"Small" Things "Big" Lessons

I like to think of myself as a person who is on his way to a successful lifestyle. In thinking back to how I got this way I am reminded of all the things I did when I was in middle and high school that got me to this point. Those are the kinds of things I want to do with Successful Brothers. I would like to take as many of those SMALL things as I can and use them to teach BIG Lessons. Sometimes we don’t realize how important and helpful the little things we do are.
Prefect example, when I was a first year in the Freedom Project Mr. Myers decided to put me on the Wish List. It was a list of all the things that the Freedom Project needed to continue. The list demanded a person who was outspoken and commanding. Two things I was not. The first few people walked passes me and on to the more interesting displays. Eventually I decided that the next person who passed I would talk to them, and I did. A little thing like being forced to take a position I was unaccustomed to gave me confidence to do things I had ever done before. That couple I spoke to was Mr. and Mrs. Hendrix. Years later, when the Freedom Project started a sponsor program where students wrote letters to supports, the Hendrix would request me as the student who wrote them letters. Once again a little thing like being forced to take a position I was unaccustomed to gave me the ability to network. They didn’t have to give me money or anything like that I just wrote them letters. To this day I still have a relationship with the Hendrix though those letters I wrote for 4 years.
Those letters served a different purpose. They kept the Hendrixs updated on what was happening in the Freedom Project and forced me to write often. Once a month I would sit down and write a letter to them. I would have my letter looked over as I watched. The person correcting the letter and myself would go though each line and discuss each mistake. Over time I no longer made those same mistakes in my writing. I became a word smith and very acquainted with my good friends Webster and Thesaurus.
Once again little things like being forced to take a position I was unaccustomed to helped improve my writing.
That’s why I would like to make that same writing sponsorship program in to Successful Brothers. I would like all Successful Brothers to have a sponsor to whom they write letter once a month. My hope is that just as writing letters to the Hendrixs vastly improved my writing skills over the years, these sponsorships will help improve the writing skills of Successful Brothers.
Now all I need are sponsors, people who are willing to get to know a great dedicated young men and Freedom Project updates to volunteer to be the recipients of these letters. From experience I know it is very helpful to the students and I am told that each letter cerates a since of competence, connection, and happiness between the student and you.

Successful Brother
Chris Perkins

The First of Many

Successful following:

It has been a long summer, for Successful Brothers and my self. Let’s see where to start? Last school year, Successful Brothers was introduced to an organization called Youth Venture. Youth Venture is a great opportunity for young individuals across the country to start organizations, promote programs and gain monies for other endeavors. Thought out the end of May Greg McCoy and I filled out applications and actually came up with a concrete plan for officers and positions for older SCFP students involved in Successful Brothers. The process was long and it went well into the summer. The very last part of the process was an interview with me and some of the other Successful Brother officers and members. The timing was actually perfect. It was right in the middle of summer so I was home and already working with the Brothers. On the phone interview was Myself, Successful Brother Donald Moore, Designer and Successful Brother Lukendric Washington, Facilitators Bryan Tucker and Shaq Leflore, and the new Assistant Administrative Arquavious Gordon. So for those of you who know these young men, you know I had a great team to work with. As the phone interview started everyone was nervous but by the time I finished the opening and introductions were done we all knew there was no stopping us. Each of us in the room handled questions directed at our section of the organization flawlessly. Our shining star in the interview was the youngest member in the interview room, Donald Moore who spoke from a student’s view on the program. It’s my belief that it was his heart felt expression of the importance of positive male role modeling and accountability that pushed our jointed efforts in the judge’s favor. That’s right we won!! Successful Brothers is now proud recipient of the Youth Venture start up scholarship. We were awarded $1000 to continue the work that we do for another year. At the end of the summer we got one half on the money, T-Shirts, Business Cards and a host of other thing. Big Thanks to Youth Venture.
As always the most exciting time of the year is when we get to add new member to Successful Brothers. Though out the school and especially during the summer in the Freedom Project. We Successful Brothers notice that there are some young men who belong in a group like Successful Brother. Weather that is because they are excellent students with the right attitude whom we believe would be a great addition to our group or, which is most common case, we believe that this is a group that will benefit them in huge amounts. This year we have invited students at both ends of the spectrum to join us. Congratulations to Successful Brother Reginald Higgins, Successful Brother Makel Hamer, ( great nephew of Civil Rights heron Fannie Lou Hamer) I had to mention that,, and Successful Brother Ashton Parnell. These are the newest members of the Successful Brothers’ brotherhood. With our current members Michel Burse, Frankie Brown, Fred Hannah, and Donald Moore, Lukendric Washington, Greg McCoy all our new officers and my self, that make a grand total of 13 Successful Brothers. Were moving on up!
With our new grant and our new members, our Freedom Project ally Greg McCoy and I took all of the Successful Brothers on our very first trip. We traveled to Jackson, MS on our first Successful Mission, to bond as brothers. The Brothers played team building games and discussed issues of brotherhood, manhood, conformity, accountability, and positive music. The day ended with Thai Food. It was a great day and just the start to a wonder year of SB firsts.

Successful Brother Perkins