The Fayetteville City Council on Monday recognized the work of Tony Brown and his program staff for their work fostering positive opportunities for youths in Fayetteville.
Brown is CEO and founder of Southern CC Inc., a nonprofit organization that offers several programs to assist veterans with housing and professional development. In addition to veteran-focused initiatives, Brown’s organization operates a youth mentorship program, a community garden and numerous educational projects.
“We have a lot of positive people in this community that are working hard every day in the trenches to try to make Fayetteville a better place,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said. “And our youth are not lost. There are people who invested in it and we certainly back you as a city.”
As he was being recognized, Brown stood at a podium with his team of about a dozen young men behind him.
“The brothers you see before me or behind me, they are here to not only uplift and change the community but empower it also,” Brown said.
Dayquon White, director of the Southern CC’s Vets for Youth Program, also addressed the council to discuss his group’s work at Monday’s meeting.
“And pretty much what I do is we go into the inner city with the kids from the Merck (Murchison Road area) and all around Fayetteville in the troubled inner-city communities, and we pretty much get them the resources that they need in order to prosper,” White said. “A lot of times we leave these kids behind and think they're just bad kids. Well, honestly, they really just need a little bit of more help, a little more resources.”
White’s current project involves working with veterans and soldiers from Fort Liberty to develop a gaming studio for children on Murchison Road.
“We noticed that this is a billion-dollar industry, and I feel that these kids are into tech and gaming, so we can actually teach them how to code,” White said.
Hector Torres, a veteran who is also involved in Brown’s programs, developed a video game to connect with youths — and he is one of the characters in it.
“When I was approached last year, it was kind of a wonder to me about reaching out to the youth through the development of a game,” Torres said.
And in developing the game, he says he was able to connect with his own 14-year-old stepson in a way that allowed Torres “to reach out to him and understand him.”
Gerard Watkins, a combat veteran and current student at Fayetteville Technical Community College, is also a part of Vets for Youth. He told CityView that he has always believed in the importance of empowering youths.
“I actually met Dayquon and he introduced me to Tony, and they projected their vision onto me, and I was sold from Day 1,” Watkins said. “I've always been about empowering my youth and empowering my community.”
Isaac Perry, a hip-hop artist known by fans as BRN BMORE, also spoke about the work he’s doing with Brown. He is focused on the You, Me, and Us Holistic Community Garden (YMUS), which aims to “assist the underserved in Fayetteville by improving the community’s well-being by providing fresh organic produce and a space for healing and positive social engagement,” according to the website description.
Perry said the main goal of the program is to engage youth with opportunities that can provide them positive outlets.
“That's the heart of it — that's the main thing,” he said. “That's what's going to build the future when we go.”
Perry will be performing in a Live at the Garden Nov. 11 concert. and proceeds will support the community garden. He said local businesses and vendors will take part.
Ultimately, Watkins said, youth empowerment is also about ensuring future generations can prosper.
“One day I might have kids out here in this world and in the city of Fayetteville,” Watkins said, “And I want those (kids) to experience a better version of Fayetteville than what I'm experiencing right now.”
Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608.
