Berea College Visits the SCFP

There are many great ways to spend your spring break, and students at Berea College came up with quite a few of them. But there is nothing more fulfilling than giving back to a community that is in need. Students Christian Motley and Chris Perkins with the help of Black Cultural Center Director Tashia Bradley work to plan an Alternative Spring Break to the small rural town of Sunflower, Mississippi to help teach at a year round after school academic enrichment organization called the Sunflower County Freedom Project (Freedom Project). Sunflower County is 63% African American and has one of the lowest ranking educational systems in Mississippi which is what brought the founders if the Freedom Project to that area. Perkins a 3^rd year African and African American Studies major at Berea College who grew up in Sunflower and is a 2006 graduate of the Freedom Project said he wishes to continue to work with the Freedom Project because he believes “the freedom Project has done so much for me as a student and a person. I firmly believe I would not be at student at Berea had it not been for my involvement in the Sunflower County Freedom Project.” Perkins went on to say that he felt it was his responsibility to work to ensure that the Freedom Project continues to do the great work it does in the Mississippi Delta, “that’s why I organized this trip.”

Seeking to build corps of academically capable, socially conscious, and mentally disciplined young leader in the Mississippi Delta, the Freedom Project was founded in 1998 by Teach For America veteran Chris Myers-Asch and is modeled after the 1964 Freedom Schools of that area. Students in this program commit to the concepts of service, leadership, individuality and hard work as well as six years of Study Sessions, Saturday Schools, and six weeks of Summer Academics each summer. The ultimate goal of the Freedom Project is to help its students get into a four year institution of their choice upon high school graduation. Once students enroll in the program they are expected to attend one of four nightly study sessions a week where they do homework, work on projects, or work on assignments given by Freedom Project staff. These assignments usually are due at the Freedom Project’s weekly Saturday Schools where students work exclusively for the Freedom Project. These assignments consist of ACT/SAT prep, current events/ writing, and reading classes. In the 10 years the organization has been active in the Delta it as sent students to Howard University, University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill, Rust College, Mississippi State, Berea College, and a host of other universities.

This past Spring Break eight Berea College students and facility members traveled to the catfish ponds of the Mississippi Delta to donate their time and experiences with the staff and students of the Freedom Project. When asked what the Center needed the most the Freedom Project responded that the one thing the students and the community needed the most was a computer lad. The organization had been serving 50 students with access to less than 20 working computers. So the Berea College students set out to make their wish a reality. The group worked all semester to raise money and gather the materials needed to make their visit a success, and when it was time to depart they had gathered 6 complete desktops to take with them. A gift the Freedom accepted thankfully.

The Berea Group which consisted of students Christian Motley, Anna Rafferty, Chris Perkins, Charles Badger, Gerald Fitts, and Jedidiah Amica and Black Cultural Center Director Tashia Bradley did not stop with computers, they also participated in Study Sessions and taught the students they kinds of students that Berea College has to offer. Perkins recalls “My favorite part of the trip was no the mural we painted or the computers Anna got, it was when we were talking to the students about Berea and one of my students, Mr. Gillespie, whispered my name and said ‘Berea’ and gave me a thumbs up. I knew we were doing good work then.” The Berea Students left the Freedom Project with a clean storage room, a task easier said than done, a new mural on their ceiling, half a dozen computers and a new appreciation for Berea College. Christian Motley a senior African and African American Studies major said one of his favorite moments was when one the Freedom project students stopped him and explained how much she admired the amount of pride all the Berea students had in their school. After all the hard work was done the Berea got to experience some of the famous Delta Culture. They visited the B.B King museum, a catfish farm, and learn about the Civil Rights History of the Mississippi Delta. All in All it was a wholesome heartwarming experience.

For more information on the Sunflower County Freedom Project visit their web site at www.sunflowerfreedom.org or contact Greg McCoy 662-569-2441/ 662-736-0213.

As you remember I traveled to Ghana almost a year ago. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I remember watching the plane land in the dark of the Ghanaian night. The ground sparkled with light and buildings; I could have been landing in Greenville. Strangely enough that’s how it felt. I felt like I was landing in a place familiar to me. Not because I had been there before, but because of the anticipation and the preparation. Because of all the time we had spent learning about the country and the experiences I expected to have. While we were there we travelled to many of their major cities, learned about their understandings of Christianity, their concept of dance and music, and took part in their cultural practices. All of which I don’t have time to go into here.

But the most memorable section of the trip for me was our visit to the village of Abrobino. Unlike the cities we visited most of the people in Abrobino did not speak English, which made our stay there interesting. We had translators for the adults but by the end of our stay there we did not need them. We communicated though gestures: pointing and touching. It was amazing. We did not speak the same language but it appeared and felt like we did not have a language barrier. We never had a translator for the kids. When we arrived scores of children surrounded the bus and there was not a moment we were in the village that each of us didn’t have at least five children holding our hands. One day I was walking with those kids all around me and my mind drifted back to the Freedom Project. I knew that that summer would be the first summer since sixth grade that I would be spending away from the Freedom Project and I reflected on the reasons that was. Somewhere along my Freedom Project journey I had lost track of why I worked there. I had forgotten why I loved being a teacher and why I went back every year. Something happen that changed that. And even though I only spent a few days with the children in that village I found myself connecting with them and being excited to see them. The same is true with all the kids I work with now. At school I teach Gymnastics to kids twice a week and I find that the days I go teach them are the happiest days of my week. I love seeing them around Berea and I love the feeling I get when they hug me good bye or want to sit beside me in class. All of it reminds me of the feelings I used to get in the Freedom Project. And the feeling I wanted back. Ghana put me back on track to finding that thing. That’s the most important thing I brought back with me.

Onward and Foward

The time has come!! The biggest learning experience of my college career has come. In just a few days I will embark on yet another unmatchable journey. I say another because in the past I have had many experiences, journeys, that have contributed to the person who writes these blog entries today. Each of those journeys, though never easy, often depressing, occasionally world shattering, and sometimes painful those journeys always ended with me becoming a better more rounded person. Now the next episode in my never ending life of experiences is about to begin. On January 3rd I along with 22 of my classmates will be traveling to Ghana, West Africa to study a culture that has influenced the most powerful nations in the World.

There are few things that I enjoy studying about more than the History of African Americans in this country. These are a people who have survived 300 years of slavery, 100 years of Jim Crow segregation, and the racial discrimination and slave mentality that still exist in our government and our mindsets today. There is not a more profound or inspiring history than that of the African American history. This is why I and so excited about this trip and the opportunity to study the history of African American before they enter this country. More importantly, as always it is an opportunity for those under me to gain the knowledge of that inspiring history that I will return with.
It is because of that inspiring history that I have come to the point in my life that I am at now. In my year and a half as a college student I have learn that college is a place where you find out what truly interests you. A person can never completely plan there life in college because he/she never knows what will happen next. Some of you may have known that I am registered as a psychology major. I did and I still do find psychology interesting but it is not what I am interested in. Every semester I have taken an African American history class and that is what I am truly interested in. So that is my new major. I am no longer a psychology major; I decided that I should study what I was truly interested in. Once again life journeys have opened my eyes to something that didn’t know about myself and my future.
Thanks to everyone who made this next Journey, Journey to Ghana, possible your denotations support, and guidance makes these things possible.

Thanks
Successful Brother
Perkins

Ghana! Enough said.

"We come this way but once. We can either tiptoe through life and hope that we get to death without being too badly bruised or we can live a full, complete life achieving our goals and realizing our wildest dreams."
- Bob Proctor

The most rewarding experience of my life was when I stepped into the doors of the Freedom Project's LEAD center for the first time as a teacher. Since that first summer a passion has grown inside my heart for the students of the Freedom Project. There is nothing that makes me happier than teaching them.

This year I have been offered a once in a life time opportunity to continue passing on knowledge in this way. I recently found that Berea College has accepted me as once of the applicants who will be traveling to Ghana for the entire month of January 2008. The trip was created to teach students about their history prior to slavery and how it reflects in America today. Also, there is a focus on African-American males and the values of manhood in Africa, which creates the perfect opportunity to continue my teaching. So you can understand the value of this trip to my personal development and the mental and social development of all my students.


I plan to document my trip through videos and journal entries, which I'll post to the blog after I return. It is my hope that all who visit this blog will take away everything I took away from Ghana.

The approximate cost of the trip is $4000 and so far I've received a good bit of it in grants and donations from incredible individuals, who are both supporters of myself and the Freedom Project. I'm almost there and I've included a list of the specific ways the total cost breaks down, so that if you choose to help, you can decide where and what your money will go to.

• $500 - Housing and Food
• $250- Guest Lectures or Ground Transportation (Your choice)
  
• $190- Inoculations or Passport (Your choice again)
• $100- Excursions and Cultural Events
• $22.00- Student ID Card
• $12.50- Insurance
• $5- Books
  

Every little bit helps and trust me, all contributions make a difference.
Thank you for your support in building up my life and thank you for helping me to learn and allowing me to live and grow. My success is your success and my accomplishments are because of you. Thank you!

Chris Perkins
SCFP Class of '06
Second Year Student, Berea College
Founder, Successful Brothers
brothersofsuccess@gmail.com

Send all contributions to :

CPO 1081

101 Chestnut St.

Berea, KY 40404

"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

Progression

This week has been one of progression. Last weekend I was invited to Wisconsin as a part of a conference with Chris Myers Asch. Mr. Myers is in the process of creating an Academy dedicated to Public Service, The U.S Public Service Academy. I have to admit at first I was greatly intimated. When I got there I was by far the youngest person there. My first encounter with the other participants of the conference did not go as well as Mr. Myers or I had planned. But the next day was great. I jumped in the conversations and found I had a valid point and something to contribute to planning of the academy. It was a great weekend and I got to see the process by which a university gets created. Always give your best effort; you’ll never know what you’ll get out of it. I founded out that older people enjoy hearing the voice of a younger generation.
Speaking of always doing you best, last week I had one of the biggest shocks of my first college year so far. I was awarded the Carter G. Woodson Award. It was completely unexpected. Carter G. Woodson is a Berea graduate who is created with founding Black History Month and doing amazing thing for African Americans. The Carter G. Award, as its called here at Berea, is awarded to Berea College students who “{are} outstanding…students who have shown academic promise, demonstrated a commitment to interracial education, and have followed the legacy of Dr. Cater G. Woodson.” For those of you who came to visit me in November, you remember Dean Browner who spoke to you about Berea College. Dean Browner was the person who nominated me for the award and I hear she wrote an amazing nomination letter. So Thanks to Dean Browner from Successful Brothers!
The best part about receiving this award was that I was not expecting it. Dean Browner nominated me without prompting from me or anyone else. The students and staff who voted from me did so without know anything about me aside from what Dean Browner wrote, which was not even my full name. Sometimes we get the best things with out expecting or even aspiring for them. The best award you can get, you get for just being yourself. There is on need to do thing because you know you’ll get rewarded or praised for it. Successful Brothers should always be themselves and let praise and awards come to them naturally. If you are the young men I believe you can be, they will.
Good Luck Successful Brothers!

Successful Brother
Mr. Perkins