These four Baltimore teens create Korner Boyz Enterprises with a resolution to a problem America can’t solve on its own. Khalil, Leroy, Taetae and Keyon met with Baltimore board members to discuss business.
What the Baltimore board members did not expect, was to walk into a room with four teens, three of them with hoodies, and water bottles as much a product demonstration as a source of refreshment.
The boys were currently known as the squeegee boys. They were teens who took up to helping people with daily task by cleaning with squeegee’s.
Last winter, a young man who works at the Maryland Institute College of Art started talking with squeegee boys who worked near MICA, at Mount Royal and North avenues. Kai Crosby-Singleton is community liaison for MICA’s Office of Strategic Initiatives. He observed the squeegee boys, all of whom are black, being verbally abused with racial epithets as they tried to earn money by cleaning windshields. However, that did not stop their work ethic. Kai became more involved with the teens. He would eventually learn about their struggles in life.
Eventually, Kai invited the young men to an event. The squeegee boys attended the annual Baltimore Thinkathon, a day of brainstorming by some of the city’s most creative women and men. The Thinkathon is a collaboration of MICA and the Baltimore Cultural Alliance; Sheri Parks, culture critic and MICA vice-president, established it seven years ago.
As five of the boys attended the Thinkathon they met many mentors. They met Parks. They met Adrian Harpool, a communications specialist and campaign strategist, and Michael Scott, who runs the non-profit Equity Matters. Unique Robinson, artist and MICA faculty member, got involved. So did Harpool’s son, Ian. They all volunteered time, talents and knowledge at regular meetings at MICA.
As a result from those discussions, the idea of helping the boys get into the bottled-water market developed. Some of the boys had already experienced selling water on the streets, or knew someone who had. According to The Baltimore Sun the boys wanted to get into the business right away.
They went on to form Korner Boyz Enterprises. The bottles have an encouraging motto on the back saying “Freedom to hustle.” The water can be ordered at www.kbzenterprises.com
With so many people hearing about the movement the though that it could also help Flint Michigan has become a topic. Therefore, The Black Dollar Movement has put together a gofundme to purchase bottled water from this newly launched company The Korner Boyz Enterprises to send clean water to flint Michigan.
The Black Dollar Movement reported that 90% of all juveniles arrested in Baltimore are African Americans? By helping you could be saving these young Men lives and possibly open other opportunities for other young African American boys!
