California Funders for Boys and Men of Color newsroom

By D’Artagnan Scorza, L.A. School Report

By Karim Webb and John Harriel, Los Angeles Wave

By  Brittany K. Jackson, Los Angeles Sentinel

By Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Wave

When BLOOMers like Zakeer succeed, everyone benefits. The work of BLOOM and our partners Brotherhood Crusade and Social Justice Learning Institute are crucial to realizing the promise of our young Black men. The amount of money our state spends annually on prisons would pay for a CSU education for every single graduating senior in California.

When Dr. D’Artagnan Scorza wanted to move the cause of educational equity for young Black men forward, he started by looking back. He founded the Black Male Youth Academy at his alma mater, Inglewood’s Morningside High School, to help young men of color break cycles of recidivism and create opportunities for academic achievement.

I wound up on probation for three or four months. It was my first offense. Looking back, it was a blessing, because it opened me up to BLOOM. It’s changing me for the better. I started off at Social Justice Learning Institute’s Black Male Youth Academy, and BLOOM is like a family. All the doors are open. They give you advice. They’re mentors.

Mykol Lewis is making a difference and sowing seeds among young men in an effort to build a stronger South L.A. This belief in making our communities better is the trademark of Brotherhood Crusade.

When we believe in, invest in and support our young men, they will thrive. By doubling down on our focus on high school completion and reducing recidivism, youth participating in BLOOM saw improved outcomes in school and were better able to complete the terms of their probation and separate themselves from the system.