Young Black Motivated Kings & Queens (YBMKQ), a Pittsburgh-based organization serving children, youth, and families, is breaking ground to begin renovating its community center on Saturday, January 13, 2024. Members of the media, community, YBMKQ stakeholders, project partners, funders, and other guests are invited to attend the program, tour the facility, and view the architect’s designs on display. The Young Black Motivated Kings & Queens: De’Avry A. Thomas Community Center, formerly the Lincoln Park Community Center, will feature reading rooms, study areas, and state-of-the-art technology, including a computer lab, 3D printers, and S.T.E.M. programming. The center will also offer cooking and nutrition classes and an art studio for students to paint, design clothing and jewelry, and create digital media. Additionally, co-working space will be available for the community at large. The community center, named after an 18-month-old shooting victim, aims to combat the rise in Allegheny County’s gun violence and provide a safe space for students to explore extracurricular activities and careers.
Who:
● Kahlil Darden, YBMKQ Founder and CEO
● Jessica Brooks-Woods, YBMKQ Board Chair
● Michelle Kenney, Mother of Antwon Rose II
● YBMKQ Board & Staff
● Representative Joe McAndrew, Pennsylvania House of Representative
● Suzanne Conroy, Representative for Senator Jay Costa
When: Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 11 AM
Where: 7300 Ridgeview Avenue, Penn Hills, PA 15235
The groundbreaking event will be historic for the Penn Hills school community. In 2019, as a Penn Hills High School student, YBMKQ founder and CEO Kahlil Darden founded the first Black Student Union at the high school and has now returned to make a strategic investment into the community. YBMKQ will partner with the Penn Hills School District and other organizations on this initiative to have a greater impact on students.
