That their lives might be described as ‘Victorious’

That their lives might be described as ‘Victorious’

By Staff Writer

The Victorious Boys Symposium (VBS) is a three-night empowerment workshop for middle school and high school children ages 11-19 aimed at impacting the way they think, live and interact with their community and the world in which they live.

Youth needs more than harsh words; they need help not just condemnation of bad behaviors. We know that they aren’t all lost and many are doing positive things. Yes, they have hurdles and challenges at home, many of whom come from single-parent households. Their televisions depict violence and criminal activity and sometimes injustice toward youth that look just like them.

Seeing such, VBS has turned to God and has launched this three-day nightly workshop aimed at helping youth with knowledge to help them make better choices.

Based on the current world and the events circling around communities, VBS has chosen the following themes to address some of the issues.

Themes:  Fatherlessness (So many of our minority youth are without father figures. This can manifest itself in many different ways.)   Complications & Contradictions of Criminal Justice System (Blacks and Latinos are increasingly discriminatory and still disproportionally incarcerated and charged youth for crimes and renders harsher punishments.)  Violence and the Impact on Home and School (with an inordinate amount of violence in their daily lives, it is unreasonable to think that what they see and experience has no effect on them and their progress.)

VBS Symposium is aimed at ‘turning boys to men.’ Their focus group will be middle school and high school boys they will show them alternatives that will correct destructive mind-sets. However their overall function will be to show them absolutely love and care so as that they won’t feel alone. With the help of partnerships with Florida Memorial University who has graciously offered their campus as a host site and the 100 Black Men of South Florida who are working with us to empower our children.

VBS has been organized by a group of faith-based pastors and community leaders, all with a common goal of raising the station of the young Black and Latino men in South Florida.

The 2015 Miami VBS will be held at Florida Memorial University, running nightly from 6-8 pm at the Lou Rawls Auditorium.

VBS hopes to give children the confidence that there is a brighter tomorrow and show them what a future can look like. The aim is to give the kids something to strive for, beyond just a future as an athlete, but also different career paths that may focus their drive toward a brighter tomorrow.

“Those who talk about the problem but don’t do anything are complicit. We’ve decided to light a candle rather than curse the Dark. There are two sides of the challenge. Our youth must adjust how they see themselves and then demand that others see and respect them for who they are,” said Minister Alvin L. Daniels of the Pembroke Park Church of Christ.