Brighter Tomorrow Foundation's trip to #MLK50

April 4, 2018 marked the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

This plaque is on the left side of the entrance of the museum.

Taylor served as a chaperone for the Brighter Tomorrow Vocational Foundation's trip to the National Civil Rights Museum on this important occasion.

The Foundation took a total of 15 local young people to tour the museum, and learn about the history of our country's evolution of social justice.

While the Foundation had a reservation for a guided tour, there were thousands of people who toured the museum on such a monumental occasion. As a result, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr. Jonathan Boyce, took it upon himself to be the tour guide, and was he! Not only were the kids engaged, but so many others were as well who were not in our group!

While the museum staff encouraged our group to move along several times due to creating a bottleneck, on many occasions Mr. Boyce stood his ground to make sure the kids soaked in the point being made at that particular time. For example, our group caught up to a real-life freedom rider, and the kids had the opportunity to speak with her. The appreciation on her face, and the awe in the kids' eyes was something I'll never forget.

While the kids were asleep on the way home, another chaperone jovially commented that we had accomplished Dr. King's dream by coming together to teach young people about where we've been in the past so we can prevent those injustices from occurring again.

The Mission of the Brighter Tomorrow Vocational Foundation is to educate, mentor, and assist with the future of underprivileged youth. The design of the Foundation to be the catalyst that will bring change and success to teens and pre-teens who are desperately fighting for a chance at opportunity.

The Objectives of the Foundation are as follows:

• To reach and uplift children who are at risk of becoming lost in the academic and social economic system;
• Provide learning opportunities with a stable and safe environment whereby children can grow intellectually and aspire to succeed;
• Teach youth to become self-sufficient, and in turn, they will become successful and productive citizens.

The Purpose of the Foundation are as follows:

• Empowered youngsters will create a cohesive community and therefore provide better living conditions for their families;
• Teach work ethics early in life to strengthen the community;
• Expose children to various forms of vocational employment opportunities;
• Provide scholarships to deserving students;
• Make counseling available to those who need support;
• Establish an unshakeable internal moral code.

The Community Involvement of the Foundation includes the following:

• Establish an awareness that our youth are a visible part of the community;
• As such, they are to remain watchful of current and local affairs, as well as esteem themselves to a higher standard of moral conduct;
• They are to assist in numbers during disasters, or provide special care/attention for the aged, infirmed, or less fortunate.

The Foundation offers vocational training, community awareness services, seasonal extracurricular activities, health and wellness training, and offers employment opportunities. You can donate to the Foundation by clicking on the "donate" link at the bottom right hand side of this page.