For the second year in a row, the men of Calling All Brothers gave children at Hartford’s Martin Luther King Jr. School a ‘welcome back’ they won’t soon forget.
The men lined the walkway to the school on the city’s North End. One by one as children arrived for the first day of classes, the men cheered them on.
The idea for the big welcome came from Pastor AJ Johnson, of the Urban Hope Refuge Church and attorney DeVaughn Ward.
Both men are Hartford natives who said they feel it’s their duty to give back to their community by setting an example and giving their time to its youngest residents.
“We just want the community to know that we are here for them. There are positive people here to support them” said Johnson.
The group of mostly African American men includes elected officials, attorneys, members of law enforcement and the military and other professionals hoping to help the kids at King realize that the goals they dream of are within their reach.
“I thought it would be a really positive image if we got a couple neighborhood guys together who are professionals to greet these kids and really show them the different careers and people who are out there supporting them,” DeVaughn Ward said.
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After the success of the 2015 welcome celebration, Calling All Brothers will also make stops this school year at Thirman Milner School, Fred D. Wish School and Simpson Waverly School to welcome kids back for their first week.
“The same way we cheer on for sports, we wanted to cheer on the students and have them excited for learning,” Patrick Williams, another member of Calling All Brothers who helped to organize the school welcome events, said.
The principal of King School said having so many successful men from the community take time out to support students is a lesson that cannot be taught in the classroom.
Dr. Doreen Crawford said the example the men are setting for her students a game changer.
“When they look at themselves and they see somebody like themselves who actually went to the school that they’re presently at, who actually walked the streets and lived in the neighborhoods that they live in, it means a whole lot to them because now they see real people,” she said.
You can learn more about the work of Calling All Brothers on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/924576360969071/
