Thank you to all who came out and helped us celebrate the holidays. Here’s to a wonderful 2024 and an even more prosperous 2025!
If you’re planning a holiday event, dinner, etc., contact Shipwreck Seafood Boutique & Eatery, located at 348 Nostrand Ave, in the heart of Bed Stuy.
Resident Bklyn Combine member/photographer, Devon Smith Jr., recently fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a supermodel. Mr. “Zoolander” a.k.a. @devon.da.dude swapped his spot behind the camera for a seat before the lens. He showcased his winning smile alongside the Priority Current Plus E-Bike and was featured on the Priority Bicycles website.
As usual around this time of year, the Art Ready crew visited the Brooklyn Combine. We enjoyed drawing logos and discussing old Brooklyn, music, art, design, and community.
Each year we get to hang with the creme de la creme of the Smack Mellon world, right in our office. We look forward to working with a few of this season’s Art Ready group.
Combine Day 24 was extra special this year. Year 5 was one of our best years yet. Combine Day started with all around vibes as our vendors and community partners showed up and showed out!
Our usual musical engineers, FON Soundsystem, began setting the mood for the day with high-energy soul music. We have the perfect balance of community, joy, ujamaa, education, and culture.
HYCIDE's curation was incredible with Fine Ass Front providing custom grillz for the masses along with art and a live performance by Newark's own, Euphony. Euphony was accompanied by Smutty Warhol, Mount Vernon's rap sensation.
Thanks to Kenji Summers for leading us in a spiritually-centering meditation to help get everyone in the proper space to receive the day's electric energy. And the talented young violinists from Noel Pointer Foundation for their incredible live performance.
Special thanks to all of our vendors and community partners:
- Anu Designs by Nkrumah
- Black Girls Sew
- Black Men Build
- CAS Prep
- Choose Healthy Life
- CMAAEEC
- Dixonian Jewels
- Dr. Pooch
- Fine Ass Fronts
- Good People NYC
- Ms. Spudz
- Nelise Nasheida Textiles
- Noel Pointer Foundation
- One Love Community Fridge
- Plush Pineapples
- So Grounded
- Summit Charter School
- TheNewCari.com
- Urban Planti
The Bklyn Combine partnered with BAM Rose Cinemas for a special screening of The Spook Who Sat by the Door, a 1973 film adaptation of a novel written by Sam Greenlee. The fictional story, directed by Ivan Dixon, is about Dan Freeman, the first black CIA officer, and of the CIA's history of training persons and political groups who later used their specialized training against the CIA.
After the screening, Bklyn Combine partner, Uncle Keith, moderated a panel discussion on the film and its impact over 50 years after its release. Our esteemed panelists were restaurateur, Aunts et Uncles, Nicole Nicholas; writer and cultural critic, Bonsu Thompson; actor and philanthropist, Jamie Hector; and daughter Natiki Greenlee.
Thank you to all who came out and supported.
We are back with another year of community, culture, ujamaa, education, and all around joy. This is also an opportunity to support the Combine marketplace vendors and our community partners.
One Love Community Fridge will be providing free food so be sure to come out early while supplies last!
This year we are also partnering with CMAAEEC and our resident curator extraordinaire, Eric Edwards will lead groups through this African Art Exhibit located only steps away upstairs at the gallery.
Black Girls Sew will conduct live tote-making workshops and we will test your chess skills with our brothers from Imagine Chess and much more.
In addition, FON Soundsystem will lay the soundtrack to a wonderful day and we will end the evening with a danceparty under the tent!
“it don’t stop, it won’t stop”
this phrase among others, were the wise words our now departed, brother, comrade, genius, … Dallas Penn.
As our sister and Dallas Penn’s widow, Susan Penn, a.k.a. “Chocolate Snowflake”, so eloquently stated:
“Dallas has ascended to the music that was waiting for him. From September 1970 to April 2024, he always said, “it don’t stop, it won’t stop”, and he’s waiting for us all at the Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, Sean Price Party in the sky. Rest my love and see you in our other lifetimes. Love you always, for all time.”
In honor of Dallas Penn’s legacy, The Bklyn Combine, in partnership Susan Penn, will provide a special scholarship for high school and college students focusing on storytelling, podcasting, creative writing, and restorative justice. Our brother was a steward of youth mentorship and all-around fairness and equality. This scholarship will help provide support to access the tools and resources necessary for success.
To help contribute to a young person getting access to the Dallas Penn Storytelling Fund.
REST-IN-PEACE DP
On June 1st, 2024, The Brooklyn Combine partnered with District 35 Councilmember Crystal Hudson's office and several community partners to support the migrant community, the newest members of the Clinton Hill neighborhood.
This collaboration aimed to provide essential resources, including access to legal aid, healthcare services, food was provided by One Love Community Fridge, and we provided clothing distribution with St. Mary’s Clothing Drive, and grooming services were provided by Platinum Cuts Barbershop located at 508 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn.
In addition, the event featured workshops to help migrants navigate local systems, get access to English language classes, and legal assistance, fostering a sense of belonging and solidarity within the Clinton Hill community.
This initiative reflected The Brooklyn Combine’s commitment to empowering underserved populations through education, resources, and community support.
All photos by Devon Smith Jr.
In the first half of 2024 we worked closely with our Art Ready cohort to create our final Smack Mellon art exhibition.
Our first field trip was to the Brooklyn Museum and we spent most of our visit at the Copy Machine Manifestos, exhibit. This field trip turned out to be quite pivotal. We ended up choosing zines as our Art Ready project.
It was a wonderful journey into the world of publishing as we collaborated in creating art to be used in our respective zines. Each zine would be an exercise in self-expression. Collectively we chose the name “PINCH” as our title. Each issue of PINCH was a window into the world of each artist.
Pinch Zines is comprised of the following artists/mentors:
1. Dwayne Montgomery (mentor)
2. Josiah Marquis
3. Charlie Vasquez
4. Amy Dopwell
5. Taran Kilgour
6. Dioris Veloz
7. Angus Ni
A Special THANK YOU is extended to our esteemed community partner, Adrian Fanus, and his amazing team at AFG.
On Sunday, February 25, 2024 we joined forces with Adrian Fanus Grooming, from noon to 5 pm for another enriching opportunity to strengthen bonds with our migrant family members. This time, Adrian graciously invited us to bring the Human Connection project to his Bushwick headquarters. Motivated by his own experience as a migrant arriving in the States from Saint Lucia, Adrian understood the feeling of being a stranger in a new place all too well and wanted to contribute in his own meaningful way.
During the pop-up, we provided clothing, food, haircuts, and positive energy! Additionally, generous donations of gift bags filled with Adrian Fanus skincare products were warmly received. Our goal is always to provide resources while making our new extended family feel welcome to Brooklyn.
On Saturday, December 23, 2023 at the Bklyn Combine, we came together as a community to continue supporting our migrant family in Brooklyn. Our diaspora has always used food, music, and dialogue to move forward collectively. With dignity, we continued the tradition of finding solutions to these challenges.
The Combine teamed up with community partners, One Love Community Fridge, and Africa Chop House creating a holistic atmosphere of food, music, and community within a warm and inviting space.
To support our continued efforts, please donate here.
The Bklyn Combine’s 2023 holiday toast was a special gathering because not only did we celebrate the completion of another year of nation-building, but we also just opened a new office in the heart of Brooklyn’s, Clinton Hill neighborhood.
Needless to say, we had a great turnout and a memorable evening with our Combine family. If you missed this year’s toast, then stay tuned for the next event. We look forward to seeing you.
Thank you to all who came out to help us celebrate the holiday season!
THE GIVEBACK is The Bklyn Combine’s focused efforts to help provide food and resources to any migrants in need.
We are supporting the efforts of the city to address the overwhelming migrant crisis in Brooklyn.
JOIN US EVERY SATURDAY IN DECEMBER 2023
1-3PM
Location:
THE BKLYN COMBINE
198A ROGERS AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11225
Contact: ps@bklyncombine.com
We will provide FREE food, men’s clothing, coats, and footwear to migrants while supplies last.
*DONATIONS ARE WELCOME
- Food
- Men’s Coats
- Men’s Clothing
- Men’s Shoes
Get informed about the migrant crisis:
nytimes.com
thecity.nyc
npr.org
newyorker.com
news.yahoo.com
lavocedinewyork.com
wfmj.com
Photos by Devon Smith Jr.
Combine Day 2023 was a complete vibe.
This day of community bonding was epic as per usual. Your family at The Bklyn Combine always aim to provide a welcoming atmosphere for the Brooklyn family at large. This annual ‘come one, come all‘ event has become a true beacon in the central Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed Stuy.
Thank you to all who came out and celebrated with us at our first Annual Fundraiser Fete. It was an unforgettable evening with Bklyn Combine family as we honored three individuals making the world a much better place:
Eric Edwards, Founder of The Cultural Museum of African Art
Erica Mateo, Community Activist/Disruptor
Ekpe Udoh, Professional Basketball Player/Reading Advocate
The night was sheer magic as we were treated to the music of our favorite DJ and Bklyn Combine member: Asen James of FON Adaptive along with our hosts for the evening Combine “Queen”, Cheshire Boone and Poet/writer Joél Leon.
We also had a silent auction with numerous art pieces and rare collectibles donated by several members of our dear Combine community.
If you missed it fear not, as we have a number of Combine events coming up this Summer and we always provide a recap so you never completely miss out. Respect and Power from your family at The Bklyn Combine.
The Bklyn Combine continues a tradition of honoring the legacy of our ancestors for their tremendous contributions to the worldwide community. Learn more
Listen to the podcast while you view the exhibit:
Act III - by Divensley Toussaint-Charles
Once upon a time, in a world where diverse cultures thrived, there existed a land called Mirror, a place where people from different corners of the globe coexisted, each bringing their unique stories, traditions, and perspectives to the tapestry of this multicultural realm.
This creative print project was brought to you by Art Ready (a Smack Mellon Student/Mentor project in partnership with The Bklyn Combine). The Art Ready student artists involved in this production are:
Veronica Castanos
Bren Godoy
Monica Hernandez
Rui Huang
With creative assistance from Bklyn Combine team members:
Devon Smith Jr.
Divensley Toussaint-Charles
Kyrone Gladden
MIRROR Short Film (Duration: 13:39)
5 ACTS
Act I - 00:08 by Veronica Castanos
Act II - 02:55 by Rui Huang
Act III - 06:01 by Divensley Toussaint-Charles
Act IV - 07:10 by Bren Godoy
Act V - 10:18 by Monica Hernandez
What a year! 2022 was choc-full-o’ new experiences and for the Combine, we had quite a memorable year. From the start of our ‘Today’s Math’, Saturday mentoring program to a group of Combine members traveling to Kenya and Tanzania for the first time, we have had no shortage of eventful times and momentous celebrations.
I think it is safe to say that the highlight of our year was the introduction of 4 particular (brand-new) members to The Bklyn Combine. We welcomed the Summer births of: Hobbs Jr., Ace, Atom, and Combine granddaughter, Collette (they all arrived weeks apart).
These among many others were excellent reasons to come together for our annual Toast. We welcomed another holiday season and honored our ancestors with our community. Here’s to another year of building our community. Cheers!
The Summer of 2022 was outstanding for The Bklyn Combine. Despite this fact, in typical end-of-summer vibes, all good things must come to an end. With that said, we decided to offer a 2-session, screen printing intensive workshop to engage our young Combine members before school started back up.
We had fun with our resident screen printer extraordinaire, Brother Shaun. He showed us the ropes, taking us through the process from concept to sketch to print-ready art.
An Unconventional Mentoring Program
developed by We All Count, LLC, WAR Peace Seeker Academy, and IQ Capital Inc. in association with The Bklyn Combine.
Every Saturday Starting November 5, 2022, 10am-12pm
STARTING NOVEMBER 5TH, please join us every Saturday for a math-focused mentoring program with a twist. Learn from educators offering unique insights into the discipline. We will explore the fundamentals of problem-solving in a fun environment.
Our goal is to take the intimidation out of math, emphasizing how the application of math affects everyday life and so many other disciplines. Help us facilitate creative and critical thinking.
THE BKLYN COMBINE
198A Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225
What a day! Once again Combine Day 2022 did not disappoint.
This day of community bonding was epic as per usual. Your family at The Bklyn Combine always aim to provide a welcoming atmosphere for the Brooklyn family at large. This annual ‘come one, come all‘ event has become a true beacon in the central Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed Stuy.
We have to begin by thanking our community partners:
- Ari Grove Company
- Beneficial Sea Moss
- Black Men Build
- Brooklyn Scholar Athletes Inc.
- CAS Prep
- Dixonian Jewels
- Elements TDP
- Ella Baker Institute
- Kuumba Early Childhood Partner
- Finor X
- Tesserts Sweet and Savory Desserts
And all who came out to support and share in a day of pure vibes and kinship.
We started off the afternoon with music from Combine partners, FON Soundsystem. They were followed by longtime Combine family and hip-hop legends, Da Beatminerz: Mr. Walt and DJ Evil Dee. Our evening was set off by the lovely and soulful, Reborn. She was then followed by featured guest performer, Lordy a.k.a. AKNHLEJOHN.
Until next year we hope to see you in August of 2023.
PEACE
Please join us for our annual #CombineDay event on Friday, August 19, 2022 at @bedstuyrestoration 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216
5-10pm
It will be a celebration of Community, Commerce, & Culture, in partnership with our family at @goodpeople_nyc
Music provided by: hometeam @fonsoundsystem, The Legendary @beatminerz @djevildee, and the lovely & globally recognized, @djreborn
PLUS: Special guest performance by #ANKHLEJOHN @Ankhnasty
Support local businesses at our Global Village Marketplace where you will see the likes of:
@walkerwear
@kavibrooklyn
@finorx
@supremacyproject
@bkfridges
@brooklynscholars
@alifeny
@dickandjanes
@cmaaeec
And much more!
We partnered with Smack Mellon once again for Art Ready 2022. We worked with high school and middle school students as well as peer mentors on a project called live forever. The project involved creating a time capsule and several art pieces that reflect the unified “Live 4ever” theme.
Arnsonia and Kyrone were Art Ready‘s high school students along with peer leaders, Devon Smith Jr., Nemo Ibrihim, Godly Didi, Dante Alford, and Bklyn Combine mentee, Kwadwo Magloire.
In addition to the wooden time capsule that we built with the help and guidance of Devon and Sarah from Beam Center, we also created unique family crests. For each of the family crests designed, we created a 3-D print to be included in the time capsule.
This year’s Art Ready team also drew characters that we developed as NFTs. These NFTs reflect the Live 4ever theme and are referred to as “The 4EVERS”. In addition, (with a ton of help from Sarah) we printed miniature versions of our NFT characters as collectible risograph prints.
The group didn’t stop there. They also wrote and recited poems that reflect our individual interpretations of the Live 4ever mantra. These poems were recited in this recap of our project. Special thank you to Beam Center, Bucktown USA, and many others.
Children are our future! This is just one of the mantras of The Bklyn Combine and we are helping shape young minds at Tweed Courthouse School, located in the Civic Center neighborhood of Manhattan, in the northern portion of City Hall Park.
Our resident horticulturist and facilitator, Cheryl, has been working with Tweed’s Pre-K classes on group projects using farming techniques like raised bed potting student scavenger hunts and material collection, interactive learning stations, and much more.
Building responsive, healthy, nurturing, and predictable environments are at the center of Tweed’s pedagogy. The Combine’s Pre-K farming program kept this at the center of its mission. Mrs. Aisha Thurman-Cosby, Early Childhood Director, and her staff at Tweed are incredible to collaborate with and truly embody the following quote “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” – Dr. John Trainer
DOWNLOAD THE THIRD EDITION OF COMBINE PRESS
The Bklyn Combine produced its third edition of the Combine Commons Press. This installment of the paper is a Black History tribute assembled during the month of February. In this issue, we explore The Combine Honors, a new tradition of paying homage to our ancestors for their tremendous contributions.
In addition, the latest issue features the usual HYCIDE section and a featured photo story from Combine member and photographer extraordinaire, Khidr Joseph. Not to mention stories by Combine members: Kenneth J. Montgomery, PLLC, Dr. keith africa, Phillip Shung, and guest editor and Combine family member, Marlon Rice. Accompanying Kenneth’s “White Supremacy” story is the illustrious photography of regular collaborator and Combine family member, Jamel Shabazz.
The Bklyn Combine begins a tradition of honoring the legacy of their ancestors for their tremendous contributions to the worldwide community. Learn more
The Combine has reconnected with longtime partner, Smack Mellon for another year of their Art Ready program. For their 2021-22 season we will be exploring some aspects of graphic design with a few of the Art Ready students.
In the past, we have developed clothing brands, magazines, photography, writing, comic books, and more with our mentees.
As per every year, we always start off each new Art Ready with a group visit from all of the students. On this particular visit, mentor, Phillip Shung shares his career journey with community partner, Aliffer Sabek from BKFridges.
PHILLIPS Auction House invited The Bklyn Combine back for a walkthrough of their 20th Century & Contemporary Art day and evening sales.
We extended the invitation to our partners at City Polytechnic H.S. (shout out to Ms. Shannon and Principal McKoy) and Art Ready (shout out to Willa and Kathleen at Smack Mellon).
An extra special thanks to Roma Patel and team for inviting us back for the 20th Century art walkthrough. It was such an enlightening experience and our kids had a blast learning about some of the art world’s biggest names as well as some rising stars. It’s not every day you get to see an original Basquiat up close and personal.
On 20 September, Phillips Auction House, in collaboration with Saint Fleur and Project Backboard, unveiled a curated art exhibit entitled, “The Crossover”, with a fully functioning, site-specific basketball court at the auction house’s new headquarters located at 432 Park Avenue.
The court, visible from the sidewalk of Park Avenue, featured a commissioned wall mural and court installation by Brooklyn-based artist Steph Costello, and the space was activated by programming with local students in collaboration with the Bklyn Combine, as well as free guided tours for children and teenagers. The court was also completely open to the public by appointment. This exciting collaboration supported the sale of 13 works of art, which are being offered in the New Now auction on September 29, 2021 with proceeds benefitting the artists and Project Backboard directly.
Combine community partner, Kicks Academy asked the us to come out and hang with the team and capture some behind-the-scenes footage as they commemorated the unveiling of a custom sneaker collaboration with We Are Underdogs.
Founder, George Duval started Kicks Academy with Coach Mike because of their mutual love for sneakers and the culture of footwear. They currently operate afterschool programs in a number of schools throughout NYC and abroad and have developed a collaboration with the sneaker brand, We are Underdogs.
Kicks Academy x We are Underdogs ft. Tay Carter is a pairing of Kaito Choi with Innovation High School student and KA scholar, Tay Carter. Tay’s inspiration includes many Harlem fixtures and style connections among revolutionary icon Malcolm X.
The Bklyn Combine joined KAVI and GMACC for a week of Restorative Justice training.
The Restorative Justice Training took place the week of September 13th. The training was facilitated by Eric, Noble, and Vivianne who work with the Transformational Prison Project (TPP). TPP is committed to understanding individual harms and the systemic harms that affect communities, more specifically communities of color.
After an exceptional week with a group of powerful individuals, we felt revitalized and look forward to the next RJ Session with our community partners.
The Bklyn Combine presents Black August, a day to celebrate and acknowledge the spirit and practice of self determinism The Bklyn Combine hosted Black August on Friday, August 20, 2021. The event is an affirmation of the collective will to prevail in the face of systemic adversity, but also to salute the heritage of freedom fighters, artists, poets, farmers, caretakers and the entire community.
This July Combine member, Phillip Shung joined the boys trip to Alaska to help document and experience life outdoors in McCarthy St Elias/Kennicott. The group arrived only a week after motivational speaker, Carlos Whittaker joined the leadership group for an authentic Alaska experience and raised in a single day helped raise the group over $250k. What an accomplishment!! Special shout out to Carlos for believing in an incredible program.
This year’s Bk2Ak groups experienced incredible views, ice climbing, physical challenges, bonding, and building lifelong friendships. The boys completed their 2-week trip then 1-week later the girls followed up with their Alaskan expedition.
THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
With a decade of experience providing recreational and excursive experiences in the Alaskan wilderness for youth from New York City, our partners at Brooklyn To Alaska launched The BK2AK leadership program.
The program trains ‘graduates’ from previous years, to become outdoor guides; leading future Brooklyn to Alaska participants, as well as private clients, on river rafting trips, overnight backpacking, ice climbing, and glacier hikes.
In March of 2021, Combine members, Mali & Che, along with Phill joined a small group of leaders for a week on a training mission in Bryson City, NC to learn additional rafting skills and techniques. The team had a great experience bonding with the leaders and eventually going on the water with them to see what they had learned. What a time, to be alive!
Umoja Is A Free Downloadable Coloring Book For The Family
In response to COVID-19, an increase in remote learning, and an overall lack of art in our public school system, Richard Beavers Gallery has created a collectible coloring book in collaboration with Bklyn Combine for the youngest to the eldest art lover in every household. One of the seven core principles of Kwanzaa, UMOJA is the Swahili word for "unity". It means to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. This book will hopefully bring out the artist inside of us all.
The artworks included in this UMOJA coloring book were generously shared by a collective of internationally acclaimed artists invested in the future of our creative community.
We at Richard Beavers Gallery and Bklyn Combine, hope you find this coloring book therapeutic in a time when we need to remain optimistic and resilient. Stay healthy and safe!
COMBINE MENTORING IS BACK!
JOIN US VIRTUALLY:
SATURDAY MORNINGS
10AM - 12PM
Signup Sheet:
Signup for Mentoring
Zoom Link:
bit.ly/combinezoom
Session I: Nov through Dec 2020
Session II: Jan through Jun 2021
COMBINE MENTORING
For the past 7 years, The Bklyn Combine has partnered with Mott Hall Bridges Academy and Kappa V middle schools mentoring young boys and girls ages 8 and up. Both schools are located in Brownsville, Brooklyn and we mentor every Saturday from 10am-1pm. The purpose of the Bklyn Combine mentorship program is to teach young students our core curriculum which consists of basic life skills as well as specialized tech skills like web coding. We have also conducted field trips and remote workshops on photography and podcasting with MoCADA x HYCIDE Magazine and hackathons at Yale University and Spotify to name a few.
We also regularly execute 6-, 8-, and 12-week workshops with partners likewith KAVI, NYCHA, and Court Innovations in schools in Red Hook, Brooklyn on STEM and Storytelling through photography and podcasting, as well as specialized muliti-session workshops with CUNY and Black Men Teach on our Bklyn Combine pedagogy.
The Bklyn Combine mentorship program serves as a reminder that the youth are powerful, unstoppable, and unbreakable. As a collective, we are tasked with developing young minds to carry the torch to build the community from the inside out.
We are honored to have been recognized by ESSENCE as an 2020 Essential Hero. We were part of a special tribute on November 18th at 6PM ET. It was streamed on http://essence.com and via ESSENCE’s FB Live.
Sponsored by AT&T, Disney Pixar, Hyundai & Walt Disney World. #myessentialheroes
On Friday, August 21, 2020 @bedstuyrestoration; home of Brooklyn’s #BlackLivesMatterMural on Fulton Street we celebrated @BklynCombine Day!
Come out and enjoy music responsibly with social distancing while restoring community and culture with performances by Natasha Beckley, Topaz Jones, and Brooklyn’s own, Smif N Wessun.
Mock trials have proven to be an effective learning tool for students of all grade levels. It helps them understand the law, develop critical thinking skills, and gain greater confidence with public speaking by assuming the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictional criminal or civil trial.
Participants experience first-hand the difficulties that judges, lawyers, and juries face in determining which facts are relevant and what legal arguments are effective.
Pictured here are mentors, Felton and Jordan preparing their witness, Taylor, to represent King Leopold in his trial against the People of The Congo.
In February of 2021, a few members of The Bklyn Combine had the pleasure of accompanying Combine family member and Brooklyn To Alaska founder, Sam Gregory. They spent a wonderfully challenging and enriching nine days in remote McCarthy, Alaska.
From snowmobiling for 6hrs straight to withstanding -30º temps, it was a trip to remember. Aside from the physical and mental challenges, witnessing the Northern lights seemed to be the crew favorite. For more details check out “The New Alaskans Episode” of the Bklyn Combine Podcast.
The Bklyn Combine was invited to BEAM Center to build a portable Bluetooth speaker in 2020, only weeks before we all got word that there was a pandemic that would impact our world as we knew it.
Luckily we had a wonderful time working with Beam’s brilliant staff constructing custom, Bluetooth speakers with die-cut messages on the finished speaker. Our kids learned how to build a speaker from scratch, from soldering the wires directly onto the circuit board to customizing the casing of the speakers.
Special thanks to our community partners at BEAM Center.
DeAndre Jordan gave back during the holidays!
— DEANDRE JORDAN, NBA CARES COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD RECIPIENT
In 2019, Brooklyn Nets star DeAndre Jordan gave back to the kids during the holidays with DJ’s #6DaysofGiving. Good Morning America’s TJ Holmes met up with Deandre and the Bklyn Combine to join in on the holiday cheer.
On Thursday, November 2nd, Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI) hosted their first annual Peace and Unity Fundraiser at Bklyn Commons.
KAVI is a nonprofit organization that is helping youth in Central Brooklyn eliminate violence from their lives by supporting their education, providing leadership development and connecting them with essential therapeutic health services.
KAVI is doing similar work in the community so at The Bklyn Combine we value, support, and collaborate with them regularly.
Bklyn Combine's, Kenneth J. Montgomery, PLLC was invited as a guest speaker at P.S. 327's Induction of National Honor Society members. Humbled to have been included, Ken had the following to say about his experience, "I salute them, their family, school, and community. It was a pleasant surprise to see the principal of the school was a former schoolmate and classmate at the same school, P.S. 327 when we were kids." #brownsvillebrooklyn. @kjmpllc
Los Cinco Hermanos (LCH) is a book that chronicles a band of brothers that was formed in the summer of 2017. This Brooklyn collective came together after an invitation was extended to some of the brothers from The Bklyn Combine by Sam Gregory, a good friend and criminal defense attorney based in Brooklyn, NY.
Sam runs an organization called Brooklyn To Alaska that takes a group of 15 young men from Brooklyn, NY to McCarthy, Alaska every Summer for 14 days. These young men learn survival skills and basic life skills while being exposed to the last frontier. Whether pitching a tent every night and sleeping under the stars to rafting for a number of days these young men connect and learn from adversity and collaboration.
¡VIVA LA ALASKA!
Brooklyn to Alaska is a nonprofit whose mission is to bring brave and adventurous urban youth to the wilderness of Alaska. With the Wrangell-St.Elias National Park as their classroom, the organization strives to inspire and challenge the Brooklyn teens to overcome obstacles, develop self-confidence, and experience the power of open communication and teamwork.
Contribute to The Brooklyn To Alaska Project and allow a city kid to experience travel, new perspectives and the power of nature. We keep our trip groups small to ensure individual attention and the most extensive trip through the Alaskan Wilderness.
On Saturday, November 16, 2019, The Bklyn Combine partnered with BCJC, Dr L. Toni Lewis, Life Wellness Center, and a host of others to produce a 1-day event to address the healing process in Brownsville Brooklyn after a recent community member was killed.
The day included music, refreshments, meditation, yoga, arts & crafts, community activism, and in-depth discussions about the healing process when faced with consistent trauma.
Check out the Healing & Justice zine here.
The Combine constantly encourages our scholars to control their own narratives. From the youngest child to the eldest mentor we have established a system of tools that help build and promote critical thinking.
We have been known to hit the streets of Brownsville armed with a Zoom recorder and a litany of questions to find out what the people in the neighborhood really feel about a particular subject or historical topic.
(Launching 2022)
Send and receive Combine Coin with anyone in the BklynCombine, pay for meals, clothing, language lessons, haircuts, and range of services offered in our marketplace. Donate to an important cause or tip workers in our community.
We Live In Brooklyn is an opportunity to help shape a new narrative taking shape in the borough. One of resistance, resilience and a sense of pride that involves a changing landscape and ever-changing demographic. I felt it necessary to tell a visual story of the Brooklyn I see in my everyday travels, through annual gatherings that bring out some of the most unique, stylish and beautiful people to exist and other events like DanceAfrica and Afropunk. I felt like there was an opportunity to share some of the beauty I saw in my borough.
@moithuk
The Combine took our scholars on a field trip to the Ecology Park Forest Restoration where we learned quite a bit about the many plants and trees in the Ecology Park from fellow Bklyn Combine Mentor and NYC Parks Department Steward, Floyd Jarvis.
The Bklyn Combine has collaborated with Smack Mellon Gallery located in Dumbo, Brooklyn for the past 11 years. We have mentored a group of approx 4-5 students for half the school year in a number of creative projects from starting a fashion brand to publishing a magazine and in 2019 we created a comic book with our kids.
Special thanks to our talented Smack Mellon scholars, Olga, Addis, Jayson, and Peter as well as Combine interns Yizzy, Devon and Jhdae. Hard work pays off!
Extended Bklyn Combine family and fellow education collaborator, Coach Mike, invited us out to a day with Nike at Pacplex stadium in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
We had an amazing day with friends learning about some of Nike’s sports and design programs as they led soccer and sneaker design workshops for our scholars.
Special shoutout to Coach Mike and P.S. 297! #untilweallwin
The Cultural Museum of African Art Eric Edwards Collection (CMAAEEC), conducted a 3-week workshop with The Bklyn Combine and I Matter on African artifacts from his collection that originated from the Congo. In addition, Mr. Edwards showed us many pieces from other regions and shared the stories of their acquisitions.
The Pixod team joined Dr. Lopez and Mott Hall Bridges Academy for a day with Lowekey’s summer capsule for a day at Met Life Stadium. We had the pleasure of getting a tour of the stadium and a talk with former NY Giant/talk show host, Michael Strahan.
It was a day to remember with the summer camp scholars and our Mott Hall Bridges Academy family.
The Bklyn Combine visited LIU to share insight on international business. Combine members, Keith White and Phillip Shung discussed how the combine started and where it is headed as an organization both domestically and internationally.
Special shoutout to Ousman Ndim!
GEORGETOWN
In 2017 Shung took a trip to visit his family in GT (Georgetown, Guyana). He met 20+ new family members on his pilgrimage back to the old country. He and his wife Chaba made the South American trek with his auntie-cousin Whelma.
Needless to say, 3-weeks with a host of new family members quickly turned into a coffee table book that he wanted to share with the world.
Imatter was started in 2015 at Mott Hall Bridges Academy to fill a void. Many of the members of the Combine have a unique vantage point being from Brooklyn and being able to give back to the community that raised them by mentoring young scholars from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.
Principal Nadia Lopez entrusted the Bklyn Combine with teaching her scholars everything from coding, to law, to history and more.
The Bklyn Combine took the Imatter scholars on a field trip to Canarsie to visit Combine mentor and Canarsie Neighborhood Alliance founder, Floyd Jarvis for a morning lesson on horticulture and tree/flower planting.
Floyd started the CNA to help make Canarsie greener 1 block at a time!
The Bklyn Combine took our Imatter scholars to visit Combine family and resident “uncle” Eric Edwards and he took us through a few artifacts in his collection.
The Cultural Museum of African Art is an experience created by African artifacts collector Mr. Edwards, who has amassed one of the largest African art collections in the United States. These items are from all areas of the continent.
Smack Mellon’s Art Ready program connects NYC public high school students in 10th through 12th grades with professional artists and creatives currently practicing in their respective fields.
The Bklyn Combine has partnered with Smack Mellon for the past decade working with their student artists and curating group projects in art, photography, fashion, anime, and journalism.
In 2018, the students created a fashion collection called “Noir Deus” and brought all of their skills to the table to bring to life a unique cut and sew fashion brand, look book, and fashion show.
In the summer of 2016 The Bklyn Combine worked with KAVI Yo to document their work at The High School of Public Service. We invited guest artist, Ease to share some local Brooklyn history with our KAVI summer camp crew.
Needless to say, we had a blast learning about our KAVI Yo students and their ideas about violence and ways we can prevent situations and disagreements from escalating.
Project K.I.S.S.'s mission is to identify HIV positive youth between the ages of 13-24 and bring them into medical care through referrals. This organization offers FREE STD TESTING. that may or may not be a clinic that offers other medical services.
The Bklyn Combine and Pixod have partnered with YWCHAC and the NY Presbyterian/Project K.I.S.S. team for the past 7 years to produce an annual fashion show to highlight the talents of local youth throughout NYC as well as to conduct the following at every live event:
- Conventional HIV Oral Test
- Free HIV Testing
- Rapid HIV Oral Test
Additional partners included fashion experts, Pamela Shepard-Hill and Jah Love. With their creative leadership, each of the fashion shows exemplified excellence and community.
For our 2019 Art Ready program we had some serious illustrators so we decided to create a comic book. Let’s just say our team was stacked and we came to play. Our comic book was called ‘Combined’ and was a true testament to the title.
We collaborated and competed in a symbiotic way. From weighing in on characters, plots, and more, the group was a pleasure to work with and it showed in the final product.
With the help of Combine mentor and resident fashion dude, Rodney, we took a few scholars on a field trip to the fashion brand, Noah. At Noah, Rodney oversees online operations and he setup a visit to the store with a select group of young people to share what he and his colleague do on a daily basis.
Special thanks to Rodney and Noah for taking the time to speak to our future fashion entrepreneurs and business owners.
The Bklyn Combine was honored to be featured in Essence’s “Do Good Brothers” campaign sponsored by Crown Royal. The campaign placed a spotlight on men and organizations that contribute to their communities nation-wide.
Every November for the past 11+ years, The Bklyn Combine has hosted Smack Mellon’s Art Ready program for a site visit. The Art Ready program is free and open to students attending New York City public high schools. The program engages young people in a way no other arts education program does. It pairs students directly with working artists; the students learn firsthand over the course of a school year what it is to be an artist.
The Smack Mellon team typically brings about 20 or so high school students to our office every year in November for a site visit so we can tell them about our company and about Pixod. The students then make their top 5 selections for mentors they would like to work with.
The following January is when Art Ready does their mentor match day.
In 2018 The Bklyn Combine collaborated with the Mayor’s Action Plan, (MAP) to develop a mentorship program/internship with Red Hook Public Housing and Summit Academy.
We designed and taught a photography and storytelling curriculum that involved podcasting and coding as well as traditional black and white film photography.
At the conclusion of the program, each student received a framed/print of their selected photos, a photo exhibition at a local gallery, and a certificate of completion of the course.
In the beginning, there were many ideas being tossed around but we managed to narrow it down to three main topics. Our magazine encompassed a combination of these areas of focus: cosplay, technology, and homelessness. Each topic made up a piece of the stew that was in the proverbial “melting pot”, hence the name Melt™.
In our 2015 Art Ready cohort we had a wonderful group of young minds. They all wanted to develop a clothing brand so we did just that. From soup to nuts we crafted a brand from sketches and ideas and brought it to life through collaboration.
The brand was called 4th Quarter and focused on popular historic black figures of past and present from Michael Jordan to Jackie Robinson. In addition to screenprinting the collection themselves, our team also had a fashion show the day of the final exhibit. Check out the 4ourth Quarter look book here.
Job well done!
We went on a little field trip to some of Brooklyn’s best fashion destinations. We took our guys to visit Combine extended family, Calvan Fowler, founder of Jordan Heads Boutique located in Bed Stuy Brooklyn. Then we visited streetwear legend, April Walker, Founder of Walker Wear. And lastly, we stopped by Fort Greene to visit one of Brooklyn’s longest-standing boutiques – Moshood!
The Combine's first Baldwin talk with Whiskey Boys outside of Brooklyn, landed us at The Schomburg Center for the first annual Lit Fest. During this conversation, we revisited James Baldwin's essay "The Price of the Ticket" to unpack ideas of space and gatekeepers that appear within the text.
