Buffalo Black Billion, LLC Collaborates to Announce Major Youth Empowerment, Youth Development, and Violence Initiative In the Fruit Belt Community

By Michael Billoni

Nearly two dozen East Side youth, ages 13-20, and under adult supervision and mentorship, are participating in a unique program, based at Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church in the Fruit Belt that focuses on empowerment and youth development with an anti-violence initiative.

The Buffalo Black Billion, LLC joined the Stop the Violence Coalition, the Erie County and City of Buffalo Summer Youth Department Programs, August 8th, for an update on the summer-long initiative whose goals are to address Family, Spirituality, Education, Recreation, Character Development, Civility, and Community with the selected youth.

Under Murray Holman, Stop the Violence Coalition director, the students are participating in the coalition’s “Give” component which involves eliminating guns in violence.

Through the Buffalo Black Billion LLC, the students have been going through sessions each day to build character, learn youth leadership skills, etiquette training, Green House gardening, agricultural planting and maintaining soil, fundamentals of boating and watercrafts, first aid and CPR training, developing their own podcast, learning to swim and becoming a life guard, obtaining a driver’s license and peer academic tutoring by a youth tutor.

“We have selected these youth and under adult supervision and mentorship, they have been learning and participating in key life skills every day this summer while earning a paycheck through the county and city’s summer youth programs. This helps them put food on their table at home and to feel a responsibility for what they are learning each day,” Holman explained. “This initiative has been great, and we are now working with the Buffalo Black Billion to explore ways we can continue this paid program year-round. We are seeing such positive results with these youth.”

Michael Norwood Sr., a representative for the Buffalo Black Billion, along with several of the participating youth, also spoke at the press conference.