Youth Summit and Youth Engagement Showcase (Y.E.S.) Fest Planned For Durham
Durham youth ages 6 to 17 and parents are invited to an afternoon of motivation, information, and recreation with the Hayti Reborn – Justice Movement (HR-JM) and the Bull City Athletic Association (BCAA). The organizations are teaming up to co-host the Bulldog’s 5th Annual Youth Summit and HR-JM’s first-ever youth engagement showcase known as Y.E.S. Fest.
Activities will take place Saturday, June 24, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Holton Career and Resource Center, 401 N. Driver Street. Motivational speakers, information tables, entertainment, prizes, and free food are event highlights. Youth talent (groups and individuals) will include musicians, dance groups, martial artists, and cheerleaders.
The featured lineup of motivational speakers is all homegrown testaments to the power of community hope and help to elevate residents experiencing hardship or crisis. Attendees will gain life lessons from: Akeem Judd’s career as an NFL Running back and the hard work and focus it took to realize his dream; Kaye Shell’s inspiring journey of faith, self-forgiveness, and community support while on the road to recovery; Dezrick Dixon’s reflections of growing up in McDougald Terrace and life-saving interventions that ordered and elevated his steps to entrepreneurship as well as musical storytelling about real-life experiences.
“I’m serious about my kids and Durham youth,” states Bull City Athletic Association Director Fred Evans, “and I am so thankful to have the encouragement and support provided by the Justice Movement. “Having spearheaded this Youth Summit for the past five years as a personal mission really, it means a lot that HR-JM stepped up to ensure I would not get weary in well-doing as they say.”
HR-JM Executive Director Steve Chalmers for Programs knows first-hand how the power of community can chart and even change the life trajectory of a young person. “No doubt the village mindset and actions of Durham’s Southside elders groomed and motivated me throughout my childhood to excel beyond society’s low expectations and roadblocks,” says Chalmers who served as Durham’s Police Chief from 2002 to 2007. “Co-hosting this Youth Summit and adding the YES Fest component is an example of how HR-JM aims to help build human services capacity, in this instance for youth-serving organizations.”
About the Host Organizations
Since its founding in 2017, the Bull City Athletic Association (BCAA) continues to positively impact Durham youth, families, and the community. BCAA’s goal is to develop character in young boys and girls from ages six to 14 while learning the fundamentals of basketball, football, and cheerleading. In 2019, Bull City Bulldogs’ Eight and Under Football Team made it to the semifinals of the state championship. Beyond athletics and recreation, Bull City Bulldogs engage in civic, and humanitarian causes to help raise awareness of persistent quality-of-life challenges that impact youth, in particular. In 2019, director Fred Evans co-organized a Triangle “Stop the Violence” rally in downtown Durham to commemorate the life of nine-year-old gun violence victim, Z’Yon Person. Also, under the leadership of Evans, this year marks the fifth annual youth summit hosted by the Bull City Bulldogs.
BCAA’s 2023 season is set to kick off on July 15. Games are played every Saturday at Riverside High School (Durham).
The Hayti Reborn – Justice Movement (HR-JM) is organizing a coalition of community-based and criminal justice organizations, along with members of the community who are eager to partner to stop the cycle of poverty and crime in Durham with a particular focus on underserved and marginalized populations. Serving as a centralized, coordinating resource to fill communication, incentive, trust, and support gaps, HR-JM creates “wrap-around” supports for improved outcomes for our participants, providers, and partners that benefit the community overall. HR-JM is the activation of a blended vision inspired by Durham residents of all walks of life. Administrative operations began in 2022. Client services and programs launched in 2023.