Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Hector Velazquez, a senior at Aurora University and Boys II Men member, said he owes his success to Clayton Muhammad.
By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com
NAPERVILLE — Instead of further incarceration, which would only add to the problem of gang violence in Aurora, Boys II Men Founder Clayton Muhammad decided to tackle the gang violence problem of Aurora at the root more than 10 years ago.
Young men needed mentors they could trust, and hope they could one day succeed instead of waste their lives in gangs or in prison.
“You can’t just tell people not to go to gangs. You must provide an alternative,” said Muhammad during a June 19 meeting of the Naperville Township Democratic Organization, which hosted Muhammad as their June speaker.
He said gang violence was at an all time high in 2002, with 26 young people killed in Aurora. Through the hard work of Boys II Men and the Aurora Police Department, shootings have been basically eliminated.
“We have fundamentally a different Aurora. It’s a different downtown than 10 years ago,” said Muhammad, who shared success stories throughout the years, highlighting young men who have gone on to achieve great success in the face of adversity.
“I can tell these stories over and over again,” he said.
One young well dressed man, Isaac Palma, joined Boys II Men in ninth grade. Dressing in saggy jeans, he needed a makeover in his confidence, something the organization provided in spades.
Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Boys II Men Founder Clayton Muhammad decided that young Aurora men needed mentors they could trust and hope they could one day succeed.
“It gives you an outlet to go forward in life, and provides you a mentor you can talk to,” said Palma. “You’re not always able to talk to your parents.”
Hector Velazquez, a senior at Aurora University and Boys II Men member, said he owes his success to Muhammad.
“His leadership has shown young men how to establish themselves in this community,” said Velazquez. “We can always count on Clayton.
Muhammad stressed that Boys II Men provides a sense of family for the young men, encouraging them to succeed by any means.
“Not attending college is not an option in our world,” he said. “These boys are coming here to connect with something bigger than themselves. Our community is now one of hope, empowerment, and safety.”