Black Superhero Bootcamp gives Brooklyn boys a blueprint for success

“As exciting as it was, we know that there’s still a lot of need to support the young superheroes in our communities everywhere,” Black Superhero Bootcamp founder Charles Coleman Jr. said.

About three dozen middle school students gathered earlier this month at the Brownsville Community Middle School in Brooklyn, NY, learning to lead, regulate their emotions, explore careers and build the kind of confidence that doesn’t show up in a report card.

Black Superhero Bootcamp, founded by civil rights attorney Charles Coleman Jr., brought together students from Brooklyn’s District 23 for a day of workshops, fitness training and life-skills programming. Sponsored by the nonprofit CFC40 and supported by the New York City Department of Education, the April 11 event was designed to provide Black middle school boys with a space built for them as they approach the end of the academic year, according to a news release.

“Black Superhero Bootcamp is about showing our young people that leadership, resilience, and self-care are skills they can practice every day,” Coleman Jr. said. “We created a space where students could build confidence, learn tools to manage their emotions, and see themselves as problem-solvers and leaders in their communities.”

Coleman has an extensive history in youth mentorship. He previously founded and led EDGE Movement NYC, a mentoring program for Black and Latino boys, and, in 2019, the Black Superhero Project, coordinating 10 service projects across the country. The Black Superhero Bootcamp expands on years of his community service, transforming mentorship into actionable programs for youth, the new release states.

The day began with breakfast and continued with a series of workshops and sessions, including leadership and voice-building exercises that helped students identify their strengths and practice public speaking; life skills sessions focused on decision-making, goal-setting and conflict resolution; a session on turning passion into a profession, where students learned about filmmaking and what it takes to become a professional DJ; and physical fitness training and a yoga session emphasizing emotional regulation and mindfulness.

Malcolm Walker, a New York University graduate student studying film, was excited to lead a workshop that helped attendees see themselves differently in media.

“I think it’s a beautiful way to join together as a collective in uplifting these young men and teaching them about themselves before they have to go out into the real world and experience it on their own,” Walker said, according to the news release.

Other volunteer mentors shared their experiences at the Black Superhero Bootcamp, highlighting their unique superpowers.

“I’m here today because I really think I need to do more to push the needle forward,” Jason Bostic, a junior at Columbia University in psychology and a minor in African American studies, said. “I think a lot of times we get caught up in our day-to-day life, and I think the younger generation is the real people that’s gonna push the needle forward when we’re no longer here, so we gotta inspire the youth and let them know that they could do it as well.”

He continued, “I think my Black superhero power is just simply being Black. I think when you’re Black, you experience the world and different things in different ways.”

Gardier Yepimu Dromas Christian, a life-fitness accountability coach, is community-driven and wants not only to better himself but also to help younger generations “not just survive, but excel.”

“I’m here because I want to help the youth be better than I am, be better than I was when I was their age. I want to help the community,” Christian said.

He continued, “My superhero power is perseverance. I’m gonna push through, I’m gonna keep going. I [might] lack sleep, and be like, stay up, get it done until it gets done, like there’s no quit in me.”

As the Black Superhero Bootcamp continues to grow, Coleman hopes to expand the initiative even further by hosting pop-ups in other cities.

“What we did today is hopefully just the beginning,” Coleman said. “As exciting as it was, we know that there’s still a lot of need to support the young superheroes in our communities everywhere.”