Hello

I was born and raised in Newark, Jersey during the crack epidemic of the 90s. When I was a child, I saw adults shooting heroin and crack in their veins in order to escape the open-air prison they felt they was trapped in. I never met my father and the men around me were not the best role models. Therefore, I had to define what being a man was early in my lifetime and vowed to be positive force in my community when I grew up. 

 

In 2020, I purchased my first home in my hometown, Newark and saw that there was a lot of brothers outside standing around. Some were dealing drugs, while others in a daze.  To their surprise I approached them and introduced myself. They were shocked to learn that a black man around their age was able to purchase a home. A lot of them couldn’t believe it. Over the course of several months, I helped some of the brothers obtain temporary housing, taught them about real estate, and financial guidance. I soon discovered that this was not enough by a long shot. So, I called up some influential brothers I knew from college and brainstormed how to create a pipeline from the streets to opportunities such as apprenticeships or entrepreneurship. 

 

I am proud to say the organization is doing great work, but it is not enough. Not until every brother in Newark, New Jersey realizes the greatness laying dormant within them. No brother is left behind in our organization and as the late great Donny Hathaway stated, “He Aint Heavy, He’s My Brother.” 

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So let's continue to do the work and build a better nation where all brothers can thrive and be seen.