This article is reprinted with permission from The National Black Agenda, February, 2008, edition:
Believing the best way to uplift youth is better education, UniTee Design, Inc. (UDI) is on a mission: to rebuild African-American unity in our communities primarily through the development, support and funding of more effective educational opportunities for today’s young generation.
A youth education and ethnic empowerment enterprise with offices near Detroit, Atlanta, and in New York City, UDI’s primary product and service offerings are youth enrichment (i.e., educational programming and motivational speaking), and ethnic apparel design, production, distribution and sales.
UDI uses designs that feature the red, black and green (RBG) colors associated with African-American culture. “UniTee Shirts” and “UniTee Bands” teach our children of a rich cultural history, heritage, and the many, significant achievements of their ancestors, to build and strengthen within them higher levels of self-esteem and self-identity.
Several RBG designs also incorporate the words “pride, power and purpose” (the 3P’s) that serve as positive life principles. The 3P’s provide an opportunity to help youth overcome real-life issues such as broken homes, tough streets, gun and domestic violence, and drugs. They are also used to promote the importance of education to help children become more resilient to the multitude of negative circumstances and influences they often face.
UDI supplies positive reinforcement for our youth by using the RBG colors and 3P’s, and then delivers “alternative” education programs to help them identify a specific purpose in life. These programs are typically developed based on direct feedback from youth as to what their interests are to better engage their motivation, participation and improvement.
R. Lee Gordon, UDI’s founder (and director of Youth Education Programming for The Hip Hop Congress), says there is a growing movement to better the condition of African-American youth through better education. “By proactively seeking out and engaging the multitude of entities and individuals who share our mission and value our vision, we can overcome fragmentation, create consolidation and build a national coalition to propel our ability to deliver more effective educational options to the maximum number of youth. Thus, we are willing to work with anyone who will help us support, develop and fund youth education programming that empowers the lives of our children.”
UDI has alliances with positive groups throughout the country including:
The Single Parent Resource Center
The Hip Hop Congress
Children and Youth Prevention Services
The African American Music Association
The Blackstar Project
Project 2019
The Youth Leadership Program
The International Men of Excellence
Welcome To Harlem
Motor City Blight Busters
The Michigan Department of Human Services
The National Black Graduate Student Association
Youth in Transition
H.U.M.S
UniTee Design is building a national network of “Purpose Providers” consisting of concerned citizens, college students, communities and groups to strengthen youth education advocacy and volunteerism.
UDI also uses a variety of fundraising, cross-branding and cross promotion strategies, as well as live event and online product sales, to fund and develop youth education programs.
Currently teaming with Eastern Michigan University (EMU), UDI is developing a national model that will forge partnerships between colleges and universities, and community agencies. It is also establishing a national peer mentor project initiative that will match college students with high school students, and high school students with grade school students, to empower students to strive for and achieve higher education goals that will result in improved academic and professional outcomes.
Some of the current programs developed or supported by UDI include:
A self-defense and safety awareness program developed in cooperation with The Detroit Threat Management Center helps school-aged children feel more assured and able to protect themselves in their communities by gaining the skills and strategic thinking needed to do so, while fostering self-discipline and respect.
The Model Student Fashion Career Development Program introduces the world of fashion to schools via instructional photography, videography, fashion design, modeling and hair and make-up styling. The program is also structured to reinforce overall academic performance.
Public Art Workz is a summer camp that teaches creative arts and merchandising to inner-city youth. UDI and BlightBusters (a Detroit-based not-for-profit organization) are organizing a major fundraiser in June 2008, featuring Motown recording artists, The Miracles and The Contours, to support this important program.
UniTee Design products are currently available at Spectacles and Naim’s Unique Designs in Detroit, Phat Gear in Atlanta, EMU, Wayne State University, and major national distribution is slated for early spring. Several joint ventures are in the works with The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, HBCU Kidz, The Detroit HBCU Network, and others. UDI is introducing new apparel designs and product lines to include sweatshirts, sports jerseys, baseball caps, etc., and will produce “Purpose Provider” (“edutainment”) events throughout the country.
The urgency to achieve higher levels of academic successes for our youth is obvious. Thus, your input, involvement and collaborations towards a common cause, greater good and brighter future are vital.
We need to find better ways to educate our youth. Together, we can give them the best.
R. Lee Gordon
UniTee Design, Inc.
www.uniteedesign.com
rgordon@uniteedesign.com
Toll Free: 888.OUR.RBG.TEES
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