Brilliance and Excellence Movement mentors bring anti-violence plan to City Hall

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With just a few days before the Memorial Day holiday, the unofficial start of summer, city leaders in Chicago are taking a hard look at preventing summer violence.

CBS 2's Shardaa Gray followed a group of five men who are mentors. Last month, CBS 2 reported on how they were coming up with a plan for the mayor to keep kids busy this summer and out of trouble.

On Friday, they brought that plan to City Hall.

In the midst of the chaos of people trying to get into the City Council meeting is a proposal created by five men from different male mentoring organizations, aiming to have kids come downtown, in a structured manner.

"This is the proposal, Brilliance and Excellence Movement."

The Brilliance and Excellence Movement proposal talks about having adult supervision at various times, when young people want to gather, not only in their communities, but downtown.

They would work with churches, businesses and other youth organizations to help with guidance.

Jermaine Anderson, founder of I Am A Gentleman, was one of the mentors who came to City Hall to get Mayor Brandon Johnson the proposal.

"As we know, this is a city for all people, including our young people. So we want to make sure they are not robbed of the opportunities that they have as residents, as citizens of their great city," Anderson said.

Vondale Singleton, founder of CHAMPS Mentoring, and another mentor, was hoping to address the aldermen during the meeting, but he wasn't one of the eight members of the public chosen.

"Even with the City Council, the mayor's first City Council meeting, I already knew, going into this meeting it was going to be chaotic, a lot of people here," Singleton said. 

"We are hopeful for the new administration. Today is the very first city council meeting, so we know that the amount of proposals that the mayor has to go through is extremely lengthy," Anderson said.

They didn't get to talk to Mayor Johnson, but they did drop off the proposal with new 6th ward Alderman William Hall.

"First I'm going to read it, and then definitely start having the conversation of long term," Hall said.

"We want to do as much proactive, on the ground support, with our organization and leaders," Singleton said.

Singleton said the next step is to have an actual meeting with mayor Johnson sometime in the future. 

The five mentors and their groups are planning a march June 10th near 39th and King Drive, asking for 1,000 boys and young men to walk the streets of Chicago.

In:
• Youth Violence
• Chicago