More than twenty years before the Justified Anger Movement began, the Rev. Alex Gee began to invest in rebuilding the African American community in Madison by launching the Nehemiah Project. The Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development is now a $500,000 per year operation, providing housing, mentoring, employment, advocacy, and a variety of other services. And shepherding the Justified Anger Movement.
“We’re still about empowering people to bring about hope, transformation, and justice,” Rev. Gee told a crowd of about 150 people who gathered at the Fountain of Life Covenant Church, 633 W. Badger Road, in Madison, for an update on the program. “We’re an organization that builds capacity for the African American community.”
Gee said that he started Nehemiah because he noticed that there was an increase in the need for social services in the African American Community, and that many of the social services professional seemed to be focused only on maintaining the status quo.
“I wanted staff who would change the system and be agents of change,” he said. “Our edge, one of our secrets of success, is that we hire people who can relate to the people we serve, people who see their work as a mission and not just a job.” He called the staff members who were present to the platform to recognize their commitment to Nehemiah’s vision.
Nehemiah highlights from the past year include the continued growth of participants in the re-entry program for former inmates, now serving 200 men. The program provides mentoring, GED tutoring, and counseling in dealing with addictions. It also provides housing, which is due for further growth in 2016 with the award of a $500,000 dollar grant to purchase three new housing units.
Youth programming continues to grow, serving ages from kindergarten through high school. Gee introduced Anthony Ward, the director of BROTHER (Building Real Opportunities That Help Everyone Rise), a mentoring program for Middle School boys. Ward supervises 15 groups. Ward told how he once asked one group who they thought jails were built for. “Us,” they responded. “If they think this about themselves, how do you think they’re going to act?” he asked.
“The bulk of our support comes from the Madison community,” Gee said, noting that one local gift of $100,000 was going to be invested into a micro-business loan fund to assist development of African American businesses.
Another project that will be moving forward in 2016 is what Gee called The Field of Dreams, a soccer field and basketball court development to provide more recreational opportunities for children. It will be built on the site of a former car wash near the Nehemiah office that once had the reputation as a site for drug deals and prostitution.
Former NAACP Madison chapter president Kirbie Mack said that she served on many different boards and committees during her career working in city and state government. But when she retired she remained with only one board, Nehemiah. “Because they have made a difference,” she said.
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