Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper hosts annual gala on Sunday

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.

The Washtenaw County chapter of My Brother’s Keeper (WMBK) will celebrate its fourth annual gala on Sunday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Eastern Michigan University Student Center Ballroom, 900 Oakwood St in Ypsilanti, with the theme Keepers & Kicks.

“We are doing it like a sneaker ball,” says Jamall Bufford, executive director for WMBK. “You can wear your favorite gym shoes while you’re fancy and dressed up. The motivation behind the theme is that it’s time to step into action and step up in supporting young people, and for young people to step up. We also highlight youth who have stepped up and shown leadership qualities who represent family and community well.”

In addition to celebration of local youth, food, and camaraderie, the evening event will feature performers from the organization’s Formula 734 program — Where Is Jah (DJ), D.Wil, Sed The Truth, and Queso Tone — and a keynote by Dr. Yusef Salaam, a New York City Council member, author, activist, motivational speaker, and one of the Exonerated Five, five Black and Latine teenagers wrongfully convicted of the 1989 assault of a white female jogger in Central Park.

A VIP reception will be held before the gala begins, where VIP ticket holders will receive a swag bag and prime seating and will stream the premiere of a mini documentary by Black Kids Travel about WMBK’s trip last summer to Accra and Cape Coast, Ghana, and other original slave ports.

Gala sponsors include Song United, Fraser’s Pub, the JV Family, Rich and Tanya Chang, Alethia Battles, Hamzavi Dermatology, Necto, and Washtenaw Area Organizing Coalition (WeROC). The event itself has grown every year, with 500 attendees expected on Sunday.

“The community should understand that we as Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper, those who do social justice work and youth work, should be celebrated and deserve to be celebrated,” says Bufford. “It’s important for young people to know that there are people in our community who go out of their way to make sure they feel safe, seen, and heard and have opportunities to be whatever they want in this world.”