Saddle Up

Look Forward My Brother to Provide Free Horseback Riding

by: AFRO Staff Courtesy Image Jun 25, 2014

[Look Forward My Brother (LFMB) will provide 40 disadvantaged Baltimore African-American youth, 12-18, free horseback riding lessons at the Liberty Elementary School #64, 3901 Maine Ave., 9 a.m. to noon, June 28. As part of this initiative, they will take part in presentations given by African American men of character.  Presentations will be given by Carl Stokes, Baltimore City Councilman; Arthur C. Cage, assistant professor of geography, the Community College of Baltimore County; Jerod Person, CPA; Gerald Grimes, Mayor’s Office of Employment Development and Keith Farrar, Baltimore City Fire Department.  These men of character will tell their individual stories but the bottom line of their presentations is that America is their country; they are the future of the country, and they should seriously prepare for that responsibility.

According to Larry C. Smith, president of Look Forward My Brother, phase 1 was the establishment of the organization, building collaborative relationships, and writing commentaries of interest and necessity to the African American community.  This has been accomplished and April 2014 represented 4 years and 48 monthly commentaries for the organization.  Phase II is the creation of community roundtables and documentation of the process.  The June 28th horseback riding activity is Roundtable 1 of phase II and addresses the feelings of alienation from America and all that America has to offer by a segment of African American males.

Phase III will be the roll out of the documented round table concept to various African-American communities in the nation.  When LFMB is successful, people will know the proper steps to bring about change.  This in turn will increase their desire to be more actively involved in civic affairs and increase their understanding of the power of people.