Announcing the BRO Space, Bed Stuy! (And lots More Updates)
I have amazing news. The BRO Experience is launching its first physical location! Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to The BRO Space, Bed Stuy.
This is huge.
A pillar of our theory of change is safe and transformational spaces driven by young men of color, and this space has been a dream of mine since founding the organization a year ago.
Later this summer we’ll be moving into 7 Marcus Garvey Blvd. in Bed Stuy. We’ll be in the same building as The Center for NuLeadership, the very organization where I got my start as a facilitator, which couldn’t be more perfect. The space is 4,000 sq/ft and will be our base of operations for community programming of so many kinds. I’ll have lots more to share as this BRO space takes shape, but I wanted you to know asap.
Thanks to our donors and political leaders for supporting us in securing this space.
Virtual Coffee with Coop: Building Sustained Relationships to Decrease Violence
July 19th at 10:00am (RSVP for link)
July 20th at 4:00pm (RSVP for link)
Come Have “Coffee with Coop”
Please join a conversation with me and my team about the issues we care about most. We hosted two Coffee with Coop sessions earlier this spring and they were super powerful (you can listen here).
These are community Zoom gatherings where we open up the dialog and explore our core areas of focus: young men of color, mental health, violence prevention, and the future of our city. In this installment, we’ll have one of our young men in the mix as well.
RSVP for one of the dates below (or both!) and feel free to spread the word.
An Amazing Board Retreat
We’re all still vibing from the June board retreat. It brought together our dynamic board of directors and our advisory team. We celebrated this past year’s wins and charted the path forward.
It’s also my pleasure to introduce two new board members: Meka Nurse and Cydney Bowers. Check out photos from the retreat on our blog, and meet our full board at thebroexperience.org.
BRO Programming
BRO Experience programming keeps going strong. We officially concluded our first year of BRO X Rites of Passage, a program serving 22 young men in Frederick Douglass high school in Brownsville. We’re looking forward to a new cohort launching in the fall.
For the summer, we’re gearing up for a series of outdoor workshops, as well as a five-week program of Behind the Bars, a format where we use music and lyrics to catalyze reflection, self-excavation, and deep conversation. Stay tuned as these sessions rev up.
(Behind The Bars outdoor sessions: July 21, August 4, August 25, September 8. More details to come.)
Funding Announcements!
Two of our beloved local elected officials came through with more incredible support! State Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman contributed $25,000 and NY State Senator Jabari Brisport gave $16,000. Stefani and Jabari, thank you for sustaining our work and helping us grow our impact.
This is a strong start to our fundraising goal of $300,000 for the fiscal year starting now in July, 2022.
We Keep Building
As you can probably tell, momentum is growing! I continue to encourage your ongoing support. Becoming a monthly donor, for even a modest amount, is what lets us plan ahead and build the organization’s long-term vision. Click here to quickly set up a recurring (or one-time) pledge.
I hope to see you in a few weeks for the Coffee with Coop sessions (RSVP above) and reach out with any thoughts – I always want to hear from you.
With relentless intention!
Coach Coop & August