What would you do if you couldn’t afford your rent or pay your mortgage? If you opened the refrigerator and didn’t see much inside? Consider this: More of our neighbors and friends are in need as communities struggle to navigate an increasingly inequitable world. But instead of falling into despair, there are organizations around the region working on tangible efforts to improve the quality of lives right in our own backyards. Whether it’s focusing on innovative solutions to the looming energy crisis brought on by climate change or working to solve widespread issues with affordable housing, leaders from across the region, backed by the support of The Pittsburgh Foundation, are working to bring more support to the people who need it the most.
Kahlil Darden, founder of Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens (left)
Guiding Pittsburgh’s Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens
The Pittsburgh Foundation believes in uplifting the next generation of leaders, with Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens (YBMKQ) showcasing what young people can do when supported. Its CEO, Kahlil Darden, 23, began YBMKQ eight years ago with nothing but a vision to support his peers who were going through hard times with few support structures in place. “I wanted to center youth voices in my community and provide a safe place to go after school where you could get tutoring, social enrichment, mental health support – whatever you needed,” said Darden. Fast forward eight years later and the organization now has a permanent home in Penn Hills to help keep kids off the streets.
“There aren’t a lot of resources in the Penn Hills area. We had a bunch of conversations with young people and hosted a summer camp there to ask the question: What do they need?” said Darden. He ended up finding a building that wasn’t even for sale, but he was able to work with the owner to sell it to YBMKQ. The building included a 30,000 square foot gym and commercial kitchen. But why take this on and at such a young age?
“I wanted to give young people something different than I had,” said Darden. “I faced many issues including grief and I never had the proper resources to deal with things adequately. If I did, I may have healed better. I wanted to create what I needed when I was younger,” he said.
Representation for the City’s Youth
It was also important to center the Black experience in the name of the organization, as well, so that young people of color could see themselves represented by something positive. “Growing up as a kid, my mom always had the news on every morning. Every time we’d watch the news, I’d see the imagery of young Black Pittsburghers mostly dying or getting arrested. They were charged with crimes and the news rarely highlighted anything positive,” he said. “The name literally came from what I wanted people to think of when they think of young Black Pittsburgh,” he added.
He credits organizations like The Pittsburgh Foundation for helping take this work to the next level. And what does he see for the future? “I hope that in five years we will have a fully renovated space and be a community pillar where we have all the resources people in our area need. I would love to start looking for a second location by then, too.”
Story by Natalie Bencivenga / With Support from The Pittsburgh Foundation / Photography by Laura Petrilla
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