This 1960s Group Empowered Black Youth in Brooklyn | National Geographic

Bed-Stuy youth in action with a youth organization that was established in the '60s. They would have these activities that would provide young people with a sense of empowerment, and they were engaged with their community. That was the other thing—there was a sort of a real after this component, providing young people with outlets to try and counterbalance some of the racial tensions that were occurring within America.

The fifth component is really interesting. These are not activities that you would imagine would be taught or played with in an urban environment, such as 1960s Brooklyn. You see a variety of ages that were participating in this program, so it wasn't just, you know, making sure that our young urban teenagers are off the street. It was really like we need to look at this from, you know, the cradle to college.

How can we address the fact that there's been this kind of neglect? You have Jackie Kennedy and Senator Kennedy coming in, participating. So again, it was a real important conversation in terms of this war on poverty and the ways in which the country was really trying to address some of the racial and economic challenges that were facing the country.

This is a community that may have been often overlooked, but there is a power within the groundswell, supporting a larger movement in the African-American community.