 Good evening. I'm Wendy Kohler, and I'm very happy to be here with you, and I'm glad to be the board member of the president-elect. It's my pleasure, it's our pleasure, to welcome you this evening. I'm just going to say a few words before we have a blessing and begin dinner. When asked about how this life might have been different for or not for a better chance, a former governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patra, who is most of you I'm sure know, was an ABC scholar who attended Northern Academy coming to Massachusetts from Chicago. He said, quote, I think you have to be able to imagine a better future before you can reach for it. Thanks to a better chance, he said, I've been able to imagine a whole new world. This room tonight is full of dreamers. The dreamers who imagined a better future for themselves who are our scholars, current and past. The dreamers who imagined all that it would take to create and sustain an ABC program here in Amherst. If you are more than dreamers, you are doers. You all and so many others have demonstrated the conviction, the determination, the endurance, the stamina, all that it takes to make this program what it has been, what it is and what it will continue to be. I also want to particularly our more scholars, the president and past, for having the courage to leave your homes, to come to our community, and to take the opportunities and to have the imagination that it takes and the courage to make this happen. So we all look forward to sharing stories with you, celebrating all that a better chance has meant and is and will continue to be this evening. As I and every one's team has written, as Wendy said, I'm the incoming president of Amherst's Better Chance. Thank you all. We are overwhelmed by these four challenges tonight. We're overwhelmed by the number of attendees, we're a former alumni. We sincerely appreciate everything you've done to be here and we hope you enjoy your evening. We're now at purification by pastor of Amherst High Apprenticeship Church, Vanessa Hardman. Good evening. I would like to invite you all now to join me in a spirit of prayer. Spirit of love and life, known to us by men names and understandings. We lift up this evening our gratitude for being here to celebrate one-half century of community, opportunity, education and excellence, to celebrate a better chance. And so we give thanks for all who have later to make this evening happen through planning and fundraising, preparing this space and the food which we are about to share. We give thanks for the individuals, organizations and institutions who have supported a better chance through these 50 years and for the leaders who have served on the board of directors providing support and upholding the vision, lending their passion to tasks from the bold and ambitious to the mundane. We give thanks for those who have served as resident directors over the years providing a sense of family and care in a home away from home. We give thanks to all those teachers and tutors, friends and teammates whose mentorship, supports and friendship have created lasting relationships and unwavering support. We give thanks for the families who have trusted this organization with their most precious treasures and supported a vision of a better chance by inviting us all to be part of their children's educations and lives. We give thanks for the ever-growing community of alum who continue to support this community and organization and are leading by example as they show us the diversity of ways they are striving to make the world a more loving, justice-filled place. And finally we give thanks for the young men who for the last 50 years took a leap of faith to move to a new place, a new community and share their gifts, their growth, their trust during some of the most formative years of their lives. We give thanks. And so Holy One, we ask Your blessing on this gathering. May the food nourish us. May it be a true celebration of 50 years of learning, community, love and opportunity. May tonight be yet another way that we come together to support the work of this beloved and wonderful organization. And may it be a testament to the joy and connection that calls us here in support of a better chance. Amen. Hi everyone. While we're waiting for the meeting more, so I thought I would just walk around with this slide and find some significant people because of course we know that if it weren't for this whole community, we couldn't have this program. So first of all, when you think about the community, think about the town, the town government, we think of the town fathers and motherhoods, we think of the church affiliates, we think of the people from UMass, the people from Ames College, Ames College Clubs in 1969, so many groups that made this program possible. And so we thought we would spend a little time right now honoring and recognizing that there's a past for the future because it turns out that the same people and the same organizations have recommitted themselves to Ames to better chance. So I'm walking around the mic because I'm looking for Lynn Reesner who is here from the town council representing the town. So Lynn to talk about the recommitted of the town of Ames. First of all, welcome to all of you and thank you for being here on such a wonderful evening, a celebration of 50 years. 1969. I remember that year, this year I graduated from college. So instead of landing, by the way, just to radio a little something. So the 13 members of the town council actually passed a resolution of the population and recognition of the 50th anniversary of Amers better chance. Whereas Amers better chance was established by members of the Amers community in order to provide supported, better chance to experience for young men of color coming from resource disadvantaged school districts. This mission is to create robust academic and social challenges, opportunities and activities that allow each young man to realize his full potential with an enclosed community of family, teachers and volunteers. Whereas the ABC program is fully run and funded by new donations of Amers community members time and money. Through the efforts of the resident directors, volunteers and tutors from the local colleges as well as host families, mentors and members of the board of directors community has sustained its commitment to erasing the educational gap and nurturing young men of color to realize their full potential. Whereas closing that gap and working toward becoming a fair and equitable country remain as relevant and important today as it was 50 years ago. Now therefore, be a resolve that we, the town council of the town of Amers in the common local mass of Jesus, do hereby recognize 2019 as the 50th anniversary year of Amers the better chance and honor it's been to celebrate in the past while building for the future by continuing to provide diverse deserving young men of color with a better chance. Thereby will be better future for all of us. We voted this on 6th day of May. Just for the town but obviously for the school district, my goodness we couldn't have a program without Amers regional schools. So it was wonderful, I think it was last December, that the Amers regional school committee recommitted itself and the Amers schools to the program. Our boys go tuition free to Amers and obviously there's no program without the Amers regional school district. So Eric Nakajima, who is the current chair of the regional school committee, was really hoping to be here tonight. In fact he voted for me to highlight this year because as somebody who graduated from Amers Tide, he knows the importance of it not just to the scholars but to the other students. In fact some of his football playing pals are here tonight. So he's very disappointed that he couldn't be here. So I thought okay well maybe you should find another school committee member or somebody who's going to be here tonight who could represent the school district. Okay, look at the list. Now who could possibly be here who was a member of the regional school committee. I found somebody who was a member of the regional school committee in the late 1980s. You might know her for other reasons and so I'm now going to pass the microphone to former school committee member Ellen Story. Eric is coming back from Japan so he has a good excuse not to be here. Whereas the Amers Tide regional school committee voted on January 8, 1968 to approve a partnership between Amers regional high school and the new proposed ABC program. Whereas the first eight ABC scholars enrolled at Amers regional high school in the 68-69 school year. Whereas more than 120 ABC scholars have graduated from Amers regional high school in the ensuing 50 years. Whereas the scholars are highly valued members of the Amers regional high school student body who have enriched ARHS and broader communities through their numerous contributions. Therefore be resolved that the Amers Pellum regional school committee reaffirms the continuing commitment to and partnership with Amers a better chance. Signed by Eric Nakejima and the other eight members of the regional school committee. Especially the system that I don't first. Good evening everybody. I'm going to do Donald on the state map for Amers Pellum. So I too have a citation from the House of Representatives. I also have some other words that I'd like to say. So my citation reads from the House of Representatives in Massachusetts. We be hereby known to all that the Massachusetts House of Representatives offers its sincerest congratulations to Amers a better chance. In recognition of the sustained commitment of Amers ABC both over its past 50 years as well as moving forward to nurture and to encourage young men of color to realize their full potential as donors and as leaders. Thank you. Signed by Leo the speaker and myself and I am so honored to be here because ever since my family moved to Amers we've been somewhat connected to ABC particularly through many of our heart. And so we are very familiar with the incredible program we were just talking earlier about how it's like the only organization that has one staff person to implement the program. And an incredible board and community doing every other administrative task and my hats off to everybody in addition to the host families. But I'm also very honored tonight to be here because Barry and Judy Brooks are being honored. And hopefully they'll help bring her in here for me. I know she's with all of us all the time but I hope that you'll indulge me in this. And I don't usually do this so if it's really inappropriate please tell me later because I don't know. I loved Judy very much. I loved her pizzazz and her sequins. Her love of the beach. And I loved her direct talk and her insight. I loved her ability to comment and share information that clearly communicated her sense of right and wrong. But without judgment on people. She had the unique ability to recall stories that were completely appropriate to a situation. But you had to listen and let her finish to understand the connection. I loved that she loved flowers. I often felt when we had conversations that we were both on a porch in the south on a hot summer day. Shooting the breeze. And Judy would drop big lessons in little sentences. Ending her comments with, I don't try to imitate it but I do imitate it in her home. Girlfriend. As if we had been discussing whatever topic it was for decades. I loved being an old new friend. She was a community leader for good reason. And her commitment to ABC set an extremely high bar for all of us. Barry always met it. I'm not sure why they always do that. When she spoke of healing and celebrating our community, it didn't sound optimistic. It sounded realistic. And I loved it. We deserve to be served. So it's a great treat for both of us to get to do the work and then to get to do a committee job. And let me just say that one of the reasons I went to the state senate was to work for education. And to fund and create education policies that really truly allow school districts like Amherst to thrive. And learners in Amherst to thrive. And the work that ABC has done for the past 50 years has really been nothing short of a revolution in our midst. And the kind of civil and human rights promise that is at the heart of affording everyone of quality education cannot be understated. So I bring in greetings from state senator Karen Spilka. She is the current president of the state senate. I also have a proclamation. Let me just open it. And so this is an official citation from the Massachusetts state senate being known that the Massachusetts senate hereby extends its congratulations to Amherst for better chance in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Amherst for better chance and your commitment to lifelong learning and breaking down boundaries for everyone. Be it further known that the Massachusetts senate extends its best wishes for your continued success. That the citation true. Oh, I should have my doubts as well. I was signed by the president of the senate. And I don't care. No, I don't care. And attest to you. Attest to you too, forgive me. Attest to you too. By the clerk of the senate. Congratulations to you. About a year ago, our president Amherst media brought up the idea of producing a short video to explain the Amherst for better chance program. And so they reached out and dealt with saying some of the scholars and work members took it as a film. And at this time, while we're waiting for views to continue to circulate, we will share that video with you. Well, I became involved with the better chance back in 1987. And a very good friend of mine that I was going to school with Victor Alexander was an alum from the Amherst A Better Chance program. And he went to UMass Amherst. And he was the one who introduced me to the program and what the program mission and vision is and was at the time. Yeah, it's a national program that was founded in 1968. And actually we were one of the first houses that started and celebrated in the 50th year. The mission is to take young men, intelligent young men from underfunded and underserved school communities and bring them up to Amherst. So they can go to the Amherst High School, which is considered one of the best public high schools in Massachusetts. When I first arrived at the ABC house, I came with my mom and took the Peter Pan bus up. So someone picked us up in town. I forgot who. And then like everything was going good. We were like talking to people. I knew people. She's meeting Wendy or anybody else. And then when Fred was about to leave, she started crying and I was like, don't cry. Knowing that I won't see my mom for a while because I love my mom. So it was pretty interesting to see how I would change over time considering I wouldn't be back for almost three months. We just started playing basketball with all the boys in the house. There's a couple of the boys who weren't really into athletics and sports. So they were just like chill on the side. And we just like clicked automatically. So when I came to UMass again as first generation, you were just trying to survive without any type of support systems. There were some support systems at UMass, but not as robust as they are today. These young men who are currently at ABC, they're me. They're me at 14 years old. They're trying to figure out what the next phase of their life is. Always have lots of conversation at the dinner table as a way of keeping those young men engaged. And the conversation could be about politics, could be about sports, could be what they're learning in school. So there's always some type of a give and take going on. It could be that we're just getting on each other's case and having a good time. We usually have dinner all together from like a six to 6.45. We all just talk about our day, have fun at the table, eat food, stuff like that. That was the first day I think I ate at a dinner table with more than five people. And then after, we just go study in the study center. And I don't know, it just like brings us together closer. We just talk about like stuff that isn't really talked about in school. This is definitely the background and the developing hope that I needed to just keep pushing on. Keep doing my work, keep doing academic work. Just keep like, keep moving basically, perseverance. It's the same type of development that we've given our kids that we're trying to give to them. The soft skills, the thank you's, the high hello's, you know, the way that you text. I've gotten a lot more in touch with the program and with the community itself. And like, when I go over, I go to events or even go out into town just to walk around. I see at least 10 people that I know. I think it's just cool that you have a nice network here. The Amherst community and the extended Amherst community are the ones that fund the house. It's over $100,000 a year to maintain the house and to give the support to, you know, everyone who lives there. And all that money comes from the Amherst and the extended community. We have some amazing donors, you know, some long-term donors. Some people who are one-time donors. Some people who, you know, will donate $10 a year. But everything counts. Our major fundraiser is the Walk Run, which most folks in Amherst know as the ABC Walk. And that's the major fundraiser that happens in October. We call it the Foliage Walk, but there's some beautiful leaves on the ground. This is Gary Mann Class of 1980 here at the Fall Foliage Walk Run. It's happening, it's live, and we're all going to have a good time. It's amazing to see them graduate. The ones who graduated last year, once they come back, you can see a change in them. You can see that they're utilizing some of the tools, some of the information that they've gotten into in the house. And they put it into practice. As far as what the ABC program has done for me, in every single conversation with a new institution that I have, or at the end of our time with the institution, and I have to do this grandiose presentation, a lot of people start with their college experience. And I say, for me, my experience started back in the ABC program when they took a young African American man from the South Bronx in New York City and brought him to Amherst, Massachusetts, where I was provided the support I needed. I was provided the skills I needed to learn, and I was provided the community that I needed in order to actually be successful. Because without that, this trajectory would never have existed. I never would have gone to a bachelor's, I never would have gone to get my master's. I never would want to get a PhD. And there are so many things here that are supportive. And there are programs like the ABC House that are crucial and necessary to ensure the success of so many folks who don't have those experiences growing up and living inside cities. Yes, school systems are sometimes getting greater, but with the current political climate and the way that the public school system is just being, in my opinion, destroyed and being attacked, it is so much more important that the work that folks are doing in places like the ABC House and ABC program nationally, that they keep it up, they keep supporting it, that they keep moving it forward. We talked to all of you a little bit, and we said acknowledgments. Some of you had dinner, some of you were just getting served dinner, some of you were kind of working in the room, which is a great thing to do. But I wanted to make some acknowledgments now, some really important ones, I think, for all of us to know about. So I want to start by saying that there are many people in this room who were here at the beginning. And I recall, I think we would call it the day in the first decade that it was so important without the leadership of so many people in that first decade. We wouldn't be here today celebrating 50 years. I want to particularly give a shout out. Thank you. The person who was, you know, having these awards, who come the first year on. So this person was part of the first executive committee that established, started working on the establishment of ABC in 1967-68. And he's come here from Virginia, from Hampton, Virginia. And as the only, I believe the only original member of the executive committee, I'd like us all to acknowledge Mr. John Spencer, board members, town members, school committee members who would join. And I know that there are some many of you here. There's Janice, there's Joyce, there are others. Please, if you were, if you helped us start in those first 10 years, please join John Spencer by standing now and looking at knowledge of the organization. And one member of that national organization has traveled all the way up from New York to be with us tonight. He's the director of programming for programs for Amherst to Better Chance. Alan Heaps, where are you? Alan Heaps. Thank you. Thank you. Two more groups that I think need to be acknowledged. And one is, all importantly, our alums. Every alumni in ABC, please stand and let us represent all five decades. And finally, tribute time. I just wanted to acknowledge, not just, very important, our current scholars and our incredible, rather, director, Sid and Ms. Bovara, please stand. It was to say to everybody in this room, when we on the board and the steering committee for the event, how do we acknowledge the heart, the soul, the character, the integrity of this program? Well, it was very easy. It would be to acknowledge duty and very growths in our hands. And two people. So I'm pleased to introduce, and I will mention both of them to you before I turn the microphone over to them. One is Victor Alexander. The representative of the program is one of our alums. Victor has remained close to Barry and Judy, both obviously one of these here, and a post-graduate from Amherst High School, a strong family friend, but of course, Judy, mother of everybody and very father and mentor of everyone. So Victor is certainly not alone in that, but we're happy to have him come forward. And also Talib Siddique. Talib, who is a proud graduate of Amherst High School. And your proud that he is. He was president and director at Amherst ABC House for seven in part of the challenging years. That's part of the record. He was a vice principal at Amherst Regional High School. That started his career at Amherst as a guidance counselor, where he was measured and supported as a research supervising counselor that was Barry. So it's obviously terrific and a great pleasure for me to welcome Victor and Talib to the podium. Alright folks, that is what I say. One thing, I'm not probably speaking as my 4k, and I decided to do this because how much of this family is important to me in terms of in favor of that one. So with that, I'm going to start off with a quote. And this is important, I think, the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. And that's a quote by John. So in that sense, I want to say that this particular quote, they definitely bring to my compassion and empathy a sense of community, a sense of giving. All these things that I think embodies this community. Nobody represents that better than Barry and Judy. I know Judy's not here, but I feel her love in this room right now. That's what I mean. I always feel that. Many times, I've been in many places, but whenever I've been to Barry and Judy's home and I sit on my couch, that sense of home is always there. And even years past my experience at Amherst ABC, I've always thought that. And that's from the heart. And you don't feel that in many places. With that being said, they spent more than 40 years in their sense of commitment to this program from being residence directors in the 70s to being on the board to being host families for many of us. And I have continued my relationship with this family for years. My kids have experienced their love. So, you know, this is a very special moment for me in that sense. And I just want everyone to know that and I want you all to come out. And I would hand this over to Tyler. Thank you. So it's been made obvious, I think, to everybody how much Judy and Barry Brooks made this program at the heart of what it really means to have the village of people raise and change the lives of hundreds of people over the years. And I've always considered Judy and Barry Brooks to be the chief elders in the village of people that have supported me way back when I was a young youth, back in junior high. I remember being in the office, as Brooks's office, several times. And I was making best decisions. But I remember going in there and honestly, I don't remember exactly what you talked about, but I remember how I felt when I left. I remember I felt that was the coolest dude in the building. And I got to say, there's a lot of cool people in the house tonight, but I'm still doing my hope. This is not only because of the smooth style, but it's the genuine, caring love that I felt from them. It always felt from them, Judy. I remember, and growing up would be, Barry Brooks to junior high. A lot of little crew grown up. A lot of us didn't have fathers at home, because I have a super short list of people who I feel are father figures in me, Barry Brooks to the top of that list. Now, being at the house and spending time with them, I always felt that I had to be my best self around them. Genuinely, I never felt judged, but I just felt it was a way for any of you to be caring yourself in life, but just felt motivated to be better. I know all of us, all of our crew, and Damian, Jerome, and all others. We all felt that way. I could go on and on and on, but I just want to say that it's been a pleasure to be able to support that self in the states I've made similar public to others. I've never felt judged. I've always felt supported, loved by the Brooks family, and I wouldn't be standing here now if it wasn't for you. I appreciate it a lot. So, as one of the ways that they can see programs with the honor of doing Barry Brooks is going to be to rename the study center at the MSA to see how it's going to be to name a few books, study center. It's going to be a very few books fun that will help to support things such as SAT prep and tutors and other academic related programs. So, I think that's what people have the right to do. So, my artwork that was made by Dr. Peters and John Bolton, to other people who can test through how much meaningful an experience and mark these lives on their lives. So, help me. For us to care and see programs and keep them alive is important. Have people that deserve and perhaps as an example that other communities might find. Thank you very much. And I'm just going to move on to college or professional work and at this time I'm going to ask just a few of those in one line who have made a journey here to share their reflections and their works with us. I hope we have for us to begin at the beginning so I'd like to where is Terry? Terry! Thank you. Yeah, I know. Well, first of all let me just say good evening to everyone and I want to welcome you to the fifth year of Gala. Fifty years celebration half a century five decades. Is that on? It's on. Fifty years celebration 50 years five decades half a century long time. But success, as you've heard earlier requires a very large community. There are lots of us who contribute from the board to the supporters and scholars to the tutors. I want to say thank you. My comments will really fall into two areas family and learning. What we have here today is special efforts by special people and I want to thank the Amherst ABC program. What I would like to talk about is myself, a country boy being invited into the program. When I say country I lived in a small town in Noseville, Virginia about 40 miles outside of Washington DC. I had never been to Washington DC. When you talk about small you can say maybe there's one stoplight and there's no stoplight. There's a stop sign. And I found myself going north going north of the educated. The first stop was Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth College. The summer. To give us intensive training in mathematics, English, writing. It's where I first learned to speak read with everyone who was a course. At Dartmouth we were asked one night if instead of going to a prep school we'd want to go to a public high school. I raised my hand right away and thought, a public high school? As opposed to an all male school? Yes, I'm there. And had the opportunity to come down and see Amherst. In fact, I was able to ride in a Volkswagen bug convertible with then Dean Ward from Amherst College Dick Aronson and we came down and it was wonderful. And I thought right away this is where I want to be. And I said, thank you Amherst ABC. Let me talk a little bit about family. Imagine waking up one morning and you have seven brothers. Imagine that. They're all your age. You have brothers that are from the city. We had three from New York. One from Pennsylvania. One from Massachusetts. One from Alabama. One from Georgia. And myself from Virginia. Think of that. Very, very diverse. But what really happened there is we became a family. We depended upon one another. We realized that we could do that. We studied together. Played basketball. Went to parties. There are other things. I won't say what we did. But they were crazy. Two of my brothers are here tonight. Mike Weeks who's on the board and Bill Foster. It wasn't all crazy. Of the eight of us that first year one student did not come back. The transition was just too difficult. We then added three other students to get up to 10. I want to tell you a little Barry Brooks story since we were honoring Barry Judy. I had graduated from Amherst high school when Barry was and Judy were the host family. I was here in town and they were my brothers. I was over there a lot. So they got to know me. And Barry, in addition to his work with ADC program and others he got together there was a program that was being funded of Springfield youth to bring them up here to Amherst and Barry was interviewing the counselors for that summer and I was one of those applying for a job. So I went in and Barry was there and he kind of looked at me. He said oh you have a job I know you and I said to Barry and I know this took him by surprise I said yeah but what if I want to be the head guy? So Barry kind of looked at me. He said wait a minute he's a good guy but he's young he's going to be the head guy and he kind of looked at me for a moment that he looked at me and he said in essence he said it the right thing the right way that really needed a more experienced person for that role and I will never forget that advice from Barry in terms of looking at yourself being able to evaluate your strength your weaknesses and acknowledging when you might want something but really it's not for you and Barry gave me that thank you very much I remember that so let me just quickly end up with talking about learning which is what really the ABC Amherst program is all about after graduating from high school I was able to get full scholarship to Amherst college and then I went on to the University of Virginia Law School and in my first 10 years out of law school I was a practicing attorney and the next 10 I ran a science regulatory agency in Washington and in the last 19 I had various executive roles at Dupont in all of those positions new learning whether it was about new science the field of biotechnology or nanotechnology whether it's about looking at environmental issues it required me to absorb and to learn Amherst Regional High School the Amherst ABC program what it gave me for the first time was learning for learning's sake and I enjoyed it so in those new roles challenges I was able to meet that because of what I learned here in this program and it's followed me the whole idea of learning for learning's sake as we look at it what we know is knowledge the acquisition of knowledge is a wonderful thing and then being able to use that to move forward Amherst ABC gave me that and I've always been appreciative and will continue to be by again thanking all of the ABC community and this gala gave me an opportunity to reconnect with people that's wonderful and one of them that's really special you've already acknowledged her you've acknowledged John Spencer but when I look at Miss Denton who's in the back I remember so much what her husband John meant to me when I looked at him and his field of study at Amherst in mathematics told me that you can really be whatever you want as long as you apply yourself and I've tried to use that skill all the way through so again Amherst ABC thank you the family that I got extended brothers the new skill sets, the learning and the words of wisdom from you Barry that served me well all the way through my career thank you about Bill Foster did you come from Bill Foster thank you you know what I was going to say as a customer as I had the public speaking but I know my brothers wasn't going to get away with that I am thrilled and honored that the first day I got into the program I started writing about it in the book it was 15 years ago that writing project is done the title of the project is it's called ABC Amherst 1968-1971 it will be available this fall I'll be coming back to Amherst and talking about it I put fires out by the administration desk I cannot be more proud and the only thing I want to say about this is that the reason it takes so long is because it took that long and also if I can't be more of my last nerve you ain't going to ever finish that I ain't worth it I'm not mad at nobody they pushed me to get it done just like my brothers did it was like a program and I need to say this like it needs to be said there were people who looked nothing like me who were never in my neighborhood who reached out to me and brought me here and that path still continues I will never forget and it's hard to explain so what did nobody do for you you know I'll never be in it today because it wasn't this white people it was people who reached out from different ethnicities different economic settings and said you are worthy to be a part of more and I will never forget that thank you thank you for this moment and your time and energy I'd like to just say to begin by thanking the Amherst ABC 50th celebration celebration committee for bringing us all together letting us see each other one more time letting us again thank the people who made this possible for the last 50 years I'd also like to thank the town of Amherst and surrounding area for people who put their time and money where their humanity was and I recognize that we are brothers and sisters who needed an opportunity to have an education that's first class and we truly, truly appreciate you I'm going to teach you to show what that promise is so I'm going to be writing to my base thing that is my chain girl is a 14 year old 4 foot 11 of a 91 pound young man, other purple in New York Mr. Barry Brooks picked me up at Peter Pan Bust at the ABC band he had a 5 or 6 year old daughter and a brand new big boy but also I might need to play back with the ABC now and I've never stopped admiring this man and his wife my father was my first hero and Barry is my second Barry has been a father to me he's been a mentor he's been a guide he's been a brother and most of all he's been my friend since 1971 he can change to do those things I can never repay you Barry for what you gave me you taught me how that I could be I came from the University of Buffalo in time when it was not safe to go to school we might be getting home this program gave me an opportunity to pursue it and safety and that you showed me how to be a black man at the time I didn't know how to be a black man to pursue education endeavors as well as know who he was and remain in contact with my own consciousness you showed me that you could be intellectual you could be black to take up straight playing man and still be a man full of humanity for the blessings that you gave me as a young man as I continue to try to be a forward I can never forget my shero Judy Judy and Barry go to Buffalo to meet my family over there and fortunately they had all the care they were going to be there they came back to me and let me get away with it she had a special name I'm not going to tell you she would say no whatever she called me you know that your parents gave you values they gave you character they gave you morals and I'm not giving you no slack she did for a few years on and all the time I think I see what her very health shaped who I am what I have become my whole life helped me go there to college they helped me become a state judge they had been with me the whole time and finally Brian has been a part of my life I love them my little sister from it we grew up together thank you for letting me share your mother and dad it wasn't easy but you did it with grace and I appreciate it I love you and Amherst ABC thank you very much I'm from Berlin Berlin and Jennifer class of 1991 where did we go from so Kenneth and I decided we would like to speak so that we could address the crowd on this wonderous 50th anniversary and you know what's funny is that I hear people saying Kenneth and I actually graduated together in 1991 which is 30 years we'd set scene when you come here and you realize oh my goodness 30 years ago this was my roommate by the way so we moved the dirties and the cleaning stuff but um I'm going to give the floor to Kenneth hopefully I can follow him in his steps but one thing I want to say before you have no right to say that you cannot speak because I remember every resident director said step up and represent so this is Kenneth first of all I'd like to thank everybody for coming out I appreciate anyone here gave us a great opportunity not only to share it in a great experience but also learn from each other and it's a beautiful thing speaking to David Lottison so me and brother and we shared experience where we went to the same college and we're sitting right on the table and with their hand how are we going to keep this going paying forward and paving the way for young brothers sitting you got to get that you're going to be called upon and that's when it's going to happen so thank you thank you thank you thank you I'm going to try to keep my emotions in check I have a couple of things I want to say you know a lot of people here that have left an indelible mark in my life my journey started when I got off as we all do I guess from that Peter Pan bus the first person that greets us and I met Mr. Mitchell Smith and he was tall and I was like 5'8 and I said oh my god but he was warm welcoming and nourishing and I thought this is where I want to be I actually had the opportunity to choose between two ABC programs I won't mention the other but I chose ABC because of the reception because of the community because of the time I felt comfortable I found what I needed and what most students really need is that environment where you want to be supported and you want to be around people that are here to make and help you succeed and in any way possible and I thought that this is the place from maybe a two hour visit and I'm from the Boogie Down Bronx I'm sorry Boogie Down for life but in my commute up here I was thinking about what am I going to say what am I going to do I wanted to make sure I paid homage to the next for keeping us in check and making sure that I had a bitch I really enjoyed about the program that I wanted to share was and I'll keep it going from the start is the host parent program I think that's vital and I'm a very very very good example of that program because my host parents to me to this day are my my pop and my mom when you don't have one you try to decide how do I get through school how do I get through college how do I get through this life problem this issue and you know although we are spending years here my host parents have been with me Irvin Penrose I love to acknowledge that your presence is vital how that was chosen or how it was concocted but they got the right formula with that because I felt the guidance I felt the compassion I felt the love and it's again that word because my kids called them grandma and grandpa they want to come Arabs to visit grandma and grandpa Papa Irv and Nana Penny can you believe this so I love you and that's what I wanted to say I come from Oakland California a couple of people brother you gave it all mothers put us on buses and trains and sent us up here not to see us but only on holidays and my mom never came here until graduation but she left and there's many stories like that and I'm saying this because you know it's kept me I'm always supported program today I'm just going to make sure we're at 25 along here well I'm thinking what that is walking around but the ones that are here that I'm grateful for and what I'm saying is we need to make sure we take care of our place and I got a check here who, who, who's the brother I'll take that check y'all didn't think I was going to bring it because I put my name in the program folks who know know and that quote that check represents the kind of funds that if the alums just so humbly step forward and do that and for those who can't we'll double up on this one as I came and for the students that are here we want to be the advisory alumni council you guys put that on your agenda alumni advisory council I don't even know what to say and my brother is much better than I am yeah I just wanted to say thank you just so much gratitude for everyone who's helped out and this is a volunteer based organization so you're doing this on top of having your own lives and it has made a difference in so many lives and thank you to the alums as well I think back to Samford he came back to business while we were still in high school just a small conversation we had really changed my life for the better he really dropped some changes and I've stayed with him since I've been in Paris thank you to my host mom Mary, she's in the back 13, 14 years old to have a better chance that's a huge risk to say you know what, I'm willing to play my cards and see what happens let's roll this dice and hope it works out for the better and it has been working out for the better for the most part so I'm forever grateful to my mom for letting me go and thank you to my brothers that were here while I was in the program I see Tony, I see Savannah I guess that all the alums who have always come back and struggled that makes such a huge difference to see folks who've been in the same place that we've been and said you can make it too I remember Samford saying to us always leave a place better than when you entered as the seed sows the fruit so what seed don't we plant and wish that there goes fruit plant these positive seeds moving forward so thank you something that was really, really vital when we were students here was the men's resource center in Amherst and it was like our constant space our space to just really let out what was going on in our lives because in addition to adjusting to being in Amherst we also had our whole lives outside of this, us coming from the hood or wherever it was that we were going through and navigating what it meant to be in a place like Amherst that actually didn't reflect what we were coming from that felt like a space that we could breathe and work through and somebody that facilitated that program for most of the time that we were there with Julius Ford who's no longer with us there's another type of black father figure who once he had a baby would bring that baby to the center to show us like this is me calling a baby this is me taking care of a child this is important for y'all to be family and organize each other that if something's not working you have to speak you have to advocate for ourselves and that means a week that there's an I inside of that that this is important to our community so I always want to raise up Julius' name his legacy is an important one the father figure that must be named that has to be named in this space is Brian Lewis who was a I hit the back the last thing I'll say and I remember feeling this even as a senior in high school is that yes ABC is an important organization and one's liked it but that the work that we need to do is put it out of service that this is a reflection of a system in a country that actually is telling us that there's not enough quality there's not enough access for all of us because we are some of many there's a lot of young men and young girls that we can get to where amazing and we're not exceptional that there's a lot of people like this there's a lot of people that exist in or outside of ABC and that ultimately in 50 years we won't need ABC anymore because if we actually have a system be one off we actually get to be in a system where somebody like me or Walter to burn up in the Bronx actually gets to go to the neighborhood high school because it's good enough and not have to sacrifice some of the things that we have to give up further better of course but what does that look like if you actually get to stay in your community with the people that you love and that they're generating for you and not have to step away and figure out what that looks like in the wake of it so let's commit to maybe in 50 years things have shifted enough that we don't need ABC anymore thank you all my fun all my fun all my fun I won't even do it if I could say one thing just one thing Barry and Judy were extraordinary and they started a long legacy of Karen, resident director, tutors and host family and I watched one of that play a huge role in my life in my success we tortured her we tortured what I did I knew I did my mothers have brought us to this world we joined mothers and fathers they could not substitute for our mothers but I can tell you I'm convinced there was a televised presence between my mother and my wife she would say the same thing I'll be honest with you I think everything I had planned on saying was I said already which is just so telling about what this program means this notion of one being dropped off on a Peter Pan bus stop and being picked up and brought back to the house this notion of having a community of folks which for me meant so much coming from the boogie down coming to a place where I did not know people cared for others that much I know that was a thing because I was escaping that I was escaping a system that no matter what I had to do I was just striving to find a way to seek knowledge because that is what was important for me and when I came here so many people who were just committed to ensuring I was able to capture that to ensuring I was able to achieve that dream that I wanted that I had for myself that other people had to remind me and instill in me was so important that I was just mind-boggling to hear that that is a shared journey I can go about talking about my host parents Nancy and David Ratten I can talk about the experience with Wendy Coler and the folks who have instilled in me the commitment to drive to constantly want to get back but more than anything I'm just full being inside this space tonight with just knowing that there are this many people within just a small community who care so deeply and care so intimately about ensuring the success of young black men within Annas Massachusetts I tell people all the time that no matter what unless I sit in the journey it always starts for me right here I found myself here if not going from there I wouldn't have met my lovely wife Mrs. Tiffany Cunningham if not going from here I wouldn't have started my family if not going from here I wouldn't have understood to identify ways to give back to seek to identify justice to seek to fight for that to fight for others in everything I do day in and day out I wouldn't have understood that if it weren't for the small step and interviewing to be a part of this just immense and amazing opportunity so I don't want to take too much of time I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who have committed your time your energy your love and ensuring the success of all of us ensuring the success of the current students and ensuring the success of those who will come after us maybe it may not have to be 50 years but no matter what knowing that a program like this and those who care deeply continues this is something that's so important to me so thank you Welcome to the podium Mr. Michael Weeks from the original group Good evening folks Good evening How are we doing? First thank all of you for coming out here and supporting the program as you've done over the years I want to take you back a little bit just for a quick minute to 1968 that was considered one of the most notable years in our modern history Indeed it was Many of us had lived in urban and I was from Harlem so my most profound memory of 1968 was walking down a hundred and twenty fifth street as it was beginning to go ablaze after the assassination of Dr. Martin who became junior Later that became unfortunately Bobby Kennedy and then there was that war that was raging out of control and then folks that I had moved up as peers and older brothers and went out there and were fighting a war and didn't come back or didn't come back the same and then folks called up and said we got an opportunity for you at Amherst ABC come on up to Amherst we got something that's involved with you involved that might help you and I turned it down I wasn't about to get anywhere nowhere away from when I thought this was home I was scared to me the world was going ablaze I didn't know what it was about but I was a fifteen year old and all I knew was my mom and dad I'm gonna stay close but mom and dad said no you're getting out of here you're going to take that opportunity and I got on that bus what bus was that we ought to do some sponsorship for you so I asked him to write us a check it was wonderful when I got on that bus to Amherst, Massachusetts looked around and the only thing that looked like Harlem was they painted the middle of the street with a yellow swine on the bike that middle line was painted yellow but to the left of that line to the right of that line didn't look anything like Harlem where I grew up and you gotta believe that it was a little nerve wracking to say the least but I had eight brothers who were there and you met two of them Terry Medley and Bill Foster that were part of that it was also Herman Wilkerson from Massachusetts Wayman Darden also from Harlem Bob Lloyd from Brooklyn Billy Hancock from Georgia and Jonas Cooper from Alabama we came there together and figured out we gotta make this work it's on our shoulders to make this work we made a program work like this but we don't even know anything about this ABC experience but we went through it and learned a lot about ourselves and a lot about people that were around us and realized that we had a lot more in common with folk than we had differences and that really what this program was about was over us with opportunities opportunities was the thing that we sort of missed and met through Barry Brooks later on and there was folks before him Lady and Ruby Sims came through, Lady Sims and Lenny Smith who was there and tutors and Amherst College and UMass brought tutors in that said you got an opportunity here don't blow this pulled you in on the side grabbed us what we needed to be grabbed took us off the basketball court wherever we needed to be and said no no no you're gonna go this way, not that way we got an opportunity and I thank the board, the current board for carrying on that legacy and Ruby Poe is going to do a great job fantastic so it is all about creating opportunities folks and that's what we're really about so I just want to leave you with two or three things and this is really out to the alums my brothers there's some things we got to get done to make sure that this program there's a number of people here you've heard from Bill you've heard from Sanford you've heard from Terry you've heard from folks all over who've been through this program but let's face it we are not all that exceptional for every one of us that got through there's hundreds of us that were left behind didn't get there and we need to as we climb we need to pull we need to pull so think about this we have a program that on occasion there's an empty bed there and when I look at a program with an empty bed my heart sinks because that means there's an opportunity that's being missed by someone so I need you all to help us out here each year this board does a tremendous job in identifying and recruiting students to come into the program for many reasons not all of them are going to make it or they decide not to but whatever that reason is that's okay but we need help identifying and recruiting more students to get there we should have an empty bed shouldn't we there should not be an empty bed there so I need you all to help us identify and recruit potential students for the ABC program okay you all do that second thing you all got you all are doing it I've read some of the stuff going on the bios on there you all connected every which way and we know that one thing if it's not about ABC the way you make success it's the network you all got a whole network out there that we need to tap into so we got some young students we got some over here they need to know I can call you you can give me an internship you can give me a summer job you can help me with a college education or you can give me a breakfast or a job that's the thing you can do don't they do that we can do something with you because we got to take care of our brothers don't we come here by ourselves and somebody push us along to make sure we got it and we got to give back as I said as we cry we got to live and the last thing that is important for us because some of you all may not have time to do that and this is the last thing I'm going to say but we need to turn it over but we need some checks this program runs 100% on the blood sweat tears of the Amherst community and for 50 years it's been running on 100 on that blood sweat tears so for those of you who can and I'm blessed enough that I can write a check and I saw one check my 18 year I love that Samford it was a nice one it was a nice one let's keep going so if we got the third thing you can help us out with is help us write I know this is about a fundraising deal but it's okay to bring it all right this is our program we're going to be here 50 more years plus so we're going to do what we have to do do what we got to do let's get some checks and make some support because there's a whole legacy that goes on and you know Julie Brooks is looking down on us taking care of my boys so let's do this right thank you there's a group of people who are involved here that I've already mentioned just in the periphery a little bit by Walter and Cleaver and others and that's the parents who are courageous enough to give us their children to raise and that is no small matter Walter and Cleaver is mom here tonight and we have one of our current scholars moms and aunt Rochon here tonight I want to give a shout out to the parents who are gracious and brave enough to give us their children the dad, the recent graduate and the father wrote to me and said lots of wonderful things but I just wanted to quote him just a little bit to you he wrote for four years everyone at Amherst a better chance showed unconditional love commitment and dedication to ensure my son's success I thank you for this wonderful journey you shared and I continue to share it together so indeed tonight I feel it in this room let's all reinvent ourselves to continue this journey together and that's why I couldn't be happier than to be passing the baton the microphone the leadership role as president to Keith Nestor Keith Nestor I thought I can't total roll back because I've been here patiently waiting this late to the evening I will respect your time thank you thank you for the bottom of my heart that is that is what it looks like when a real man walks into a room I wanted to quickly reference the final page of our program we say we appreciate our wonderful community for all of the years of sustained effort advocating for educational equity and social justice I wanted to start there just to share a little bit about me but to tell you a lot about you as an adult I have lived in Athens, Georgia I have lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico I have lived in Iowa City, Iowa for a hot minute and then I went to Atlanta and now find myself a resident of Amherst, Massachusetts it's very clear what all of those places have in common each is home to the Flagstaff Institution of higher learning for its state the similarities are obvious these places are often described as liberal bubbles communities like them often express progressive ideals but I will tell you in my time what I have found to be different about Amherst in Amherst we live our values tonight is a celebration of 50 freaking years of living your values two of those values are educational equity and social justice on behalf of all of the alums all of the resident directors we really appreciate everything everyone has ever done in support of this program and I humbly ask that you continue to give to advocate to provide your labor find whatever way you fit into this program that is most comfortable for you because those efforts are needed today just as much as they were needed in 1969 we cannot stop working to cure these deals we are not going to solve a problem that is not the goal what we are trying to do here what we are trying to do here is simply the right thing where how and when we can your challenge is to continue to live your values I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you I look forward to helping you find how you fit into this program to the scholars young men please I look around you and appreciate your love and support that is being poured into you take advantage of the opportunity like every alumni I was special but I wasn't the only one but I was lucky enough that like them someone reached into Pineville, South Carolina where a candidate Obama called the Corridor Shane and pulled this little boy out and said you are pretty smart that's helping you reach your dreams don't waste the opportunity parents we need your support the change that these young men go through is real the demands and the expectations are high but they are high because we understand what the potential is help us help them reach that potential as a community we have decided to invest in this way in these people in these values I look forward to meeting us in the next 50 years of continuing to do that little investment you guys have been great God bless thank you goodnight