ISSUE 070

NEW VISION IN BUSINESS

DIVERSITY HAS A NAME: OBAMA PRESIDENT OBAMA COMING TO OFFICE HAD A RIPPLE EFFECT ON CORPORATE AMERICA

GAME CHANGERS ONCE YOU HOLD THE TITLE THE WORK BEGINS BRAND SOCIALIZING BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS ItIt TakesTakes aa VillageVillage KHARY LAZARRE WHITE IS LEADING BROTHERHOOD/SISTER SOL

IN THE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT BUSINESS

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE

KHARY LAZARRE WHITE IS LEADING BROTHERHOOD/ SISTER SOL IN THE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT BUSINESS WORDS: MEGAN SCOTT • IMAGES: HAL HANSEN

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NVDecJan.indd 38 1/25/11 7:57 AM It was a building she passed nearly every day. But Zora Howard never bothered to venture inside the Harlem brownstone until the summer after her freshman year in high school when she was looking for something to do.

Howard quenched her curiosity about the gram, which started as The Brotherhood, to members round-the-clock, seven days colorful building that seemed out of place graduate high school at twice the rate a week. in the neighborhood when she joined of a similar population in New York The Brotherhood/Sister Sol’s Liberation City, according to one of the founders. Many of the youth are from poor back- program, which trains young people to be Graduates of the program have gone on grounds, such as Antwon Allen, 21, who community leaders. What was supposed to become engineers, registered nurses, grew up in the Drew Hamilton projects in to be a summer has turned into years published writers and business owners, Harlem. Now a junior at Howard University with the organization and has taken her says associate director Cidra Sebastien, studying civil engineering, Allen first got to Brazil, inspired her to work with young 31, of Brooklyn. involved with the organization when he

people, and instilled in her a sense of “I Since it was incorporated in 1995, Bro/ was in the eighth grade. He met his future IT TAKES A can do anything.” Sis—as it’s called—has helped hundreds of chapter leader, Jacques Louis, on the bas- VILLAGEyouth, sending them on month-long inter- ketball court. Once after a game, Louis told Now 17, Howard, a freshman at Yale, calls national excursions, teaching them Pan- all of the boys to link arms and shout out the building her second home. “Once African and Latino history, developing their “Brotherhood.” you join, you’re part of a family,” Howard leadership skills, offering college guidance, says. “It’s a part of your life from that academic tutoring and internships. It’s a Allen was moved. “That definitely empow- point on.” holistic approach, one that even offers free ered me and I could believe in stuff. I could legal representation to young people who have pride in myself. I could trust in people.” The Program run afoul of the law. Through the program, Allen has also trav- While there are many organizations with The organization, which has a waiting eled—to Ghana and Brazil. He has also programs designed to reverse the chal- list, works with 250 youth a year, ages gone on numerous wilderness retreats, lenges facing black and Latino youth, The seven-to-22 and offers six-year rites- and, during high school, went on two Brotherhood/Sister Sol non-profit organi- of-passage programs, after-school pro- college tours. He also helped design the zation seems to have found a formula that gramming, summer camps and home organization’s community garden while works. Members of the 15-year-old pro- counseling. Staff members are available learning about botany.

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Brotherhood wilderness retreat

He admits before Bro/Sis, he had never “This organization is a haven,” says all but one of the young men away from even heard of the Scholastic Aptitude board member Nicole Valentine-Moody, criminal behavior and back to school. Test—better known as the SAT. Now he is 33, president and chief strategy officer the first person in his family on his moth- for Synergy Business Development Inc., The seed for The Brotherhood was planted. er’s side to go to college. At Bro/Sis he whose office is in Harlem. “When young “We felt literally something had to be done to had a voice for the first time. “We would people need help getting into colleges, help young men survive,” Lazarre-White says. sit in group circles and have discussions,” when they need help with transportation “We felt we had an innovative approach.” he says. “Our opinions were respected. around the city, when they need help They’re very willing to listen to you no finding an internship or a job, we as the The two brought the successful to matter what you have to say. They’re will- board are ambassadors making sure we New York City in 1995 and incorporated ing to help you.” provide the resources and opportunities The Brotherhood as a non-profit organiza- for that to be possible.” tion. They started with 45 young men in The Team two public schools – one was Warwin’s The program works because of the leader- former high school, Central Park East in There’s no doubt that Bro/Sis has ship, she says. This is beyond a career for East Harlem, and over the next three years, achieved more than many other non- them. It’s a calling. “I think when you see they hired additional staff and doubled the profits. Besides a four-floor building, your work as a life service, you find a way to number of young people in the program. there’s a 24-member board of directors feed the community and you eat last.” That’s Warwin has since moved to Brazil and that includes a former Wall Street Journal a salute to the organization’s founders. recently started two Brotherhood chapters reporter, the general counsel for Gospel outside the city of Salvador de Bahia. Music Channel (gmc) television network Khary Lazarre-White and his childhood and an advertising sales executive for friend Jason Warwin conceived the idea The Brotherhood expanded to include MTV Networks. Even more impressive of Bro/Sis when they were seniors at sisters, under the direction of Susan are the 16 full-time staff members who Brown University in 1994. They started Wilcox, in 1998. Wilcox now coordinates go through a rigorous interview process with 15 Latino and African American Liberating Voices/Liberating Minds, the before they are hired. One third of the males on the south side of Providence, organization’s publications and profes- staff are alums of the program, which RI, at the John Hope Community Center. sional development initiative. speaks to the organization’s success. Within one year, they had helped steer The organization purchased its building in

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NVDecJan.indd 40 1/25/11 7:57 AM BroSis students meet with Sister Sol students at wilderness retreat Archbishop Tutu in South Africa

Sister Sol students push BroSis students are caretakers for this community Students join drum ceremony in Brazil past their limits on retreat garden adjacent to their Harlem building

1999 and moved into the renovated brown- fortable in the space they walk around fondest memories of the program was in stone the following year. It bought the adja- without shoes. Ghana, when her peers helped her climb cent lot in 2007 to construct a 16,000 square- behind the Wli waterfalls – she’s not a foot building. Bro/Sis is also the steward for “As soon as I went there, people were smil- good swimmer – and sit on the rocks. Like the lot on the opposite side, which is one of ing at me, open and wanting to know who I Howard, Jean-Charles, a senior at Wesleyan the city’s “Greenthumb Gardens.” was. I felt comfortable,” Allen says. University in Connecticut, started with the Sebastien says the program’s success for- Liberation program in 2004. She now facili- The building is a welcoming place—not just mula is relatively simple. “They know they tates the program in the summer, teaching in terms of the environment but also the staff, will always have a group of people who will young people about activism. Jean-Charles, says associate director Wendy DeJesus. A have their back,” she says of the youth. “So whose family is originally from Haiti, said young person comes in the door, gets hugs whether it’s someone who is going to give the Liberation program “widened my view and is asked, “How was your day?” Staff them the ‘hip-hip hooray’ when they’ve on how much the world needed help, how members are genuinely interested in the done well, or someone who is going to much black and Latinos especially needed response. give them the foot in the behind, they know help.” She decided to major in African they can speak to folks about anything and American studies and hopes to get a doc- Inside the 4,000-square-foot building are a everything. People want to help you and do torate in Africana studies. teen lounge adorned with pennants from the what’s in your best interest.” colleges that alums have attended, a technol- “I think one of the primary things it did is ogy center, a black and Latino history library, Paul Butler, 41, general counsel for gmc tele- to help me believe in myself and what I can a mind, body and spirit room for yoga, box- vision network and chair of the board says do as a young person, as a black woman, ing and arts and crafts. The thick walls are of the founders: “To their credit, their vision as a child of immigrants,” she says. “It covered with artwork from alums and donors, for how the organization was going to be dif- helped me realize my life goal of helping inspirational quotes and posters. ferent and also make a difference was clear.” oppressed people in whatever way I can.”

Next door, the garden has crops that are The Impact The Funds used in the children’s meals, a green- house, a gazebo and a climbing wall all Bro/Sis is like a family, says Marsha DeJesus, who has been working with the built by students. Students are so com- Jean-Charles, 22, of Brooklyn. One of her organization for 10 years, reinforces the

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notion that the staff makes the difference. gramming (Lazarre-White and Warwin Roland Martin and actress Joy Bryant was “We really care about the whole individu- stayed with family). Over the next year, a presenter. al—not just about ‘Let me make sure this they raised $170,000. Their friends and child is doing well in school,’” she says. “I families connected them with influential “There are not that many groups that are always feel like one of the things people leaders; they met with board members working with black and brown children, need are other adults outside their family from several foundations. The success— doing it with a full-time staff and achieving to better support them.” higher GPAs and now college-bound results,” says Lazarre-White. “Because of young men—helped them to secure that, we’re able to get some of the funding While Bro/Sis has been featured on more funding. we need. We still have to struggle very hard “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “NBC to raise it.” Nightly News” and in other media out- The organization’s big annual fundraiser

Khary Lazarre White with Harry Belafonte, Esmeraldoa Co-founders Khary Lazarre White and Santiago and Charles Ogletree at Voices benefit gala Jason Warwin with Oprah Some retreat fun

lets, including the New York Times and is a dinner/awards show called Voices. For example, not enough money was raised Essence magazine and on more than Last year it honored Harry Belafonte, to go to Ghana last year, Jean-Charles says. 50 national and local radio programs, For the international trips, the students are Lazarre-White, an attorney with a law “At its core, our approach supposed to raise $300 of the $3,500 cost degree from Yale, doesn’t encourage and attend weekly workshops for six months everyone to start a non-profit. The is about helping to learn about the history, the people and the program costs $2 million a year to run, culture of the place they are planning to visit. which requires a full-time effort. young people develop While fundraising is easily the biggest “I think a lot of people think of it as a a moral and ethical challenge, Lazarre-White remains deeply side-hustle,” says Lazarre-White. “A lot of committed to growing the program. It’s no time folks: celebrities, artists and actors code­—a guide by which surprise considering he was raised by activ- don’t realize it’s a full operation. It’s a ist-parents in Manhattan who took an inter- non-profit organization, just like a for- to live their lives.” est in politics, such as women’s rights and profit business.” the Civil Rights Movement. His father has Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree worked in government for 40 years, serv- Funding for the first year was $20,000— and author, screenwriter and essayist ing as New York City commissioner of labor a grant, which paid salaries and pro- Esmeralda Santiago. The host was CNN’s services and personnel and New York state

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NVDecJan.indd 42 1/25/11 7:57 AM commissioner of human rights—among The Inspiration a billion-dollar company. She used to other positions. As a child, he attended accompany her father on his philanthrop- demonstrations with his parents. During The program gets support from people ic missions and she herself has been the summer, he coached basketball for who in particular want to help black and donating to the organization for years. Harlem youth. Latino males, two groups that suffer She now works to find new sponsors. higher incarceration and dropout rates He has edited several Bro/Sis books, than their white counterparts. One of “At its core, our approach is about including “The Brotherhood Speaks,” those was DaMond Taylor, 40, a chapter helping young people develop a moral “Voices of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol” leader and after-school program facilita- and ethical code—a guide by which to and “Off the Subject: The Words of the tor who works with young men ages live their lives,” says Lazarre-White. Lyrical Circle of The Brotherhood/Sister 16-to-18. “This guide allows them to make good

Two of the liberating voices of BroSis share poetry

Sol” (collections of young people’s writ- The biggest challenge he says is keeping decisions and become strong women ings). This year alone, he has addressed them inspired. “Getting them to be con- and men.” dozens of organizations, including a black scious about decisions that they make, men’s think tank, and audiences at the following through on anything from Howard says she wishes she had walked University of Florida, Harvard University school to showing up for meetings, mak- inside the building earlier. But she is thank- and Educational Testing Services (ETS). ing sure they’re getting their school work ful her curiosity prodded her to open the done,” Taylor says. “Another challenge is door. She thought it was going to be a To help spread its success, Bro/Sis really getting at the heart of the matter, summer thing, but it turned into a lifetime. has trained more than 350 educators whatever’s holding them back. A lot of it from more than 60 schools and non- is a lack of confidence that things can be “It just put things in perspective,” she says. profits across the country. It has pub- different, that they can make things dif- “I guess if all you’ve been exposed to is lished its curriculum, in 2006 “Brother, ferent for themselves.” where you are, then it’s very easy to get Sister, Leader: The Official Curriculum caught up in thinking the only thing that of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol,” and in Christina Lewis, 30, a new board member exists is your immediate community, the 2009, “Why Did This Happen: Content, who wrote for the Wall Street Journal, people on your block, down your block. Perspective, Dialogue: A Workshop has been a consistent supporter. She There’s a lot of world out there.” nv Model for Developing Young people’s is the daughter of the late Reginald F. Reflective Writing.” Lewis, the first African American to build Megan Scott is a freelance writer. She is based in Melbourne, FL.

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