BRONX, NEW YORK
OCTOBER 17, 2026
Nearly a decade ago, the second Know Your Rights Camp took place in Harlem’s historic Audubon Ballroom, the site where the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center now stands. For our return to New York, we headed uptown to partner with an organization that has spent more than 30 years investing in the Black and Brown communities we serve.
DREAM is a network of free PreK-12 charter schools and youth programs in East Harlem and the Bronx that began in 1991 as a volunteer-run little league on an abandoned lot. Guided by its mission to level the playing field, DREAM has a documented 95% graduation rate at Dream Charter High School and offers up to six years of college and career support through its Legends program.
This is why it was important for us to host our 17th Camp at DREAM’s Bronx Campus, where we provided a day of learning, empowerment, financial literacy, fellowship and love for over 300 youth. Following an introduction by KYRC co-founders Colin Kaepernick and Nessa, youth moved through a full day of workshops designed to equip them with the knowledge and tools to advocate for themselves and their communities. Educators Dr. Sean Tory and Mariela Regalado served as masters of ceremonies, keeping the youth engaged throughout the day.
Across seven sessions, youth learned the Black history textbooks leave out from educator Ernest Crim III, how to protect their rights and pursue careers in law from the New York City Bar Association’s Tanya L. Martinez-Gallinucci, and how to use art as a tool for resistance from New Orleans artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums. They also learned how to build wealth and spot scams from Shakor J. Jukes, CPA; how AI affects their communities from Abran Maldonado; how to advocate for their education from Dr. Khalya Hopkins; and how to take ownership of their health from Radical Health founder Ivelyse Andino. Between sessions, campers enjoyed three healthy meals, meaningful giveaways, a safe space and vital resources.
Before the Camp concluded, youth received a backpack filled with school supplies and books, including “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” and “Abolition for the People,” along with Change The Whirl ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s. As Black and Brown youth left DREAM more inspired than ever to change their communities, they carried with them not only knowledge but the reminder that an entire community had come together to invest in their futures.
Behind every presentation, meal, giveaway and overall good time were our dedicated staff and volunteers, who poured their hearts into planning, holding space and standing behind our youth from start to finish. Because of them, our youth left with more than lessons.
Malcolm X taught that the future belongs to those who prepare for it today, and in the Bronx, more than 300 young people spent the day preparing to build it.
