Guest Blog Post by Krystle Okafor of My Brother’s Keeper Philadelphia

My Brother’s Keeper Philadelphia is committed to closing opportunity and achievement gaps for Philadelphia’s young men and boys of color.

In our Action Plan, we have outlined an extensive cradle-to-college-and-career strategy that will enable the City to bridge these huge divides. Guided by Mayor Kenney’s commitment to creating opportunity in every neighborhood, we are working with Philadelphia’s social, governmental, and private sectors to bring about change. Ensuring that all youth have the opportunity to reach their full potential will require no less.

While we have our eyes on large-scale solutions, we have not forgotten about the individual youth who inspire our work.

As winter turns to spring, we are marking three momentous occasions: Black History Month, the second anniversary of the national My Brother’s Keeper campaign, and the first anniversary of the My Brother’s Keeper Philly Action Plan. We could not think of a better way to celebrate than to elevate the voices of our youth.

The following are reflections from some of Philly’s best and brightest on their vision for social and racial equity in Philadelphia.

Tamir Harper

“My vision is that our education system in Philadelphia and beyond is equal. Many youth that attend the neighborhood schools are young men and women of color. I also hope to see community policing in our neighborhoods. We need the community, especially African Americans, to feel safe in the communities they live in. We also need the city and our communities to know that Black youth are the present and are not the future.”

Bryan Johnson

“I think more interaction with different races will help social and racial equity. I went to a high school with just about every different race there is and that helped me to understand how few differences we have. The only way to understand each other is to spend time with each other. Just as some employers think that people with a criminal history can’t be successful in the working world, how can we say that statement is true unless they give a person a chance? I don’t think somebody’s mistakes in the past should keep them from employment. Some people learn from every mistake and have no intentions on making them again. If somebody is qualified for a position they should have an equal opportunity, no matter their race or criminal history.”

 Akeem Lloyd

“On the occasion of Black History Month, my vision for social and racial equity in Philadelphia is to be able to see both men and women of color afforded the same opportunities, the same access to; education, employment, healthcare, (free) enrichment programs, and resources such as public services. My hope is that, every day, the City of Philadelphia gets another step closer to re-claiming the title of ‘Brotherly Love.’

I have had the honor and the privilege to serve as a featured presenter during the MBK Philly Summit. The opportunity to share my story at the MBK Philly Summit means a lot to me for several reasons. I grew up in a very silent household when it comes to sharing your feelings. We didn’t talk about love, no one gave hugs and so for 18 years I remained silent. Poetry is what broke that silence; it gave me the confidence to own my voice, to embrace my story. There are a lot of students in Philly who have yet to find the confidence to embrace their story, who have yet to be empowered to own their own voice, and so I dedicate my efforts into doing everything that I can as a mentor, speaker, and friend to inspire our young people to claim what is theirs. I know what it feels like to be voiceless, they shouldn’t have to.

During my presentation I asked the crowd to say ‘You Matter’ to the person sitting next to you because it was important that we created a safe space for everyone who was in attendance. To remind them that we do value their person. We are at a time in our country where solidarity and community needs to be embraced more.

I pray that with more opportunities, I’ll be able to reach more of our young people, inspiring them to reach more of their peers, creating a ripple of hope and togetherness that will allow us all to get one step closer to strengthening our community. I am just an extension of Ida B. Wells, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Marian Anderson, Tamir Rice, Greg Corbin, Jeff Joseph, Virgil Sheppard and others who have committed to doing this work.

Thank you MBK Philly. I am My Brother’s Keeper.”