A new community group is pulling together to improve Rockford by making life better for its young minority residents. About one hundred people showed up for the organizational meeting for the My Brother’s Keeper initiative.
The idea is to bring community groups together to team up on issues such as violence and educational shortfalls. Matthew Simpson is a co-leader in Rockford’s effort to answer the call from the White House:
“It’s going to take some shared ownership. I think people have to see themselves in the solution.”
Simpson says after talking with a lot of participants, he sees the meeting as a strong first step.
“They say it was good to see so many black men in a room of different walks of life, of different professional representations, intent on supporting boys and men of color.”
Angelique Little was one of the very few “young people” in the room. She’s a student at Roosevelt Alternative High School: her mission? To help others write music dealing with community concerns like domestic violence, suicide, and bullying.
Participants shared what their churches, organizations, and businesses are doing to help the cause. Police officers and firefighters talked about their programs that give young people a taste of public service careers. Roosevelt High School student Jermaine Robinson runs a ministry called Dance To Make Change.
He plans to stay involved by continuing to go to these meetings as well as following up with people he met Thursday.
My Brother’s Keeper organizers will put their “action team” to work next. They’ll look for more ways to connect Rockford’s young people to the right mentors to move them forward.
