* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [My Brother's Keeper Houston: Next Chapter]
          [00:00:16]
          I AM STEVEN WILLIAMS. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND I AM CO-LEAD FOR THE MBK EXECUTIVE, UH, STEERING COMMITTEE. 
          I, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HENRY GONZALEZ STAND UP, HENRY, UH, BECAUSE HENRY IS, UH, CO-CHAIR OF THE MBK STEER STEERING COMMITTEE. 
          HE'S ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF THE HARRIS COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT, HAS BEEN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN MBK FOR THE LAST, UH, EIGHT, EIGHT YEARS. 
          AND ALSO, YOU'RE HERE LATER ON THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF HIS INVOLVEMENT IN MBK, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POLICY CHANGES THAT HAVE HAD POSITIVE RESULTS FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR HAVE OCCURRED 'CAUSE OF THAT. 
          SO, THANK YOU, HENRY. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION. 
          I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH MBK OVER THE, THE, THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, UH, REALLY FOCUSING ON BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, UH, COLLABORATIONS. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN MANY RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT. 
          UH, A LOT OF THE EVENTS HAVE, WE'VE UN UNDERTAKEN AND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED. 
          WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE MANY FOUNDATIONS THAT HAVE, HAVE DONATED RESOURCES TO ACTIVITIES RELATED TO SOME OF OUR, OUR PARTNERS IN MBK, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED RESOURCES TO HELP US ACHIEVE THE MILESTONES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MBK. 
          THERE ARE, UH, WE, THROUGH OUR ACTION PLAN, THERE ARE LIKE 23 RECOMMENDATIONS AND SIX CROSS-CUTTING STRATEGIES, UH, THAT ARE INVOLVED THERE. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT ENTAILS A, A LOT OF WORK I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR, FOR BEING HERE. 
          UH, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO REALLY THIS REFRESH FOR MBK IN 2014, AFTER THE ACQUITTAL OF THE DEFENDANT AND THE DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN, PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED MY BROTHER'S KEEPER INITIATIVE AND PUT A CALL OUT TO LOCALITIES TO TAKE UP MY BROTHER'S KEEPER, UH, IN, IN, IN COMMUNITIES. 
          THE SIX MILESTONES WERE AS FOLLOWS, ENTERING SCHOOL READY TO LEARN READING AT GRADE LEVEL BY THIRD GRADE, GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, READY FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER, COMPLETING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION TRAINING SUCCESSFULLY ENTERING WORKFORCE AND REDUCING CRIME AND VIOLENCE IN PROVIDING A, A SECOND CHANCE. 
          IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE COLLECTIVELY, AND IF WE WERE DOING THOSE SUCCESSFULLY, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT OUR CITY, OUR, OUR, OUR OUR WOULD BE IN, IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE. 
          AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING THIS. 
          BUT MY BROTHER'S KEEPER HOUSTON MOVEMENT BEGAN IN HOUSTON WHEN THEN MAYOR PARKER ACCEPTED THE PRESIDENT'S, UH, COMMUNITY CHALLENGE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2014. 
          I HAVE TO TELL Y'ALL THIS STORY. 
          I WAS ACTUALLY GETTING READY TO, TO BOARD A PLANE FROM, UH, WASHINGTON NATIONAL BACK BACK TO HOUSTON BECAUSE I HAD BEEN, UH, ATTENDING A PUBLIC HEALTH EVENT. 
          UH, ON THAT PLANE WAS KIPPIE CARAWAY, WHO WAS THEN OUR, THE, THE THEN MAYOR PARKER'S, UH, LEGISLATIVE LIAISON PERSON. 
          AND SHE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT HER VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND HOW THE PRESIDENT HAD ACTUALLY CHALLENGED COMMUNITIES, AND OF COURSE BEEN THE HEALTH RECS LIKE KIPPY. 
          THAT'S REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, A GOOD THING. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES LIKE THAT. 
          SO JUST CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO. 
          WELL, SHE DID  THE NEXT DAY SHE CALLED AND SAID, STEVEN, GUESS WHAT? I SAID, WHAT KIPPY? SHE SAID, MAYOR, MAYOR PARKER IS GONNA ACCEPT THE CHANGE CHALLENGE. 
          AND I SAID, THAT'S GOOD, KIPPY. 
          SHE SAID, STEVEN, THERE'S THE SECOND PART TO THIS. 
          I SAID, WHAT IS IT? WELL, YOU GOTTA LEAD THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT CHALLENGE. 
          I WAS LIKE, LOOK, I SAID, I WOULD HELP. 
          I DIDN'T WANNA DO THAT. 
          THEN I WALKED AROUND IN A DAZE FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. 
          JUDY HARRIS, MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR, SAID, STEVEN, YOU'RE USUALLY EXCITED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING INVOLVED IN THINGS LIKE THIS. 
          SHE SAID, WELL, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU SEEM TO BE AT A STALEMATE. 
          I SAID, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, IT CAN'T BE ABOUT JUST ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. 
          IT HAS TO BE ABOUT MAKING REAL CHANGES THAT WILL RESULT IN ME, ME MEASURABLE OUTCOMES. 
          THERE'S NO QUICK FIX TO THIS. 
          AND SHE SAID, WELL, I UNDERSTAND IT. 
          I SAID, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS ONE OF MY FORMER BOSSES TOLD ME AND HAS STUCK WITH ME IS THAT THE SCALE OF THEIR INTERVENTION HAS TO MEET THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM IN ORDER FOR YOU TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 
          AND I SAID, OKAY, THAT'S GONNA BE HARD TO DO HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          AND SO WE, UH, REALLY GOT, GOT TOGETHER AND FROM A, FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, AND WE SCOPED OUT A PLAN. 
          WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GONNA PICK THREE OF, OF, OF, OF THOSE MILESTONES TO FOCUS ON BECAUSE 
          [00:05:01]
WE FIGURED WE COULD MAKE, MAKE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH THAT, I HAD A MEETING WITH THE VARIOUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND BOTH AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, AND THANK YOU R FOR, FOR STILL BEING HERE WITH US AND CERTAIN, CERTAINLY HENRY AND, AND FOLKS AT THE TIME, UH, HAR HARRIS CENTER, UH, UH, THE RESOURCES FOR OUR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, WHICH WAS PROTECTIVE SERVICES. 
          BACK THEN, WE HAD, DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF RESOURCES, BUT WHAT I ASKED FOLKS TO DO IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE AND ALL OF THEM ACTUALLY PUT SOMETHING ON, ON, ON, ON, ON, ON THE TABLE. 
          WE HAD, UH, A CORE TEAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAD ALL OF THESE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THAT WERE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT. 
          WE HAD TO HOLD A SUMMIT, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATING IN MBK. 
          AND SO THEREFORE, WE WENT TO THE SUMMIT AS A STAFF AND CORE TEAM. 
          WE PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON THREE MILESTONES AND, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING IT. 
          AND BECAUSE HOUSTON PEOPLE ARE HOUSTON PEOPLE, AND I'M NOT FROM HOUSTON, BY THE WAY, I'M FROM GEORGIA. 
          UM, THEY WANTED TO DO ALL SIX OF THE MILESTONES. 
          I LOOKED THE STAFF AND SAID, THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. 
          THEY CAN'T DO ALL SIX OF THE MILESTONES. 
          WE DECIDED TO DO ALL SIX OF THE MILESTONES, BUT THERE'S ONE THING THAT WE DECIDED TO DO. 
          WE SAID THAT WE WERE GONNA FOCUS ON A FEEDER PATTERN. 
          WE WORKED WITH, UH, TSU ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THE DATA, AND THEY AGREED TO REALLY COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION. 
          THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE FOCUS ON THE CASM FETAL PATTERN, THE SCARBOROUGH FETAL PATTERN, AND THE WHEATLEY FETAL PATTERN SO THAT WE COULD HAVE, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A GOOD MIXTURE OF, OF, OF BLACK AND BROWN, UH, BOYS. 
          SO ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR THAT WAS HOLDING A, FOR BEING WITH MBK WAS HOLDING AN ACTION SUMMIT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING INITIALLY, BUT IN THAT SUMMIT, THE COMPROMISE THAT WE MADE WITH THE GROUP IS LIKE, IF, IF YOU WANNA DO ALL SIX OF THE MILESTONES, YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON ALL OF HOUSTON. 
          YOU WOULD HAVE TO FOCUS ON THESE THREE FEET OF PADDLE, WHICH WAS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM TSU AND THAT AND THAT, AND THAT IS WHAT WE DID. 
          OF COURSE, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPORTIVE OF IT. 
          IT ALSO LIMIT MY ABILITY TO RAISE MONEY BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS SAID, WELL, YOU'RE NOT IN MY DISTRICT, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT. 
          AND SO IT MADE IT REALLY A CHALLENGE. 
          THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAD TO DO WAS TO CREATE A DATA ACTION REPORT, CONDUCT A POLICY SCAN, BECAUSE POLICY ACTUALLY IMPACTS MORE THAN THE ONE-ON-ONE SERVICES THAT WE CAN DO. 
          AND THAT'S EVIDENCE BY SOME OF THE WORK THAT HENRY, HIS FOLKS HAVE DONE. 
          AND WE HAD TO HOLD A PUBLIC LUNCH AFTER WE HAD THE SUMMIT, SO WE DID THAT. 
          SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE CALLING THIS Y'ALL THE RELAUNCH FOR MBK, IT'S THE RELAUNCH. 
          UH, WE, WE, WE FOLLOWED ALL OF THE STEPS THAT WERE LAID OUT IN, IN MAY OF 14TH TO 2015. 
          WE ACTUALLY INTRODUCED THE LOCAL ACTION PLAN. 
          THE DATA AT THE TIME INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO FOCUS ON BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR. 
          I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER ALL THE STATISTICS, I GIVE YOU ONE OR TWO, BUT ALL OF Y'ALL SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THIS STUFF BECAUSE YOU'RE IN THE FIELD. 
          BLACK AND HISPANIC YOUTH MAKE UP 75% OF THE MALE POPULATION, AGED 10 TO 24. 
          SO THERE ARE A LOT OF 'EM, Y'ALL. 
          THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE THE IMPACT. 
          BLACK YOUTH ARE 2.5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE IN POVERTY THAN WHITE YOUTH. 
          HISPANIC YOUTH ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE THAN WHITE YOUTH. 
          THINK OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT. 
          CHECK THIS OUT. 
          BLACK YOUTH ARE SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED THAN WHITE YOUTH. 
          SO IF YOU ASK ME WHY, I WILL ASK YOU WHY NOT. 
          WE GOTTA TURN THIS AROUND FOLKS. 
          WE BELIEVE THEN AND NOW THAT WE CAN TAKE A COLLECTIVE IMPACT APPROACH TO IMPROVE THESE INDICATORS FOR YOUTH OF COLOR. 
          WE'RE PROUD AT THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SERVE AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION FOR THIS EFFORT. 
          IN THAT ROLE, WE SERVED AS A LEADER AND FACILITATOR AND CONVENER OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATE IN MILESTONE ACTION TEAMS AND THE MBK GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE. 
          WE'VE ALSO LED THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERAL COLLABORATIONS AND MENTAL IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS AND INTERVENTIONS DESIGNED TO REMOVE BARRIERS AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. 
          SOME OF THE COLLABORATIONS THAT I, I, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, AND Y'ALL, I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT EVERY PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE, SO PLEASE DON'T GET OFFENDED. 
          I DON'T MENTION YOUR PROGRAM. 
          WE, WE APPRECIATE YOU, BUT I'M JUST GONNA NAME A FEW. 
          THE YOUTH JUSTICE COUNCIL, WHICH IS ORGANIZED AROUND MILESTONE SIX. 
          THE YOUTH JUSTICE COUNCIL HAS REPRESENTATION FROM A RIGHT AWAY OF ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING HARRIS COUNTY DA'S OFFICE, HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION. 
          THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM OF YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHICH ALONG WITH THE GOALS OF THE CURRENT DA, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHANGE TO HELP TO DIVERT JUVENILES FROM LOW LEVEL OFFENSES AWAY FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. 
          THAT'S AN IMPACT Y'ALL. 
          THE MBK RAP NETWORK, WHICH IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HARRIS COUNTY RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN'S AND ADULTS COMMUNITIES 
          [00:10:01]
AND SCHOOLS, THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE HARRIS CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND ID THE RAP NETWORK, PROVIDES A CASE MANAGEMENT ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES AND IDENTIFY SCHOOLS AND LINKS THEM TO NEEDED SERVICES BASED ON AN EARLY WARNING AND REFERRAL SYSTEM. 
          IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM WAS NOT, WAS ONE OF THE CROSS-CUTTING STRATEGIES FROM 2015. 
          LOCAL ACTION PLAN, LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS WARNING SYSTEM. 
          WHEN THEY, WHEN WE DID AN ASSESSMENT IN ONE OF THE SCHOOLS, WHAT WE FOUND THAT 75% OF THE KIDS IN ONE OF THE SCHOOLS ACTUALLY MET THE CRITERIA FOR INTERVENTION. 
          BUT REMEMBER, SCALE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO IT, AND SO WE HAD TO REALLY REVISE THE SCALE FOR INTERVENTION. 
          Y'ALL, IF THIS DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO GATHER TO REALLY CHANGE OUTCOMES RELATED TO BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT DOES, ANOTHER THING THAT WE DID, AND ALSO DID YOU HEAR THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I MENTIONED, THIS GIVES YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW, UH, BOTH GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CAN COME TOGETHER TO, TO, TO REALLY PROMULGATE SOLUTIONS, REAL SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEM. 
          THIS IS THINGS THAT YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT YOU, YOU HEAR ABOUT, UH, HOW WE'RE SEPARATE, HOW WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER. 
          BUT THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. 
          WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND HIRE CONSULTANTS BECAUSE THERE WERE, THERE WERE EXPERTS IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO REALLY COME UP WITH WITH THAT. 
          AND, AND THANK YOU JUDY FOR, FOR ENSURING THAT WE LED THAT AND WE'RE STILL DOING THAT TODAY. 
          THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF HER BRAIN CHALLENGE. 
          SHE WANTED TO DO THAT. 
          WELL, I WANTED TO DO SOME OTHER THINGS, BUT I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT. 
          THE HOUSTON MENTORING ALLOWANCE WAS STARTED IN HOUSTON AS THE MBK HOUSTON PARTNERS RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO ORGANIZE AROUND BRINGING QUALITY MENTORING PROGRAMS TO HOUSTON AND ADDRESSING THE FACTORS THAT HAMPERED EFFECTIVENESS OF MENTORING PROGRAMS IN OUR TARGETED AREAS. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE DOING MENTORING THAT WE WANTED TO COME UP WITH A STANDARD AND BRING TOGETHER THOSE ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE CAN ES ESTABLISH A STANDARD FOR QUALITY MENTORING. 
          AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO QUALITY MENTORING. 
          THE YOUTH WORKFORCE COUNCIL, WHICH IS LED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION, ESTABLISH TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A STRATEGIC PLAN TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH. 
          THE WORK OF MBK LED TO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH BLACK OWNERS OF M MCDONALD'S, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EXPANSION OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE MAYOR'S HIGH HOUSTON YOUTH JOBS PROGRAM, WHICH HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY OO OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          MKS HOUSTON GREATEST SUCCESSES HAVE BEEN BOLSTERING COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE. 
          CATALYZING COMMUNITY-WIDE ACTIONS, BECAUSE WE NEED EVERYBODY INVOLVED LEVERAGING EXISTING RESOURCES, PARTICULARLY AMONG PUBLIC REFUNDED ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS ATTRACTING NEW RESOURCES FROM BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND FUND US THROUGH THE HOUSTON HEALTH FOUNDATION. 
          AND WE HAVE SOME MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON HEALTH FOUNDATION HERE. 
          THANK Y'ALL FOR, FOR, FOR Y'ALL WORK AMID A A MYRIAD OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURING THE PAST EIGHT YEARS IN SUPPORT OF MBK HOUSTON. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN BOOK DISTRIBUTIONS, COLLEGE FAIRS, STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY TRAINING, A YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM, IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION OF EARLY EDUCATION, UH, BABY BAGS. 
          IF YOU DIG DEEPER INTO SOME OF THIS STUFF, YOU WILL SEE THAT THAT HAS HAD A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON, ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR AND A LOT OF THE, THE, THE, THE YOUTH THAT ARE, THAT HAVE BEEN RECIPIENTS OF THIS. 
          I, I CHALLENGE YOU TO GO AND LOOK AT THE DETAILS RELATED TO THIS. 
          THE THING THAT I'M SO PROUD OF IS THAT THERE WAS NOBODY TELLING US TO DO THIS. 
          THIS WAS THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS, THAT WERE REALLY EXCITED TO GET THINGS DONE AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN IN A POSITIVE WAY FOR, FOR, FOR YOUNG MEN AND BOYS OF COLOR. 
          BUT, AND, AND ALSO GIRLS, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH JUST ADDRESSING BOYS. 
          UH, THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT WAS ALWAYS ASKED. 
          THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED BY THE MBK SCHOOLS, THE MBK RAP NETWORK URBAN SCHOLARS, A PROGRAM OPERATED BY THE SOCIAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE, WHICH PROVIDES ON CAMPUS GROUP SERVICES TO ENSURE YOUTH GRADUATE ON TIME. 
          THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBERS CISNEROS FOR GIVING US MONEY TO HELP DO THAT. 
          AND BY THE WAY, FOLKS, A LOT OF THAT MONEY, HALF OF THAT MONEY ACTUALLY CAME FROM CALIFORNIA, FROM THE FOUNDATION FROM CALIFORNIA, THAT ACTUALLY CHALLENGED US TO MATCH THOSE DOLLARS SO THAT WE CAN EXPAND THAT INTO THOSE FETAL PATTERN SCHOOLS. 
          AND WE'RE PROUD OF THAT XYZ ZONE. 
          A PROGRAM OPERATED BY COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT DEVELOPS A PRODUCTIVE LIFE SKILLS IN HIGH SCHOOL AT AT FOR AT-RISK MALES. 
          THESE, THESE PROGRAMS ARE, ARE REALLY TARGETED FOR MALES, THE X, YZ, AS WELL AS THE URBAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM. 
          ALTHOUGH THEY URBAN SCHOLARS HAVE BOTH MALE AND AND FEMALE PROGRAMS. WE, WE DID THIS BECAUSE WE HAD TO HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WERE TARGETED FOR BOYS AND 
          [00:15:01]
SPECIFICALLY FOR BOYS AND, AND, AND, AND YOUNG MALE OF COLOR. 
          ONE OF THE KEY STRATEGIES THAT HAS BEEN TO LEVERAGE EXISTING RESOURCES, UH, AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT. 
          WE WOULD LIKE TO THINK AND ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE COMMITTED FUNDS AND IN-KIND SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE MANY ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY MBK FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. 
          WHILE MOST OF THE PRIMARY INTERVENTIONS HAVE OCCURRED IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES, AND TARGETED THREE SCHOOL PATTERNS, EFFORTS HAS OCCURRED ACROSS THE CITY AND IN MORE RECENT YEARS AND COMMUNITIES DESIGNATED AS ONE OF THE MAYOR'S COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. 
          I AM SO GRATEFUL TO THE ORGANIZATIONS AND IN INDIVIDUALS WHO CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE LOCAL MY BROTHER'S KEEPERS ACTION PLAN AND WORKED FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS TO BRING THESE PLANS TO LIFE. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, DOING LOCALLY MBK HAS CONTINUED TO BE ALIGNED WITHIN THE NATIONAL MBK, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR SUS SUSTAINMENT GO GOING FORWARD. 
          MB K'S NATIONAL LEADERSHIP HAS GONE THROUGH SEVERAL ITERATIONS AND NOW NATIONALLY, THE MBK ALLIANCE, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, IS HOUSED AND RUN OUT OF THE OBAMA FOUNDATION. 
          I CANNOT, I SAY THAT REALLY POSITIVELY, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IT HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING TO US BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING EARLY ADOPTERS AND THEY ACTUALLY CHANGED THE RULES AS WE WERE GOING ALONG. 
          BUT WE WILL ADAPT. 
          THE MBK ALLIANCE NOW HAS NEW STANDARDS AND CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATING IN COMMUNITIES. 
          THEY WERE DIFFERENT THAN THEY STARTED EIGHT YEARS AGO. 
          THE MBK HOUSTON BACKBONE TEAM IS WORKING TO MEET NEW NATIONAL CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. 
          THAT MEANS, FOLKS, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THESE REQUIREMENTS TO BE DESIGNATED NATIONALLY AS AN MBK ORGANIZATION. 
          AND THEY ARE AKIN TO LIKE GOING THROUGH AN ACCREDITATION PROCESS. 
          AND I NEED EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ACTIVITIES ANYMORE. 
          THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO. 
          AND BECAUSE A NUMBER OF US HAVE GONE THROUGH ACCREDITATION PROCESS, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATIONS IN TEXAS HAVE ORGANIZED TO FORM STATEWIDE, AND THUS MBK TEXAS WAS BORN. 
          MBK TEXAS IS FOCUSED ON THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES, HEALTH AND SAFETY, SAFE COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS, STATEWIDE COORDINATED COMMUNICATIONS, YOUTH CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS AND LEADERSHIP. 
          THROUGH THE WORK OF NEWLY FORMED BACKBONE TEAM, MBK HOUSTON WILL STRENGTHEN THE SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNANCE TEAM, THE SIX MILESTONE ACTION TEAMS TO YOUTH ADVOCACY COUNCIL AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO TAKE ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE THE SIX OVERALL RAD TWO CAREER GOALS. 
          WE ARE NOT ABANDONING THE SIX MILESTONES, BUT WE DO HAVE TO FOLLOW THE, THE STEPS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE MBK ALLIANCE. 
          WHAT'S HAPPENED, THE COVID PANDEMIC, ALONG WITH CHANGES IN MBK HOUSTON PROJECT TEAM, HAS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT INTERRUPTION IN MBK HOUSTON WORK. 
          BUT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NEWLY HIRED AND OUR NEWLY HIRED LEE CHAZ BAILEY, CHAZ, A LOT OF THIS PRESSURE IS ON YOU. 
          UH, AND, AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY TOO. 
          AND, AND THIS TEAM OF TWO PEOPLE WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU AND THE COMMUNITY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO DO A REFRESH ON THE MBK HOUSTON ACTION PLAN. 
          FOLKS, THIS IS IMPORTANT. 
          WE ARE NOT DOING THIS JUST AS AN ACTIVITY. 
          WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS, IS A REQUIREMENT TO BE A PART OF THE MBK ALLIANCE. 
          BASED ON THE MANY LESSONS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED, WE WILL PLACE A GREATER EMPHASIS ON IDENTIFYING INDICATORS OF SUCCESS AND COLLECTING AND MONITORING DATA TO MONITOR SUCCESS AND PRIORITIZING RESOURCES ON STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS THAT ARE MORE LIKELY TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON KEY INDICATORS SUCH AS KINDERGARTEN READINESS, SCHOOL GRADUATION, SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF POST-GRADUATION TRAINING, RATES OF EMPLOYMENT, REDUCTION OF INVOLVEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. 
          I NEED TO EMPHASIZE THIS, Y'ALL. 
          IT'S NOT ABOUT ACTIVITIES ONLY. 
          IT IS ABOUT ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          WE NEED TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T COUNT IF WE JUST MEASURE ACTIVITIES. 
          WE HAVE TO MEASURE ADULTS, UH, RESULTS A BLOOMBERG ASSOCIATE REPORT ABOUT MDK IDENTIFIED LEADERSHIP AS ONE OF THE MANY KEY SUCCESS FACTORS FOR MBK HOUSTON. 
          MBK HOUSTON HAS A MASS OF IMPRESSIVE INVOLVEMENT OF LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE MOVEMENT. 
          I WANT TO, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK THE, THE PAST AND CURRENT EXECUTIVE, UH, STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO HAVE COMMITTED THEIR TIME AND RESOURCES ON OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT TO UP UPLIFT BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR. 
          IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BEEN, I THINK, A, A, A PASSION FOR EVERYBODY THAT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS AND ACCORDANCE WITH THE NEW DIRECTION. 
          CHAZ AND HIS SMALL TEAM 
          [00:20:01]
WILL FOCUS ON THE WORK OF MDK BACKBONE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE PROGRAMS. THE ACTUAL PROGRAMS THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL RUN WILL BE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PATRICIA WATSON, WHO'S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 
          IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE SPLIT THE COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE BACKBONE WORK FROM THE PROGRAMS, BECAUSE WHEN WE MERGED THEM BEFORE WE FOUND, WE FOUND THAT THERE, THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO DO ALL OF THEM. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING ACCORDING TO THE REPORT DONE BY BLOOMBERG AND ASSOCIATES REPORT ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF MBK HOUSTON MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, HE'S SITTING RIGHT THERE. 
          Y'ALL, UH, SUPPORT OF MD K'S EFFORTS MARKED AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT FOR DURABILITY OF THE MBK STRUCTURE ACROSS TRANSITIONS OF MAYORAL ADMINISTRATION. 
          WHAT THAT MEANS, Y'ALL, IS THAT AFTER THE FIRST MAYORAL ELECTIONS, AFTER THE MBK WAS STARTED, A LOT OF THE MAYORS WEREN'T REELECTED. 
          AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TO MBK? THEY WENT BY THE WAYSIDE. 
          SO LET GIVE MAYOR TURNER A HAND SUPPORTING MBK AFTER GOT IN, THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          THAT MEANT I DIDN'T HAVE TO THROW MUD AT HIS HOUSE WHEN I PASSED IT FOR NOT DOING THAT. 
          ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, WE KNOW THAT MAYOR TURNER IS NUMBER ONE CHAMPION FOR BUILDING STRONG IN HOUSTON. 
          AND AS A PRODUCT OF ACRES HOME, I CAN'T SAY FOUR, FOUR MAYOR IS, I SAY FOUR FOUR. 
          AND HE CORRECTS ME WHEN I DO THAT. 
          FOUR, FOUR. 
          HE KNOWS WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A YOUNG MAN OF COLOR RECEIVES SUPPORT. 
          HE, HE NEEDS TO BE WHAT HE, HE KNOWS WHAT A YOUNG MAN NEEDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND ENGAGED MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY, THE STATE AND, AND THE NATION, BECAUSE HE'S DEMONSTRATED THAT, UH, HIMSELF. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE ALWAYS SAY ABOUT THE MAYOR IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES, CERTAINLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, HE, HE WAS ON OUR BACK AND MAKING US WORK HARD, BUT WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT HE CARED. 
          WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT HE CARED. 
          AND THAT GOES A LONG WAY. 
          SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MAYOR TURNER, WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION TO COME UP AND SHARE SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND STRIVE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD MADE IN STRENGTHENING HOUSTON'S YOUTH AND FAMILIES. 
          MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. 
          AND, UH, LET ME THANK, UH, START BY THANKING DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, UH, FOR HIS, HIS LEADERSHIP, UH, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WITH THE MBK PROGRAM. 
          OF COURSE, BEING DIRECTOR OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AT THE SAME TIME. 
          UM, AND ALL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED UNDER HIS, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. 
          AND AS INDICATED WHEN KIPPY, UH, FROM FORMER MAYOR DENISE PARKER CALLED AND SAID, HEY, LET'S DO THIS, AND YOU HAVE TO LEAD IT. 
          UH, THAT WAS A, UM, THAT WAS A NEW INITIATIVE, UM, ALONG WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS, AS WE ALL KNOW. 
          AND SO I WANT TO GIVE A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT, UH, TO DIRECTOR, UH, WILLIAMS AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR PROVIDING GUIDANCE AND LEADERSHIP, UH, STRUCTURE, UH, TO THE MBK PROGRAM. 
          SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO DIRECTOR STEVEN WILLIAMS. AND, UH, LET ME, LET ME JUST, UH, EXTEND THANKS TO EVERYONE ELSE, UH, TO THE HEALTH FOUNDATION AND ITS MEMBERS, UH, TO ALL OF THE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, PERSONALITIES, UH, THAT HAVE JOINED IN OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS IN LENDING SUPPORT, UH, TO THE MY BROTHER KEEPERS, UH, MY BROTHERS KEEPERS INITIATIVE. 
          REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. 
          I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS SNES, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW HER INTEREST, UH, IN THIS, ESPECIALLY THE URBAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM, AND SHE'S INVESTED MONEY IN, AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW HER, BUT, UH, CARLOS JUST STAND UP BECAUSE SHE HAS INVESTED, UH, SOME OF HER COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, UM, IN THE URBAN SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM. 
          ABOUT HOW MUCH DID YOU HAVE YOU INVESTED COLLEGE TWO, 5,030 5,000 COLLEGE PROGRAM. 
          AND AS, AS, 
          [00:25:01]
UH, BEFORE, DURING, AFTER COUNCIL MEETINGS, SHE HAS APPROACHED ME ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND, AND HOW POSITIVE SHE THOUGHT THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN. 
          SO I WANT TO THANK HER FOR BEING A VERY ACTIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER IN PARTICIPATING WITH THE PROGRAM. 
          AND THEN TODAY, I THINK WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM MIKE KNOTTS, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOTT'S OFFICE HERE AS WELL STAND UP SO THEY CAN SEE YOU REPRESENTING COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOT, WHO'S ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN THIS INITIATIVE. 
          LOOK, UM, UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS HAS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE, UH, SUCCESSES FROM THE MY BROTHERS KEEPER INITIATIVE. 
          SO I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT THAT. 
          I DO WANT TO, UH, DO A FEW MORE THANK YOUS TO SOME ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED MBK FINANCIALLY OVER THE YEARS. 
          UH, AND IF YOU, IF THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE HERE, IF YOU JUST RAVE YOUR HAND SO I CAN SEE YOU. 
          UH, HALLIBURTON, JP MORGAN CHASE, AT AND T ART BLOCK, EVERY TOWN. 
          USA BUCKEYE, THE ROCKWELL FOUNDATION, EPISCOPAL HEALTH CHARITIES. 
          THE HOUSTON HEALTH FOUNDATION, UH, THE ROCKWELL FUND. 
          FREEPORT, LNG. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU ALL. 
          ENTERPRISE HOLDING. 
          UH, LET ME THANK, LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU. 
          AND IF I OVERLOOK SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, MY APOLOGY, UH, TO YOU. 
          UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS HAS TOUCHED ON MANY OF THESE INITIATIVES. 
          UH, THE HOUSTON BASIC CAMPAIGN, UH, WHERE EPISCOPAL HEALTH FOUNDATION HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $1.25 MILLION IN GRANTS TO CHILDREN MUSEUM AND THE HOUSTON HEALTH FOUNDATION. 
          UH, THE CTC PROGRAM WAS STARTED IN 2012. 
          THE PROGRAM HAS HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS. 
          THE XZ ZONE IS ANOTHER ONE OF MB K'S SIGNATURE IS MALE FOCUSED PROGRAMS, URBAN SCHOLARS THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT. 
          YOU KNOW, 100% OF THIS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS GRADUATED AND THOSE WHO RECEIVED GUIDANCE ON COLLEGE APPLICATIONS WERE ADMITTED TO THE, TO A COLLEGE AND EARNED AN MBK HOUSTON SCHOLARSHIP, THE TEAM UP FOR HOUSTON YOUTH, AND WAS DEVELOPED TO EXPOSE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BEHIND THE SCENES JOB OPPORTUNITIES, ENTERPRISE HOLDING AND AT AND T PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THIS, UH, INITIATIVE. 
          UH, THE, THE RISE, UH, SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, MBK HOUSTON WAS A WATER A MILLION DOLLARS GRANT FOR FREE FROM, FROM FREEPORT L AND G, UH, TO SUPPORT THE RISE PROGRAM. 
          THIS PROGRAM PROGRAM PROVIDES RESOURCES TO YOUTH ENTERING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          UH, HE MENTIONED THE YOUTH JUSTICE COUNCIL COLLABORATION SUCH AS THE YOUTH, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, ASSISTED DIVERSION PROGRAMS, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE, UM, UH, THE HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH PROGRAM WHERE, UH, OVER SINCE 2016 TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, HAS PROVIDED OVER 40,000 INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR OUR KIDS 16 THROUGH 24. 
          UH, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. 
          LEMME JUST, LEMME JUST SPEND MY TIME IN SAYING THIS. 
          UM, I HAVE, UH, LITTLE LESS THAN THREE MONTHS LEFT, UH, TO BE, TO BE MAYOR AND I COULD CERTAINLY, UH, UH, SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE, PASTOR JAY. 
          UH, UH, BUT LET ME SPEND MY TIME TELLING YOU WHAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, OKAY? UH, THIS IS THE RELAUNCH AND THE MAYOR'S ALL IN. 
          SO THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, UH, THIS PROGRAM RECEIVES THE MAYOR'S INTENSIVE INTERVENTION. 
          , I SAID I WAS GONNA BE THE MAYOR TILL DECEMBER 31ST, 1159. 
          I INTEND TO BE THE MAYOR TILL 1159 ON DECEMBER 31ST. 
          SO, AND LEMME TELL YOU WHY, WHEN I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS EVERY SINGLE MORNING, I KNOW THE GROUP THAT DRIVES OUR CRIME NUMBERS IN THIS CITY. 
          AND THAT'S THAT GROUP BETWEEN 15 TO 25, 26. 
          AND PRIMARILY 
          [00:30:01]
YOUNG MEN OF COLOR. 
          SO WE DON'T HAVE A DAY NOT TO DEVOTE TO THEM. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME NOT TO GIVE TO THEM. 
          SO IT'S NOT ABOUT AT THIS POINT, I MEAN SAYING STANDING UP AND JUST THINKING WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WHEN THE NEED IS EVEN GREATER TODAY THAN BACK THEN. 
          SO IT'S THE RELAUNCH, BUT IT'S REALLY A CALL TO ACTION AGAIN, TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. 
          I AGREE WITH DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. IT'S NOT ABOUT ACTIVITIES, BUT IT IS ABOUT TRANSFORMING LIVES FOR THE BETTER. 
          IT IS ABOUT REACHING MEN, WOMEN, IN THIS CASE, MY BROTHERS KEEPERS PROGRAM, AND ME MEETING THESE YOUNG BOYS AND YES, YOUNG GIRLS WHERE THEY ARE AND LETTING THEM KNOW, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEIR LIVES CAN BE DIFFERENT. 
          AND WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL. 
          AND WHAT I DO KNOW, IT CAN'T JUST BE ACADEMIC BECAUSE IF IT'S ACADEMIC, WE MISS THEM. 
          AND WHAT I DO KNOW, IT CAN'T BE SO COMPLICATED THAT PEOPLE CAN'T GET IT. 
          AND WHAT I DO KNOW, IN LARGE PART, WE ALL HAVE TO BE IN. 
          AND WHAT I DO KNOW, IT CAN'T BE SO DECENTRALIZED THAT YOU LOSE YOUR NUCLEUS, YOUR CORE. 
          NOW THOSE ARE THINGS I DO KNOW. 
          AND SO THE NEXT THREE MONTHS WORKING WITH DIRECTOR WILLIAMS AND CHAD AND OTHERS, I THINK WE CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AND AT LEAST ESTABLISHING THE LUNCH PAD BY WHICH THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE OVER. 
          AND I DO KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET IT RIGHT OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHO THE NEXT MAYOR'S GOING TO BE. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT PERSON'S EMPHASIS WILL BE, BUT I KNOW WHERE MINE IS. 
          AND I DO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU CAN REACH KIDS WHERE THEY ARE, YOU CAN MAKE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE. 
          IT IS ABOUT TRANSFORMING LIVES AND WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO GET IT, OKAY? AND I KNEW WE HAVE TO SPEED UP. 
          SO IT'S THE RELAUNCH. 
          I SIMPLY STOP BY AND WANT TO THANK DR. WILLIAMS, JUDY, THE ENTIRE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS. 
          AND I HAVE TO GIVE AN, I HAVE TO GIVE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF THANK YOU TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY DO. 
          I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT ALL THEY DO, , BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THEY DO A LOT. 
          AND SINCE COVID, THEY HAVE DONE A LOT. 
          AND IT'S BEEN EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONTH, GOOD WEATHER, BAD WEATHER, YOU NAME IT, THEY HAVE DONE A LOT. 
          AND SO TO, FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO TAKE THIS INITIATIVE AND CONTINUE TO MOVE IT FORWARD, THAT'S A LOT. 
          SO I, FOR THEM TODAY, I COME TO SAY, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. THANK YOU JUDY, THE WHOLE TEAM, THANK YOU. 
          BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT. 
          RECOGNIZING THAT THE QUESTION NOW BECOMES IN THIS RELAUNCH, THE BEST PATH FORWARD. 
          AND I DO KNOW IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE MAYOR AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO BE DIRECTLY ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS 
          [00:35:01]
THAT I DO KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE GETTING READY THREE MONTHS FROM NOW TO PASS THE BATON TO SOMEBODY ELSE. 
          AND SO THE MODEL HAS TO BE RIGHT, OKAY? AND THE EMPHASIS HAS TO BE RIGHT AND WE HAVE TO ELEVATE IT TO THE LEVEL THAT IT JUST CANNOT BE PUSHED TO THE CORNER, OKAY? BECAUSE THE KNEE IS TOO GREAT. 
          'CAUSE I CANNOT TELL YOU, AND I KNOW IT APPLIES TO THE REST OF YOU, THE PAIN THAT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SEE A 16 OR 7-YEAR-OLD THAT HAS MADE A MISTAKE THAT WILL CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF HIS LIFE BY MAKING A MISTAKE THAT HE WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH FROM THAT POINT FORWARD. 
          OR A 15-YEAR-OLD OR A 12-YEAR-OLD WHO'S NO LONGER HERE. 
          OKAY? SO I WANT US TO MAKE SURE WE MEET ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL. 
          THAT'S IMPORTANT. 
          CERTIFICATION IS IMPORTANT. 
          MAKING SURE WE CHECK ALL THE BOXES ON THAT END, OKAY? BUT IT IS ABOUT TRANSFORMING LIVES, MEETING THESE YOUNG PERSONS WHERE THEY ARE AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEIR LIVES CAN BE DIFFERENT. 
          AND WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN DO THAT. 
          AND I DO KNOW IN THE RELAUNCH THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO KIND OF SHAKE WHAT HAS BEEN, YOU GOTTA SHAKE IT UP. 
          SO IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, I'M GONNA SHAKE IT UP. 
          I'M TELLING YOU IN ADVANCE. 
          SO YOU, YOU'LL DO YOUR, I'M GONNA SHAKE IT UP OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, SHAKE IT UP BECAUSE THE WORST MISTAKE I CAN MAKE IS SUR PASS THIS PROGRAM TO THE NEXT MAYOR. 
          AND IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ENERGY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION. 
          GOTTA SHAKE IT UP. 
          AND WHAT A BETTER TIME TO DO IT THAN WHEN YOU HAVE THREE MONTHS LEFT TO GET IT DONE. 
          THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO MOVE WITH A GREATER DEGREE OF URGENCY AND EXPEDIENCY. 
          OKAY? SO IT'S GONNA BE REQUIRE GOOD. 
          CHAD, YOU GOT AN AWESOME TASK. 
          YOU AND TWO PERSON WON'T GET IT DONE. 
          SO LEMME TELL YOU, THAT WON'T WORK. 
          I'M GONNA CHANGE YOUR MODEL. 
          THAT WON'T WORK. 
          DECENTRALIZATION IS FINE IN MANY PLACES. 
          GOTTA PULL IT BACK IN AND IT'S GOTTA REPORT TO ME. 
          SO IT IS A RELAUNCH, BUT IT'S A RELAUNCH UNDER MY MODEL, OKAY? AND THAT'S WHAT, 'CAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, I WOULD SAY TO YOU, STEVE, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT UNFAIR TO PUT A LOT OF THESE INITIATIVES ON TOP OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS EXCEPTIONAL, BUT THE CITY HAS BEEN UNFAIR. 
          IT'S BEEN UNFAIR. 
          OLOGY GENERAL JONES DONE. 
          IT'S BEEN ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER. 
          OKAY? HAVING SAID THAT, THEY HAVE DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB IN CARRYING MBK FORWARD FOR EIGHT YEARS. 
          AND SO WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO, I WANT YOU TO THANK DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, JUDY, THE STAFF OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR A JOB. 
          WELL, WELL DONE. 
          GIVE IT UP TO THE CITY, HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          COME ON, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT. 
          GIVE IT UP TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          [00:40:04]
AND NOW LET'S, LET'S LEAVE HERE. 
          WE'RE INVIGORATED TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF OUR YOUNG PERSONS IN OUR CITY. 
          BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, AS SOMEONE ONCE WROTE, CHILDREN ARE MESSAGES THAT WE SEND INTO THE FUTURE TO A WORLD WE OURSELVES MAY NEVER SEE. 
          WHAT SORT OF MESSAGE SHALL WE SEND THEM? I WANT TO SEND THEM THAT EVERY LIFE IS VA HAS VALUE, EVERY LIFE IS IMPORTANT. 
          AND YOU DON'T JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT THINGS AS THEY ARE. 
          AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO REACH THEM AND LOVE ON THEM MORE THAN GAINS DO TO THEM AS WELL. 
          SO WHAT WE CAN DO THAT, I THINK THAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. 
          I THINK THAT'S OUR OBLIGATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          THANK YOU, OFFICER, VERY MUCH. 
          WELL, WE TALKED ABOUT A, A RELAUNCH AND WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHERE, WHERE WE'RE GOING BEFORE AS WE WERE, YOU'VE HEARD THIS PERSON'S NAME BEING MENTIONED QUITE A BIT SO FAR. 
          CHAZ BAILEY. 
          CHAZ IS OUR NEW CO COORDINATOR AND DIRECTOR FOR MBK. 
          WHEN WE WERE LOOKING, WE WANTED TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO WAS ALREADY INVOLVED IN THE WORK. 
          UH, NOT NOT REALLY TRYING THIS AS A NEW EXPERIMENT OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT THEY WANTED TO DO, DO. 
          WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT CHAZ, YOU KNOW, HAD A BUSINESS, BUT HE WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH A HUNDRED BLACK MEN LOOKING AT, UH, MENTORING AND, AND, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. 
          JUST SO HAPPENS THAT MY ASSISTANT WILL BRYANT, WELL, HE'S NOT MY ASSISTANT NOW, HE'S IN FINANCE. 
          HE, HE, HE ACTUALLY HAD NEW CHAZ AND, AND TOLD ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT HE HAD DONE WITH, WITH, WITH MBK. 
          AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO VERIFY IT. 
          AND SO I'M REALLY PLEASED TO INTRODUCE OUR FOURTH DIRECTOR FOR MBK. 
          I WAS JUST THINKING, UH, AN AVERAGE OF AT LEAST MORE THAN TWO YEARS A PIECE. 
          BUT HE IS GONNA BE AROUND LONGER THAN THAT. 
          SO CHAZ IS GONNA TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO ALIGN OURSELVES. 
          CHAZ BAILEY, THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, THE BEST WAY TO START THIS OFF IS, UM, NOT NECESSARILY JUST TELLING YOU WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO, BUT SHOWING YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. 
          SO WHAT I WANT TO DO, I WANT TO CALL UP EMMANUEL MONTOYA, WHO REPRESENTS OUR REDIRECT PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS WHAT THIS WORK DOES. 
          SO EMMANUEL'S GONNA GIVE US SOME BRIEF WORDS ON HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED FROM HIM THROUGH THE PROGRAM. 
          SO GIVE IT UP FOR HIM. 
          UH, I'M GONNA START THIS OUT BY SAYING HELLO EVERYBODY. 
          HOW Y'ALL DOING? GOOD. 
          UM, WELL RIGHT NOW I'M ATTENDING TO, UH, MBK FROM CASHMERE GUARDIANS. 
          YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKE THE PROGRAM 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY TREAT ME NICE, THEY TREAT ME WITH RESPECT, YOU KNOW, THEY HELP ME WHAT I NEED, LIKE SCHOOL CLOTHES, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ALSO HELP ME WITH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY TRY NOT LIKE, LIKE I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY THIS. 
          IT'S LIKE I DON'T DO MORE TROUBLE NOW 'CAUSE I'M TRYING TO CHANGE. 
          THEY HELP ME TRY TO CHANGE IT, YOU KNOW? AND I MEAN, I, I THINK MR. ALFREDO ORTIZ, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, HE HELPS ME WITH EVERYTHING I NEED, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. 
          I, I REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, BUT MORE KIDS THAT HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, MORE KIDS THAT HAVE THIS, THIS TYPE OF STUFF, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY, THEY WILL CHANGE, YOU KNOW? IT IS REALLY AFFECTING SOMETHING IN MY LIFE, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE I, I'VE NEVER REALLY GOT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT COULD HELP ME AND STUFF LIKE THAT THROUGHOUT MY LIFE. 
          BUT I MEAN, I'M, I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR THAT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL TIME AND STUFF AND THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY. 
          THANK YOU TOMORROW. 
          OH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. 
          AND I HOPE YOU ALL CAN BOTTLE UP THAT ENERGY YOU FELT WHEN YOU SAW HIM COME UP HERE AND SPEAK. 
          'CAUSE I LOOK AND I SEEN YOUR EYES AND, AND GAZING TOWARDS HIM AND MAYBE YOUR IMAGINATION WENT SOMEWHERE. 
          AND HOPEFULLY THAT REPRESENTS MBK, WHAT THE MAYOR SPOKE OF, WHAT DIRECTOR WILLIAMS SPOKE OF AND WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THIS INITIATIVE AND WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE OUR CITY. 
          I THINK THIS IS MAJOR. 
          AND ONE THING BEFORE I GET STARTED, WHEN I, WHEN I MET EMMANUEL THIS MORNING, HE SAID, HE LOOKED AROUND, HE SAID, MAN, I AIN'T NEVER BEEN NOWHERE LIKE THIS BEFORE. 
          [00:45:02]
EXPOSURE IS EVERYTHING. 
          AND THEN HE LOOKED AT MY SUIT. 
          I SAID, I ALWAYS DIDN'T WEAR A SUIT EITHER. 
          I REMEMBER GROWING UP YOU HAD A TIE ON. 
          PEOPLE USED TO THINK YOU WERE GOING TO COURT OR SOMEBODY HAD DIED . 
          AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WHAT WE STAND FOR AND I THANK THE MAYOR. 
          I THANK DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. I THANK YOU ALFREDO AND EVERYONE THAT REPRESENTS THIS WORK AND WHATEVER CAPACITY THAT SHOWS IN, I THANK YOU PERSONALLY. 
          IT MAKES MY JOB EASIER. 
          EVEN THOUGH YOU JUST HEARD NOT ONLY DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, BUT ALSO THE MAYOR. 
          SAY CHAZ, YOU GOT A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF YOU. 
          I'M PASSING THE BATON. 
          I WASN'T READY . 
          BUT IT AIN'T ABOUT BEING READY. 
          IT'S ABOUT TAKING THE LEAD OF ACTION. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH MBK GOING FORWARD. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE UTILIZING TRIED AND TRUE STRATEGIES, PAYING ATTENTION TO YES, WHAT WE DID IN OF OLD, BUT LOOKING AT WHAT WORKS GOING FORWARD. 
          AND THAT DOESN'T JUST COME FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR SAYING THAT. 
          THAT COMES FROM OUR PARTNERS, THAT COMES FROM OUR MOTHERS, OUR FATHERS, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR TEACHERS. 
          SO THOSE TRIED AND TRUE STRATEGIES ARE WHAT WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON IN INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY AS A GROUP TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE OF YOUNG BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR GOING FORWARD. 
          WE MADE GREAT GAINS. 
          AS YOU HEARD TODAY ON THE LITTLE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. 
          THERE'S A QR CODE. 
          THAT QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU TO OUR 2015 LOCAL ACTION PLAN THAT, UM, MAYOR, UM, TURNER AND UM, DIRECTOR WILLIAM SPOKE OF. 
          AND THAT LETS YOU KNOW WHAT OUR FOUNDATION, OUR FOUNDATION HASN'T CHANGED, SIMPLIFIED WHAT, WHAT MAYOR TURNER SAID, TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF THIS DEMOGRAPHIC. 
          AND THIS IS HOW WE MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD. 
          WE'VE HELPED THESE YOUNG MEN SO FAR TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO BECOME INTEGRATED INTO SOCIETY THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE, THROUGH OUR EDUCATION SYSTEMS, THROUGH JUST MENTORSHIP. 
          BUT WE HAVE TO GO A STEP FURTHER. 
          AND YES, WE DO HAVE TO MAINTAIN GUIDELINES SET BY THE MBK ALLIANCE AND WE'RE GONNA CHART A WAY FORWARD BASED ON THAT. 
          BUT ALSO BASED ON THE NEXT THREE MONTHS WHILE THE MAYOR SAID HE'S GOING TO SHAKE IT UP. 
          SO WE ALL KNOW HOW A SODA LOOKS WHEN YOU SHAKE IT UP AND YOU OPEN AND IT GOES EVERYWHERE. 
          SO I ASK THAT EACH ONE OF YOU BE THE CUP THAT SODA POURS INTO SO WE CAN TAKE THAT SAME CUP AND POUR INTO THESE YOUTH IN THIS CITY. 
          AND SO ONE THING I LEARNED TODAY IS THAT HOW THE BATON HAS PASSED FROM MAYOR PARKER TO MAYOR TURNER. 
          AND THEN THAT WORK WAS PASSED FROM MAYOR PARKER TO DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. AND HE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HE'S NOT FROM HERE, HE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, HE'S A GEORGIA BOY, BUT HE WENT AND GOT ANOTHER GEORGIA BOY TO GIVE THE BATON TOO. 
          SO I GUESS THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT OUR STATE. 
          BUT ALSO I CAN'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH IT, STEVEN. 
          YEAH, THEY AIN'T GONNA LET ME DO IT , BUT I AIN'T GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH IT. 
          HE SAID HE COULDN'T SAY FO I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE FROM, STEVEN. 
          WE SAY FO FO . 
          BUT WE EDUCATE, WE WE GO AHEAD AND SAY THE WHOLE THING. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO COME UP AND JUST TELL YOU WHERE WE'RE HEADED. 
          'CAUSE I, NOT ONLY ME, BUT EMMANUEL REPRESENTS THE FUTURE OF MBK. 
          YOU ALL REPRESENT THE FUTURE OF MBK AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'RE GOING TO EMPOWER OUR STEERING COMMITTEE. 
          SO OUR EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE IS NOT ONLY THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, NOT ONLY OUR GREAT LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT THAT STEERING COMMITTEE GOES THROUGH EVERY AREA OF THE CITY. 
          WE LOOK AT FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS PASTOR J, WE LOOK AT EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS H-C-C-U-H-D, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. 
          WE LOOK AT ALL OUR PROGRAMS AND INIT AND BRING THEM TO THE TABLE. 
          I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO SAY MR. HENRY GONZALEZ WHO I MET THE FIRST TIME LAST WEEK, TOLD ABOUT THE POLICY CHANGES THAT WERE MADE THROUGH MBK. 
          WE VIRTUALLY CHANGED HIS JOB THROUGH MBK FOR THE BETTER. 
          THOSE YOUTH ARE NOT BEING CRIMINALIZED AS THEY WERE BEFORE. 
          AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, THE SADDEST THING YOU CAN SEE IS WHEN A CHILD MAKES A MISTAKE AND IT CHANGES EVERYTHING, THAT TRAJECTORY IMMEDIATELY SHIFTS. 
          SO UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT TAKES PLACE, WE WANT TO BE THE TRAJECTORY THAT SHIFTS US IN A POSITIVE MANNER. 
          WE WANT TO GIVE YOU SCHOLARSHIPS, WE WANT TO GET YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL BECAUSE ONE DAY OUR TIME WILL COME WHERE THIS IS NO LONGER OUR RACE TO RUN IN THIS CITY, BUT HOUSTON SHOULD STILL BE THE GREAT CITY THAT IT IS BASED UPON THE WORK WE DO TODAY. 
          AND WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR CHAIRS, THROUGH OUR 
          [00:50:01]
UM, COMMUNITIES. 
          AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE FOR CHANGE WITH CONNECTIONS WITH ORGANIZATIONS, OUR STAKEHOLDERS, OUR FOUNDATIONS, THESE AMAZING DONORS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM TODAY. 
          AND WHAT WE TRYING TO DO IS TO MAKE THIS NOT ONLY BE A MOMENT BUT BE A MOVEMENT. 
          BECAUSE A MOMENT IS JUST THOSE ACTIVITIES AND JUST A DAY. 
          BUT A MOVEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT CHANGES LIVES FOREVER. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WHEN I LOOK OVER AND SEE YOU, ALFREDO, I APPRECIATE YOU, WE JUST MET. 
          BUT YOU HAVE MISS GINA WHO IS NOT ENGLISH BY THE FIRST LANGUAGE AND YOU ARE TRANSLATING FOR HER. 
          EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON TODAY THAT'S TAKING THE EXTRA STEP AND SOMETHING SO SMALL CAN GO SO FAR. 
          AND SO I ASK EACH ONE OF YOU ALL TO DO THE SAME TODAY. 
          SO AS WE WRAP THIS PART OF THE SESSION UP AROUND THE THE ROOM, WE HAVE MILESTONE CHAIRS. 
          AND THOSE MILESTONE CHAIRS REPRESENTS EACH ONE OF THE MBK MILESTONES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE, WE NEED TO GET YOUR INFORMATION. 
          WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN? WHERE CAN YOU LEND YOUR LABOR? WHAT DO YOU KNOW THAT WE DON'T KNOW TO HELP PROPEL THIS WORK FORWARD? SO I'M PUTTING A CALL TO ACTIONS ALONG WITH THE MAYOR'S CALL TO ACTION TO HAVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU SIGN UP TO BE A PART OF AN ACTION TEAM FOR THIS CITY. 
          AND THAT WAY WE CAN ALL CONVENE TOGETHER AND MAKE THIS CHANGE HAPPEN. 
          AND NOT ONLY JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN, MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE FOR NOT ONLY THE NEXT ADMINISTRATIONS BUT EVERY ADMINISTRATION THAT COMES AFTERWARDS. 
          BECAUSE ONE, WHEN I FIRST TALKED TO THE MAYOR ABOUT MBK, THE THING HE SAID, HE SAID IT AGAIN TODAY, HE SAID, I DON'T WANT TODAY TO BE THE LAST OR MY TENURE TO BE THE LAST OF MBK. 
          AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE EITHER, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NAME, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PERSON WHO STANDS UP HERE. 
          IT'S ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION THAT WE MAKE IN THESE YOUNG BOYS AND MEN LIVES. 
          AND THAT CHANGES NOT ONLY THEIR LIVES BUT THAT CHANGES FAMILIES, THAT CHANGES COMMUNITIES. 
          AND THE OTHER DAY, MAYOR, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOUSTON BEING A TOP 10 CITY IN THE WORLD, BUT I GUARANTEE IF WE DO THIS WORK HERE THAT OTHER CITIES TRY TO AVOID, WE'LL BE NUMBER ONE. 
          SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENERGY AND I ASK YOU TO PLEASE SIGN UP TO BE A PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          DON'T LET IT BE A MOMENT. 
          LET IT BE THE MOVEMENT OF OUR CITY FOR THE FUTURE. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          AND NEXT, I JUST WANT TO SAY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NOW, I JUST REALIZED THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE EACH OF THOSE MILESTONE CHAIRS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES SO YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE, WHAT AREA THEY REPRESENTS. 
          SO AS WE WIND DOWN, YOU ALL CAN KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, HOPEFULLY EVERYWHERE. 
          BUT I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MISS APRIL BONTON, WHO'S GONNA START OFF WITH OUR NUMBER ONE MILESTONE. 
          GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS APRIL BONTON. 
          I AM WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND I AM SITTING IN TODAY FOR DR. 
          ELIA RICHARDSON WHO IS THE INTERIM CHAIR FOR MILESTONE ONE. 
          MILESTONE ONE ENSURES THAT CHILDREN ENTER SCHOOL READY TO LEARN. 
          SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS INITIATIVE OR WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP BY AND SEE ME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. 
          MY NAME IS LATASHA SELECTMAN AND I AM THE INTERIM CHAIR FOR MILESTONE TWO, WHICH IS READING AT GRADE LEVEL BY THIRD GRADE. 
          THIS MILESTONE TO ME IS UM, VERY, VERY CRUCIAL. 
          I'M JUST GONNA TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES. 
          THERE WERE A FEW, MAYBE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO I VISITED TDCJ AND I VISITED THE YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS PROGRAM WITH THE HOUSTON REVISION PROGRAM. 
          AT THAT TIME I SAW A NUMBER OF YOUTH, A NUMBER OF 'EM FROM THE HOUSTON AREA AND THOSE KIDS THERE HAD 20, 30, 40 AND 50 YEAR SENTENCES IN THEIR PROGRAM. 
          AND THE THING THAT STUCK WITH ME, A NUMBER OF THEM SAID, MISS, I JUST WANT TO GO HOME. 
          THEY DID NOT REALIZE THE IMPACT OF THE SENTENCES THEY HAD AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I GOT SICK WHEN I SAW THAT. 
          BUT I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, HOW DID THEY END UP HERE? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REALIZE, BUT PRISONS ARE BUILT ON CHILDREN LACKING LITERACY IN THE THIRD GRADE. 
          I'M SAYING ALL THIS BECAUSE I'D LOVE FOR AS MANY OF YOU AS POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE IN MILESTONE TOO. 
          IF YOU HAVE A LITERACY PROGRAM OR IF YOU KNOW OF A PROGRAM IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN SUPPORT YOUNG MEN AND BOYS OF COLOR TO ENGAGE IN READING THAT WILL PROVIDE BOOKS THAT WILL GO OUT AND TEACH KIDS HOW TO READ OR READ WITH THEM. 
          WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US. 
          SO PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING MILESTONE TWO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [00:55:05]
GOOD MORNING. 
          I AM LAQUITA HAMM. 
          I AM WITH COMMUNITY YOUTH SERVICES. 
          WE ARE A PART OF HARRIS COUNTY RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN COLLABORATION WITH MULTIPLE CHILD AND YOUTH SERVING ENTITIES IN THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          MBK HAS PROVIDED SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO MORE THAN 2,600 STUDENTS OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS. 
          AT SEVERAL HISD SCHOOLS, WE USE THE SYSTEMS OF CARE MODEL TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. 
          IN THE FIFTH WARD AREA, WE USE A TIERED SERVICE SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT, WHICH INCLUDES UNIVERSAL, TAILORED AND ENHANCED THE CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES. 
          WE WELCOME YOU TO BE PART OF THE MILESTONE THREE ACTION TEAM TO CONTINUE TO BRIDGE THE GAP IN SERVICES SERVICES. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS KIMBERLY UR AND I'M THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE HOUSTON. 
          WE'VE PARTNERED WITH MBK AND THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT SINCE 2019 TO BRING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY PROGRAM TO STUDENTS IN HOUSTON. 
          AND OUR GREATEST IMPACT FOR MILESTONE NUMBER FOUR HAS BEEN TO UH, WE ARE CHARGED WITH BUILDING CAPACITY FOR TO IMPROVE THE EDUC, TO IMPROVE THE GRADUATION AND COMPLETION RATES FOR YOUNG MEN OF COLOR THROUGH TWO FOUR YEAR CAREER PATHWAYS. 
          OUR GREATEST IMPACT FOR MILESTONE NUMBER FOUR HAS BEEN THE ACCESS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS ACROSS HOUSTON THROUGH FUNDS $1 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS GIVEN THROUGH THE HOUSTON HEALTH FOUNDATION AND L FREEPORT. 
          SO THAT'S BEEN TREMENDOUS IN HELPING OUR KIDS ON THEIR JOURNEY TO AND THROUGH COLLEGE. 
          I'M SO HAPPY THIS YEAR TO HAVE AS MY CO-CHAIR DR. 
          LIZZA ALONZO OF UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN. 
          HER WEALTH AND KNOWLEDGE IS GOING TO HELP US TO PERSIST THROUGH THIS MILESTONE, IMPROVE OUTCOMES. 
          HI, JUST REAL QUICKLY, LIZA ALONZO REPRESENTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN, WE'RE NO STRANGERS TO TRANSFORMING STUDENTS' LIVES AND AS AN INSTITUTION AND PARTNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION, LOOK FORWARD TO EXTENDING, YOU KNOW, THE PATHWAYS FROM HIGH SCHOOL ONTO FOUR YEAR OR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. 
          WE UNDERSTAND STUDENTS NEED A CHAMPION ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN THE HIGH POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION SPACE. 
          AND SO MILESTONE FOUR, WE INVITE YOU IF YOU WANNA BE A PARTNER, YOU'RE AN EDUCATIONAL PARTNER IN HELPING US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING OUR STUDENTS PATHWAYS THROUGH POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE. 
          HELLO EVERYONE, MY NAME IS JESSICA MCGOWAN. 
          I AM THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND I'M ALSO THE CHAIR FOR MILESTONE FIVE, SUCCESSFULLY ENTERING THE WORKFORCE IN OUR OFFICE. 
          SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE LEND THEMSELVES TO THIS EFFORT ARE THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH PROGRAM AND THEN ALSO THE BEZOS ACADEMY PROGRAM, WHICH HELPS TO OFFER FREE TUITION PRESCHOOLS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. 
          UM, SO MILESTONE FIVE IS ALL ABOUT ALSO REMOVING THE BARRIERS TO ACCESS. 
          SO IF ANY OF THOSE INITIATIVES SPEAK TO YOU, PLEASE COME AND TALK TO ME AND SIGN UP. 
          GOOD MORNING, I'M ISHA MANNING. 
          I AM A COMMUNITY AFFAIRS ADVISOR FOR HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS'S OFFICE AND I'M HERE ADVOCATING FOR MILESTONE SIX. 
          MY COLLEAGUE HERE, BRYCE RANDALL, IS ALSO COMMUNITY AFFAIRS ADVISOR IN OUR OFFICE. 
          MILESTONE SIX PRETTY MUCH HAS LIKE TWO GOALS, WHICH IS REDUCING, UM, VIOLENCE IN OUR YOUTH VIOLENCE AND REENTRY, MAKING SURE, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS WE DO HAVE A LOT OF YOUTH WHO MAY HAVE EXPERIENCES WITH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. 
          AND SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THEY CAN INTEGRATE SUCCESSFULLY BACK INTO THE SCHOOL AND BACK INTO THEIR COMMUNITY? AND THEN REALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE FACT THAT VIOLENCE DOES EXIST IN OUR COMMUNITIES WITH THE YOUTH, BUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES TO REDUCE THAT VIOLENCE? SO I'VE DONE WORK ALREADY WITH THE YOUTH COUNCIL YOUTH JUSTICE COALITION, BUT UM, IF YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING, UM, ADDRESS OR APPROACH THIS PRO THIS ISSUE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, PLEASE COME SEE US TODAY. 
          ALRIGHT, ONCE AGAIN, YOU ALL HAVE YOUR MARCHING ORDER. 
          SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TODAY. 
          WE APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. 
          THE WORK YOU ALL REPRESENT, THE PEOPLE YOU ALL REPRESENT, AND THE CITY IS GONNA BE BETTER BECAUSE OF EACH ONE OF YOU ALL. 
          SO I KNOW THE QUESTION ALWAYS IS HOW DO I START? WELL, WHEN YOU'RE DOING PERSON FULL WORK, IT'S JUST GETTING IN WHERE YOU FIT IN. 
          WE GOT SIX AREAS BACK THERE. 
          START THERE, START WITH US, START WITH THE MAYOR AND WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN TOGETHER. 
          [01:00:01]
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT ONCE AGAIN AND I HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING DAY. 
          AND PLEASE OUR MILESTONE CHAIRS IN THE BACK.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.