Am I My Brothers Keeper

Welcome, Good afternoon

am I my brother's keeper

from a very early age. I've been passionate about helping others.

I begin this journey and by playing with my dolls or dollies,

which I call them reading to my dolls,

teach them mathematics and even scolding them when they didn't listen to me.

Um, I'm the eldest of four Children.

I was raised in Albany new york and for the first seven years of my life I was basically

alone playing playing with my dolls because my brother

didn't come along until I was seven years old.

So they were my guinea pigs and I practiced daily

on on how to provide them the best education possible.

At 14 years old, I finally found a job at a community center in orbit.

E working with elementary school kids and I

continue to teach young kids at that time,

helping them with mathematics and science and

other areas in their lives that they need to support.

Um, but I was afraid,

I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing

and I always wanted to provide the young people,

um,

was excellence because that was something that I knew was

important and that they needed at that particular time.

But I can no longer be afraid.

I knew that whatever I was capable or given to

them that they were appreciative because I gave from my,

from my heart.

And then I question myself, where did this passion come from?

And

in the beginning, I wasn't really sure.

Then I realized that passion for helping others came from my father.

Um,

I followed in his footsteps, not as much as he did in civil rights, but I

continue to follow in his footsteps, helping

those who live in an age who

at times felt disenfranchised.

So my dad and some of his friends um in orbit in new york,

they started an organization called the Brothers

um this organization

Which they started began in 1966 and then lasted until the late 70s.

Um so I spent a lot of time with my my dad and the brothers, I call them all monks,

but they aren't

my biological uncles, but they,

they've provided me and helped me to become the person that I am today.

So they provided me with different skills and outlooks on life

and showed me that we all are capable of making a difference in the lives of

those who don't always feel that others are

out there to really provide them with support.

So I would spend time with my dad and the brothers and their

offices just listening and watching and

observing their interaction with community leaders,

with individuals in the community with politicians

and they fought,

they fought on the streets of Organ E non violently to help those in need.

So if we think about that particular time in history, we know that

In the 1960s and prior to that, that people of colour were not treated fairly.

So during that particular time the brothers can no longer take it.

Um so they fought for the rights of individuals african

americans and poor communities in orbit in new york,

so they wanted to make sure that individuals receive proper education,

fair employment opportunities, decent housing,

I want to make sure that the sanitation department was picking up

their garbage in their particular area because that was not happening.

So I knew at that particular point in my life that I was destined

to be

a leader,

to be an educator, to be an advocate to help those

in need.

So my father was a role model. My my chunks were a role model for me.

Um even though a lot of those, those men are no longer here,

I remember everything that they taught me,

I recall and I watched them get out there and fight for the rights of others.

And

it was scary at times

because we knew that

um

a lot of people back then didn't always think before they react,

they would take out their guns and they would begin to

harm people of color or

throw them in jail. But

my father and his friends knew that

the fight for equality and justice for all was something that was in their hearts and

going to continue to fight no matter

what it took.

Like I said earlier, they were,

they were always nonviolent and they were out in the streets in Albany

working with local politicians to make sure that

they gave to not just one particular community,

but they gave to all communities.

Um so the brothers fought against discrimination in housing.

Um they wanted to make sure that african americans had,

they have decent housing,

they wanted to make sure that sanitation was

picking up the garbage in those particular communities.

So I remember my, my dad shared that in one particular incident um

and communities of colors in this particular neighborhood,

um there was garbage just stone all all over the streets and sanitation.

The sanitation department at that time was not

picking up garbage in african american communities.

So what my dad and his friends did, what the brothers did, they,

they were able to galvanize, galvanize people in the community

to clean up those particular areas and they

filled all these garbage bags and about 50 60

70 garbage bags and they took it and they threw it on the steps of City Hall.

So they were sending a message to the mayor to let

him know that we will no longer take this anymore,

that we are going to continue to fight and advocate for the rights of all.

We want to make sure that everyone in America is treated fairly adjusting.

So that's where I am today.

That's why I'm

passionate

about helping others

because of what I observed

what I saw

with my own eyes and my dad and his friends um interacting with others and

getting things that they needed to get in order to help those in need.

I've listened

and that stuff I carried with me throughout my

career as an educator.

So today I know

educator,

I'm a mother,

I'm a wife,

I'm an advocate for those in the

so am I my brother's keeper.

I am my brother's keeper.

And I just want everyone to remember that.

It's very important for us to help those

because when we help others, we enrich our lives.

Please talk.

Am I My Brothers Keeper

Chapters

Audio TranscriptAuto-generated