Kahlil Darden And Young Black Motivated Kings & Queens

Supply: iOne Digital Inventive Providers

Okayahlil Darden simply turned 23 in March and is already eight years into his work because the founder and CEO of Younger Black Motivated Kings & Queens, or YBMKQ, the nonprofit that gives underserved youth within the Pittsburgh/Penn Hills space.

The third letter of the above acronym stands for “motivated,” and Darden, a latest graduate of Clark-Atlanta College, greater than matches the invoice. Gen Z is usually demonized as an apathetic, unmotivated era, however Darden is something however. He’s, the truth is, additionally very conceptual, detail-oriented, and profitable.

NewsOne Presents Nonetheless Blooming In The Whirlwind: Pittsburgh As A Black Cultural And Creative Mecca

He was simply 15 when he based YBMKQ. Darden mentioned he was in his room, pondering stereotypes about teenagers. “I simply wrote down [words for] what I wished individuals to consider after they considered us,” he says.

In January, Darden and YBMKQ simply broke floor for D’Avery A. Thomas Neighborhood Heart, servicing residents from the cradle to post-high college. In cooperation with Pittsburgh Public Faculties, the middle provides after-school programming for elementary, center, and highschool, in addition to daycare and Head Begin. Darden says they hope to serve a minimum of 94 college students per program, at a negligible value for members.

“We actually imply it after we say we would like it to be a one-stop store,” guarantees Darden. “We need to serve all of the individuals from very younger to very outdated after which enable it to be a full circle second.”

Younger Black Motivated Kings & Queens D’Avery A. Thomas Neighborhood Heart on Ridgeway Avenue in Pittsburgh. | Supply: Ya Momz Home, Inc.

Darden grew up in Penn Hills and wished to do one thing for this a part of the town. “There haven’t been lots of alternatives for our younger individuals in Pittsburgh, and particularly within the Penn Hills space,” he says. “I used to be there when the YMCA was pulled out [in 2016]. For me it’s with the ability to create and domesticate house that used to exist for me, and for different younger individuals.”

Tellingly, the artwork studio within the new heart is one which Darden is most enthusiastic about. Children can “simply pack proper in” and create artwork within the secure haven they’ve created and never depart the hood.

There will probably be two artwork studio areas: one for making music and podcasts, and one referred to as the Rose Room of Visible Arts.

“Antwon… was an arts creator. That’s how he conceptualized and talked concerning the issues that he went by way of,” Darden says. “Even right down to writing a poem that described vaguely how he would move away.”

YMBKQ additionally got here to be as a response to a sequence of deaths round him. Working with the group was a spot for Darden to provide again, to course of, and to heal. This is the reason psychological well being consciousness and remedy stays a pillar of the org, by way of afterschool programming, by way of psychological well being professionals on workers, and thru “therapeutic” occasions all year long.

“Generally younger individuals simply want that house to say I can simply be right here. Or I can simply be right here and simply draw as a result of drawing is my coping mechanism,” Darden explains. “It was with the ability to create one thing the place younger individuals can merely simply be. It could appear extra complicated than that, however that’s simply what I wished to have the ability to create.”

Kahlil Darden, CEO and Founding father of YBMKQ. | Supply: Brandon Rashad

When Darden was 12, one in all his favourite uncles – “He beloved to construct with individuals and drop gems,” – was killed by gun violence.

“The day he died, we have been imagined to have a household recreation night time,” Darden remembers. “We spent lots of household time collectively. I do know if he might have jumped right into a line of labor serving to younger individuals, he would have completed this work.”

Darden was within the throes of despair and unhappiness—he says it was the primary time he skilled deep grief—and acknowledged that there weren’t locations the place individuals compelled you to have conversations about it. “You weren’t given house – and at the moment, I didn’t actually need to speak about it. I wished to have the ability to do stuff that stored my thoughts busy,” he says.

A couple of years later, his finest pal died. After which his 1-year-old godson, D’Avery A. Thomas, was additionally killed. Antwon Rose II, a younger man who was killed by police in 2018, was additionally heavy on Darden’s coronary heart. His outlet wasn’t conventional remedy, it was working together with his group.

“It was group work, it was simply with the ability to simply hold going,” he says. “One in all my cousins [and I] have been debating as a result of they’re like, you’re not grieving, you’re simply preserving your self busy. However I inform them, no, that is how I grieve. And for some folks that doesn’t look regular, they really feel like that’s hiding, that’s operating out of your feelings, however for me, serving to different individuals, and making certain that different individuals don’t really feel the ache that I felt permits me to take care of what I went by way of.”

YBMKQ workers on the 25 below 25 Award Gala on the historic Rodef Shalom Congregation on Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, June 29, 2024. From left to proper: Jhordan Value (chief of workers) Kahlil Darden, Jaquan Gethers (Advertising Coordinator) and Maurice Redwood (Youth Engagement Coordinator). | Supply: Ray Carrington Images

Darden additionally has a really eager sense of himself and his objectives. Briefly, he marches to his personal beat and beats his personal path. He’s all the time eschewed conventional recommendation like, wait till you get a school diploma to do the belongings you need to – like begin a nonprofit for youths in Pittsburgh.

“Lots of people put restraints on younger individuals—wait until you’re out of faculty, wait a few years—my mother informed me that. However I simply defied the chances. And we chuckle about it now,” says Darden.

But it couldn’t have been straightforward to proceed to program YBMKQ from Atlanta whereas being a full-time pupil. But once more, Darden defied the chances.

YBMKQ in January 2024 on the groundbreaking in Penn Hills for his or her new group heart, which provides after-school programming for elementary, center, and highschool, in addition to daycare and Head Begin. | Supply: Ya Momz Home, Inc.

“Lots of people mentioned, oh when Kahlil goes to Atlanta, YBMKQ is gonna finish, it gained’t exist anymore. And so, for me, it was a proving level. You will be in one other state and nonetheless run work. It’s doable. And other people ask me how I did it, and generally I’ll inform them, I don’t know. However I did it. I’m exhibiting younger folks that going to varsity don’t cease nothing, you may nonetheless work, you may nonetheless construct your dream, and also you don’t have to attend to get to varsity earlier than you begin.”

Standard knowledge additionally mentioned to go away Pittsburgh and by no means look again. Darden defied that, too.

“I talked a bit of about this on the groundbreaking – however I hate when individuals say stuff like, get as distant from Pittsburgh as you may. Get away and by no means come again. And for me, that simply perpetuates the cycle of by no means getting higher. You may depart however develop inside your self, study issues it’s a must to study you, and in addition come again to pour again into younger individuals that may not get to expertise that.”

YMBKQ’s mentorship, instructional and entrepreneurship packages encourage younger individuals to go to varsity.

“In the event you by no means go and expertise a world aside from what you grew up in, you by no means study what persons are lacking out on,” says Darden. “I don’t need to [bind] individuals right here, you’re not sure to remain right here, however all the time go and develop!”

The one factor Darden says that he would give his metropolis’s youth unequivocally if he had a magic wand is an oldie however goodie.

“Love. I believe what lots of younger individuals lack is love, real love. And folks that care, [who] really present up. With the ability to present as much as present them what it means to like,” he says. “And it’s loving them by way of their errors. If you’re younger you’re going to make errors. You’re going to do stuff, then get up tomorrow and say, why did I do that? So, if the youngsters in Pittsburgh had just a bit extra love. Just a bit bit. They’d be okay.”

Angela Bronner is a author and editor dwelling in Harlem, New York.