Community

College Bound Brotherhood Celebrates Success of Young Black Men

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

A group of nearly 200 young Black men stood before family, friends, and the community ready to embark on their next journey in life on June 9 at the College Bound Brotherhood Graduation at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland.

The annual graduation was hosted by the Kapor Center for Social Impact, College Futures Foundation and the Marcus Foster Education Fund.

The College Bound Brotherhood, established in 2008, seeks to increase the college readiness, access, and persistence of African American young men from the San Francisco Bay Area, and supports them throughout college.

During the ceremony, the young men were recognized for their achievements in high school and also received scholarships from College Futures Foundation to help with their college tuition.

Each graduate announced the college they will be attending in the fall and were presented with kente stoles. The list of institutions included: UCLA, Howard University, San Francisco State University, Tuskegee University, California State University East Bay, Sonoma State University, and Morehouse College, to name a few.

Frederick Hutson, founder of tech company Pigeonly, delivered a keynote to the graduates. David Thomas, a former Brotherhood student who graduated from Howard University this spring, also shared some inspiring and encouraging words with the young men.

For the graduates, this is just the beginning, and the outpour of support from the Brotherhood for them makes a difference.

“I wasn’t really sure how I was going to pay for college, but Brotherhood provided me with some of the funds to get to college,” said Kelton Runnels, a graduate of McClymonds High School who will attend University of La Verne this fall.

He said of being honored at the graduation, “It felt good because it felt like I was supported and that nobody wanted to see me fail.”

Malik Stills-Bey, having graduated from Oakland Technical High School, will attend Southern University this fall and plans to major in mechanical engineering and minor in business.

Speaking with the Post on the Brotherhood program, Stills-Bey said, “It gives me pride in what I’m doing with my education. It helps me so that I can evolve and be successful and be proud of what I’m doing.”

“And, knowing that I have a support system that I can go to at any time so that they can help me, or just looking to my brothers and just trying to inspire young brothers around Oakland and the Bay Area to do better,” he added.

Some nonprofit partners with the Brotherhood program are Alive and Free, Omega Boys Club in San Francisco, East Oakland Youth Development Center, Youth Radio, The Hidden Genius Project, Parents Connected in Antioch, and Striving Black Brothers Coalition at Chabot College.

“All of this is wrapping support around their journey through school,” said Cedric Brown, Chief of Philanthropy with the Kapor Center. “Our partner nonprofit organizations are also starting to build up their alumni network so that they remain in touch with these young men as they move through school – such as EOYDC, Alive and Free. We’re trying to get everybody to have a long view and to provide that support.”

“We want the graduates to know that their opportunities are limitless,” said Justin Davis, Program Officer with College Bound Brotherhood. “The education process never stops, so continue learning, continue challenging yourself.”

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

7 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.