, stress management, depression, team building, trust and finally closing out with our Alumni team (parents of college aged young men) sharing their lessons learned with their sons over the years, to now in college.

As we prepare for our 9th program year, we envision young men who will impact the globe and with that we’d like to continue to expose them to domestic travel and introduce them to international travel. Your continued support is vital, we solicit your financial support and always your prayers and love.

Namaste, Horace L. Moore, Founder/Director

DIRECTOR’S WELCOME 1

CB SUMMER EXPOSURE DEVELOPMENT & FUN 2

LETTER FROM A YOUNG BLACK MAN 3

CB FAMILY PROFILES 4

CB PARENTS RECHARGE 5 @ ANNUAL PARENT RETREAT

CB CELEBRATES PARENTS 6 AT THE 3RD ANNUAL GALA

CB NEWS & EVENTS 8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SUMMER SNAPSHOTS

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The instructional focus this summer included skill development, enhanced listening skills, character development, and decision making. In addition, the young men will have completed two week long excursions which cultivates learning and exploration as well as stimulates bonding.

Founder’s day was celebrated on July 10th to acknowledge the 8th year of Chionesu Bakari program for young men. This summer approximately 56 young men gathered to commemorate the anniversary.

The first away trip included visits to Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. “It was fun, the trip, I got new experiences, I got to hang with ‘the bro’s,’ my CB brothers”. (Saleh Robinson). Another young man, Joshua Miller noted: “ Visiting the Muhammad Ali Center vwhile in Louisville, KY was enlightening. Learning about this boxing icon was moving. For example, he only lost five matches in his career, his boxing license was revoked because of his resistance against the Vietnam War, and he is currently battling Parkinson’s Disease.”

The second week long adventure will take them to North Carolina and Florida. In between the out-of-state traveling adventures, the program explored Chinatown, visited the African Burial Ground and the Native American History Museum in New York City. The young men also had the opportunity to visit the NBA Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. The program also exposed the young men to a tour of the Supreme Court, a visit hosted by Maimonides Medical Center, as well as Empowerment Day, a day in which prominent speakers are brought into dialogue with the collective.

The experiences and bonds of the young men continue to grow stronger as they are being cultivated into the men God would have them to be!

CB SUMMER 2014 - EXPOSURE, DEVELOPMENT & FUNPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS, COLLEGE & HISTORICAL SITE TOURS IN SEVEN (7) STATES AND STILL TIME FOR FUN

UNIVERSITY OF CINNCINATTI, OH

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY, FL

WATER PARK, FL

By LaToya Kittrell & Elder Victor Scott

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Letter from a Young Black Man

My name is Brandon Armstrong and I am one of the original thirty members of the Chionesu Bakari Mentoring Program which started in 2006. CB prepared me as a young black man to always stay true to yourself, never fall into peer pressure, never give up, and to always be on time. The program changed my state of mind from being young and foolish to being mature and taught me to think before I act. When I joined, I was in the 7th grade and I didn't know what to expect. Through the leadership of the Founder/Director, Mr. Moore, and his staff I was able to build my confidence to speak outloud, stay focused in school, give back to my community and motivated to always reach for greatness and nothing less. I was fortunate in that, through Chionesu Bakari, I gained my first working experience with a

summer counseling job. I continued to worked within the program for the next 2 years until I graduated from high school and completed the “Rites of Passage” phase of the program. My CB work experience as a counselor, was a valuable learning experience. I learned how to be a real brother’s keeper, how to be a leader, and how to manage my time efficiently. The experience I received from CB is a life changing experience that I will pass on to others.

“ Chionesu Bakari prepared me as a young black man to always stay true to yourself, never fall

into peer pressure, never give up, to always be on time and fulfill

my purpose. ”

BRANDON ARMSTRONG, CB ALUMNI SHARES HIS LESSONS LEARNED FROM CB

CB Parent Institute Summer Workshop - Alumni Parents Provide Guidance

This summer, the well attended parent meetings brought forth wisdom from the Alumni parents in a meaningful and thoroughly executed talk show theme experience entitled “Beyond the Rites of Passage.” The alumni courageously addressed the parent body, discussing their challenges, triumphs and lessons learned raising their sons to men now in college. The session was a powerful testament to the meaning of the CB to their own lives as well as the lives of their sons.

By Brandon Armstrong

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By Charisse Smith

Jocelyn Brister is the parent to Rodney Brister Jr. who is 13 years old. Outside of Chionesu Bakari, Rodney is into weight training and has a blue belt in Karate. His mother describes him as thoughtful, caring, and very articulate.

Rodney has three older sisters. The family has been a part of Chionesu Bakari for three years and counting.

Jocelyn is a retired case-worker who is currently a property manager. She is also a member of St. Paul Community Baptist Church. She is great friends with Teresa Jones, a CB alumni parent. Jocelyn noted that she liked the way Teresa’s son David carried himself. David, who is now deceased, left a great impression on Jocelyn. She admired the type of young man he was growing into. When Jocelyn’s husband died, she followed the advice of her friend and enrolled Rodney in CB.

Jocelyn is blessed to have received so much from the program thus far. She is grateful to Chionesu Bakari for positive changes in Rodney. Rodney is notably more spiritually minded and purposeful in his plans, such as where he’d like to

attend school and what he wants to be when he grows up.

When Lenora Everett, mother of three, reflects on her grandson Jordan Brown’s first year with CB, she proudly acknowledges that she has seen a tremendous

improvement in his level of responsibility and accountability, and that he seems to be improving his manners and independence too. As a result of CB’s focus on financial responsibility, Jordan is beginning to make an effort to earn money by collecting and returning recyclable bottles. He is saving his earned money so that he can contribute toward getting some of the things that he wants. Most importantly, Jordan is learning to love God and his spirituality is growing.

Lenora says, “its a good thing that she went to the first meeting in the Brownsville Marcus Garvey Community Center when CB visited to recruit young

men last year”. As a retired Correction Officer, Lenora can appreciate everything that CB has to offer, because she has seen first hand, what happens to far too many y o u n g black men that are not fortunate enough to have positive male role models in their lives. Lenora has a passion for spending time cooking out in the backyard, traveling and movie nights with her family. Now she looks forward to the continued development of the bond between herself and other CB parents/guardians. Lenora finds comfort in knowing that there are others within the CB family who are dealing with similar circumstances that are willing to share their experiences and advice.

Her prayer is that CB will be able to operate in its own space in the very near future; that the organization continue to grow and that everyone, both existing members and new members maintain the same level of dedication that exists today. “It takes a village to raise a child”. Lenora is so happy that she has one.

CB Family Profiles

The Brister Family Jocelyn & son Rodney Brister

The Everett FamilyLenora Everett & grandson-Jordan Brown

5By Terri Butler & Charisse Smith

Chionesu Bakari’s Parent Institute 2014 Retreat took us to the Marriott Hotel & Spa in Stamford, CT where our spiritual journey was taken to a whole new level. Our work to develop a greater connection with God, each other and our sons began at the onset of our travel as we boarded a charter bus together. “Prayer Intercessor, Ms. Renee’ Mohamed gave us assignments that entailed deep provocative thought, research and bible scripture. Reflection and revelation

continued through the works of our facilitators Michele Hawkins-Jones, Janice Hassan and Robyn Brown Manning.

Chionesu Bakari ’s parent retreats are always centered on spending time away from one’s normal life for the purpose of developing a greater connection with God; this year was no different. In this designated place of refuge we allowed ourselves to refocus and renew spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Time was spent together in group work, and some was dedicated for individual prayer, reflection, sharing and refocusing on the future by surrendering to the concept of: “Forgiveness...Learning to Trust Again.” We began the day getting to know each other, exploring the meanings associated with the names we gave our sons, examining our son’s characteristics and trying to understand their perspective on some challenging issues. Then we dove deep into the core of examining what prevents us from achieving our full potential as individuals, revisited some past hurts and transgressions and worked on forgiving and releasing those things to the universe. We even planted symbolic seeds to represent the many things we would like to see grow within our young men. The workshops “Opportunity Walk,” “Parenting as a Spiritual Practice,” “Forgiveness…. Learning to Trust” and the Symoblic Planting of Seeds led us to finish up feeling REFRESHED, REJUVENATED and PREPARED to move forward with far less emotional baggage than when we first arrived.

Although the Parent Retreat was lots of work, fun times did not escape us. We had the opportunity to continue to get to know each other better and establish deeper bonds over lunch together in the Mall and when all 50+ of us went to the movies to see “Think Like A Man Too” and spend time together over dinner.

The CB Parent Retreat ended on a high note as we arrived back at St Paul Community Baptist Church in time to fellowship at 8am Morning Worship Service. The overall desire and goal of the parent retreat is to be relaxed, real and come away spiritually refreshed. What an amazing experience!

Parent Retreat – Cost: $70.00

Dinner & Movie – Cost: $35.00

CB Family Time - Cost: PRICELESS

CB Parents Rejuvenate & RechargeFORGIVENESS & BUILDING TRUST TO BE BETTER PARENTS

JANICE HASSAN & ROBYN BROWN

MANNING -RETREAT FACILITATORS

COLIN KILKENNY, CB PARENT REPORTS OUT

@ PARENT RETREAT

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The Chionesu Bakari 3rd annual gala was held on a beautiful balmy early summer Friday evening on June 6, 2014 at the Sheraton East in Flushing, NY. This year’s theme: “Ties that Bind: Honoring Your Commitment and Faith…Ensuring the Legacy,” honored the dedication of the parents and guardians of the young men of Chionesu Bakari. It was wonderful time of elegance and recognition.

In true Chionesu fashion this year’s Gala was even better than the last! Our esteemed director and founder, Mr. Horace L. Moore, organized a wonderful program, including honoring some of the first 30 parents of the program with the “Mae Jemison trailblazer award, named after Jemison’s space travel achievements. The Gala was an awesome acknowledgement of the parents and guardians of the young black men in Chionesu Bakari. The list of awards was extensive; not only because the Parent Institute has at minimum sixty members, but also because there were so many worthy of the honors bestowed. It was heartwarming to see new parents like Monique Gravenhise and Colin & Nicole Kilkenny receive the “Up and Coming Leader Award” and the “Emergent Sojourner Award” respectively. Colin shared, “The gala was something new for my son and I, it was a nice experience. Seeing my son dressed in that tuxedo made me extremely proud of him. CB has helped me develop a better relationship with my son as well.”

Another new parent attending the gala for the first time, Alana Bernard, shared, “I thought it was inspiring…I was touched by the awards ceremony that recognized the parents. I felt honored to be there, looking forward to next year.”

Thinking back to when I was a new parent and not really knowing how I would fit into the already existing fabric of the parenthood, I can only imagine that receiving these awards gave the recipients a feeling of embracement. The presentations confirmed that not only are the parents committed to the vision but they are foundational to its’ success. Our seasoned alumni parents shared in the sentiment that the gala was a wonderful and excellent experience, sharing in part, the recognition of great accomplishments or appreciation, displayed the many

blessings we have received from Chionesu Bakari.

Chionesu Bakari’s 3rd Annual GalaCelebrating 8 years by Honoring Parents & Guardians

“ We the proud and noble brothers of Malik Fraternity

Inc. were extremely honored to support the 2014 Chionesu Bakari gala dinner. We are fully

committed to assisting Chionesu Bakari in its’ quest to educate, guide and support our young

men of color.”

- David Nelson, Malik Faternitiy Inc. Proud CB Sponsors

CB Young Men’s Awardees (from left) CB Staff-John Robinson; Awardees-Malik Stanford, Najee Hunt, Marcus Watson, Jawan Lawson, Timur Covington Jordan ’Butter’ Johnson, Saleh RobinsonBy Tosca Myers & Sharon Swain

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“The Gala was excellent! The awards and framed pictures on the table were a beautiful addition. It was really great to receive an award as a parent.

Every year just gets better and better!”

- Diedre Smith, CB Alumni Parent

“ The 2014 CB Gala was a classy event that gave some of the young men of CB and their families an opportunity

to experience elegance for the first time. I feel a sense of pride

when I reminisce about the special effort put forth by the

leadership and the parents who coordinated the beautiful Gala.”

- Pamela Smith-Watson, CB Parent of Marcus Rashaad

Watson, 17

College Scholarship Recipients

El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Award Recipients

Clara Mcbride ‘Mother” Hale Award Recipients

CB Young Men enjoying the Gala

Proud CB Supporters

Keynote Speakers - Mrs. Erica Townsend & Ms. Yvonne Bonitto Zeigler

Mae Jemison “Trailblazers” Award Recipients First 30 Parents of Chionesu Bakari

Dr. Dorothy Height Award Recipients“Up and Coming Leaders” Award Recipients

Queen Mother Myrtis Virginia Eubanks Campbell Brent, Award Recipients

Visit our site, www.youngblackmanonline.org to view all the Awards, Recipients and pictures

from the Gala.

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Visit Chionesu Bakari Online

Learn More about our Program

& Support Young Black Men!

www.youngblackmanonline.org

CreditsThis 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

This newsletter is also available online @ www.youngblackmanonline.org

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

October 2014

2014-2015 Fall Season Begins 10/2 - CB Parent Meeting

10/14 - CB Young Men’s Meeting

10/31 - Bowl-a-thon

June 2015 6/5 - CB Gala & Rites of Passage

6/7 - Rites of Passage Ceremony

We are pleased to be featured in The Brooklyn Reader. The Brooklyn Reader recognized our work with young black men saying, “tens of thousands of young black boys in Central Brooklyn have no idea what it truly means to have a father in their lives. A lot of them have no idea what it even means to be a father, much less understand what it means to be a man. But fortunately, because of Chionesu Bakari, a lot of them are now learning.”

Check out the article, Chionesu Bakari - From Boys to Men here www.bkreader.com/2014/06/chionesu-bakari-from-boys-to-men/ or from the “News” section on our site (www.youngblackmanonline.org).

Please check our website for the latest information on upcoming events

Upcoming EventsCB in the News

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.

CB Committee News

The Finance Committee is looking for additional members to join. All those with passion for the mission of CB coupled with authenticity and integrity are welcome. Chionesu Bakari’s Finance Committee would love to have your expertise! Please contact Mr. Moore or Rhonda Hartley (email – Rhonda.Hartley@gs.com or 917 287-4245) and let us know your thoughts! From the Special Events Committee: Celebrating with fun, food and fellowship, our end of the 2014 Summer Program. Chionesu Bakari will be having our Family Day BBQ on Saturday, August 16, 2014 at Valley Stream State Park in Belmont, NY.

The Social Media Communications Committee: Check out the new updates to the CB site,visit www.youngblackmanonline.org. Sign up for our mailing list to receive the latest information on news and events within CB.