Mr. Sykes
10.7.09
On the day of what would have been the 27th birthday of Chris Adagbonyin, I've decided not to do a very lengthy blog. Instead I've decided to send him wishes from a few individuals here in Jackson's YPP. Rosalyn: Happy Birthday Big Bun!!! I miss you!!! But we holding it down for you. Things are really starting to come together. We putting YPP on the map. We making you proud. LOVE YOU...xoxoxoxoxoxo Antonio:Happy B-Day Big Bun... Man we really miss YOU here but YOU live on in us each and every day through YPP and we taking YPP to big and better places and YOU get alot of that joy because you are the inspiration to us in YPP today... So we keeping YOU alive....Much Love Always Kevin: still at it....gotta keep this thing going so our kids can have it one day cuz....Any of my good work is in your name.....Miss you ima keep my eyes on Ty Keke: Happy B-Day Big Bun...Man we still here on the grind as you can see. I know you are shinning down on us and thats y so many of us continue to work hard everyday. We miss you so much it's hard to explain. Big Bun and YPP 4ever. 1 Love
Mr. Sykes
9.4.09
On July 28, 2009 the world lost a great contributor. Mr. Jimmie Travis was a leader,motivator and a humble being. In the 60's, as a young man, Jimmie took the bullet that ultimately saved the life of Bob Moses. Had that bullet traveled in any other direction, this blog may never have existed. There would be no Algebra Project or YPP, no Omo to call for advice, no Maisha to call for an encouraging word. What Mr. Travis did for us we must do for the world. We must absorb the bullets that are intended to destroy our communities( inadequate education; restricted, if any, access to quality healthcare). We must be the bearers of burdens not intended for us as well as those that are. All of this has to be done in the spirit of selfless sacrifice. We all are intended to contribute something to this world which is greater than us: that outlives us. We are only drops in the stream that must become a lake of unity,a reservoir of fairness and justice, a river of peace and eventually an ocean of harmony. YPP is a place, for many of us, where that began and our communities and the broader world is where it must be sustained. One bullet, caught by an unintended target, is what made our work possible. For what Jimmie Travis and others like him have done for us, YPP moves and lives in eternal gratitude. Thanks Jimmie!!!!
6.22.09
Yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of Fathers Day. I spent time thinking about what it means to be a father. I thought about the lessons a father must teach(and learn), I reflected on what the effects of fatherless homes have done to many of my close friends and general peers. Also, I took the time to appreciate the contributions my father gives my life and the wholeness that all active fathers create in the life of their children. I spent most of the day revisiting the life of Chris Adagbonyin, and agonizing over the fact that of all the things he lost when he lost his life, he lost the golden opportunity to be the great father he longed to be. Chris has a magnificently beautiful daughter named Tylen, whose pretty little faces radiates with his image like that of a mirror. In the midst of all of her innocence and preciousness, their is a void, left by the brutal murder of her dad. I love her as my own. I dream for her as my own. I will care for her as my own. But yet, I wish she still had her own and that Chris could have his. I know Chris would have continued to be an exemplary father to his daughter because it's what he set out to do everyday since her inception. Here's a salute to stand up guy and a standout dad. "Happy Fathers Day Big Bun".
Albert Sykes
6.15.09
We in YPP MS are in a very great position. We are at a point where we have seen and experienced enough to lead our work going forward. It is hard. It takes more than I think any of us thought it would. We have had to relearn each other and in some cases re-evaluate and relearn ourselves. I have seen us begin to have a new trust and sense of family in the last couple of weeks. Coming from where we've come (YPP's origins), to being where we are now took a lot of time, effort, commitment and trust. It also took a certain level of vulnerability, the ability to expose ourselves and our individual stories and struggles to our peers. What will be developed here will be beautiful because it comes from the true heart of YPP. It comes from the very folks who reaped the benefits of having a man like Bob and people like his family dedicate themselves to young folk like us. This work will be beautiful because it is work that is led and developed by young leaders and organizers in MS. The spirit has been revived,the work is being rebuilt and the torch is being passed. Hold it and run!!!
Albert Sykes
6.9.09
I haven't been here in a while. It's good to be blogging again, or at least it's gotta be good because it's in my job description. I'm supposed to post bi-weekly blogs as part of my duties as an organizer in YPP. So, get ready to listen to me rant (and rave) for at least the next six months. I'm actually behind on one or two posts so I may write more than once some weeks to keep the count accurate.
