We are honored to have Fellonte Misher and Aaron Young join us for our February 1st GCC, discussing systematic and internalized oppression.
Mr. Fellonte Misher is the co-founder of In The Streets, A Black-led organization building meaningful livelihoods and disrupting generational trauma in Columbia Heights (a neighborhood in DC). He has supported young men in his community to consider life outside of gangs for many years (and was profiled about his work in The Washington Post). He is a third-grade teacher at Tubman Elementary School and is an athlete who is dedicated to physical health and reflection. Through In the Streets, he will continue to interrupt the community norms that dissuade young black men from believing that college is a possibility. As of now, black men are regularly shot and killed in this community due to gang violence that results from the lack of economic opportunity and the lack of emotional support and consistent role models available to these young men. Fellonte is a big brother to so many members of the community. His goal is to make the young people in his community feel a sense of opportunity to build their life somewhere other than in the streets.
Aaron Young, Logistical Coordinator at In the Streets, is a native Washingtonian passionate about Blackness, intersectionality and community organizing. He strives to uplift others by showing young BIPOC men and women an alternative path in life outside of gangs, drugs and violence. As a former collegiate athlete at Old Dominion University, he understands the impact of translating your talent into opportunity. His first foray into understanding body-focused trauma was through his physical training to be a collegiate athlete. With guidance, he learned how movement-oriented interventions acted as a form of revolutionary therapy in addressing the PTSD that many black men and women face. Through In The Streets, yoga has become a staple in addressing various PTSD symptoms. He hopes to show other young black people, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, that they can find the solace and support they need in order to build a sanctuary within themselves.
