The YES Workforce Development program was a 3 month Summer program run by A Knock At Midnight for high school students who had either been dismissed from public school or were having trouble attaining normal credit hours due to disciplinary reasons. Throughout the summer we taught the youth important life skill lessons, as well as anger management techniques, and various ways to earn a living and maintain in the real world. In this video, Minister Johnny L. Banks Sr. is addressing the youth with some words of encouragement as they move forward into the new school year to put forth some of the lessons they’ve learned throughout the program.
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In this 3 part series we have a moment with Minister Banks where he discusses the state of the nation just shy of the 48th Anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Dr. King made the peal to end racial discrimination and promote job opportunities for those who have been left out of the mainstream. African Americans, other people of color as well as concerned, right-thinking people (sometimes called liberals) made the historic journey to amplify the serious state of the poor among us as well as other poor people of color. In this series Minister Banks along with Mrs. Perry Young discusses the differences and similarities of our nation then and now.
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In Part 2 of our 3 part series, Minister Banks discusses what’s missing today with our young people, and why people are addicted to pain and struggle.
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In the final installment of our 3 part series, Minister Banks touches on drugs in the community, and how we seek to remove pain as well as how we can rebuild the community and avoid chaos.
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We had the pleasure of hosting two young people from The Young Defenders. They were interviewing one of our senior staff members, Mrs. Harris, about what it used to be like living in the Englewood community, as well as what it’s like now.
In this clip, Ms. Purdie leds a ribbon tying exercise with the group where everyone explains who is an inspiration to them, afterwards each person ties their piece of the ribbon to the last person’s piece. We watch as Ms. Purdie explains to us how her grandfather inspired her to reach for success.
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Minister Johnny Banks Sr. explains to an interviewer why he is not afraid to get into the communities even amongst criminals in order to save our youth. Also explains the one question that made him turn his life around to become the man he is today.
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The framework behind the name of our organization came from a sermon titled “A Knock At Midnight” preached by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
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