Jamyra Salley

A letter to Baileys: from Jeremy



Age 12 | 2nd Year at Bailey’s Cafe

Sincerely, Jeremy

I was here at Bailey’s a year ago. The first year was hard because I had no one to talk to. This year was easier because I have been able to talk and make friends with people here.

My favorite part of Bailey’s was talking to Kadeem, during Gender Studies on Tuesday afternoons, because he makes me feel good and makes me feel comfortable to express my feelings and makes me feel welcome.

For What’s in Your Hands? I worked with Brian, Zev and Shelby at the BedStuy Community Garden. The garden was fun to do but it was also hard to work with people. I had to learn that in order for people to treat me the way I wanted, which was to be nicer to me, I had to be nicer and not get mad and walk away all the time. When I had to overcome something I would sit alone and once I walked away and went back to Bailey’s because I was so sad and mad. All I really wanted was just to fit in.

What helped me to understand that by walking away I will never fit in or make friends was something Kadeem taught me. He told me I wasn’t allowed to say, “none of your business” in situations where people don’t understand why I am upset with them but need to explain my feelings so they can understand. Sometimes though, things can be overstimulating which make it hard for me to concentrate on certain things and to deal with this I sometimes still just have to walk away and take some moments for myself. But I know to fit back in I will need to explain myself so people can understand how I handle certain things.

I am looking forward to having friends who like the same things as me–like taking pics and videos and trains and buses. I am also looking forward to not being wimp but standing up for myself when I feel that I am being disrespected. I understand that if I treat everyone with respect they will respect me. I am anxious about going back to school but I have my tech teacher I can call and he will help me to feel better.

Kids area

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Nevaehs Journey

I have been attending Bailey’s Cafe for over 7 years now. I will say that every summer was a new chance to connect with other people, as well as yourself. This will allow you to meet new people and make connections within whatever industry you are looking to go into.

This summer at Baileys (2022) is different from the previous years. We have smaller numbers but we have more options to explore with it being smaller and this makes it more intimate. They tried something this year called “what’s in your hands” . This saying makes you think about what you can do in life, what you do now, and how you help yourself.
I’m going to be completely honest and say that I wasn’t expecting to like this summer because it was so different. However I’ve learned that my hands can help my community, my hands can make jewelry, my hands can embroider, my hands can help me reach my goals, my hands hold my future.
Personally I am a huge fan of Wednesday afternoons with yoga and writing right after eachother. You wouldn’t think that yoga and writing would fit in the “what’s in your hands” theme this year but it does. Yoga helps you realize the balance is being held in your hands and with your strength. The writing makes you realize that a pen is one of the strongest things you can hold and has a way of controlling others and your emotions.
Baileys has always been the place where you can go to learn, have a second home, and to laugh all in one. All of the problems of the outside world get left at the door and you enter a whole new world and it’s a world that I will continue to come to year after year.

How Baileys changed the way I see myself and my hair
My hair has always been a problem in my eyes. I never wore it in its natural state since I was in elementary school and my mom would do my hair. I would cover it with braids, twists, or any style to where I didn’t have to deal with it.

In February of this year I started to remember some of the important lessons that Bailey’s Cafe has given me in all of my years of going there. These lessons were to show yourself more love.To be comfortable in who you are and to “take up space” whether that be literally or figuratively. So this led me to forcing myself to learn to do my hair.

It was a hard start; I would do braid outs, twist outs, and blow drying my hair to make it look longer in the state it was in. When march hit I realized I wasn’t really learning to love my hair. I was learning to love someone else’s hair and curl pattern but I remembered the people at baileys who wore their natural hair openly and lovingly with all the curls and coils that they may retain. These people are Myra, Pia, and Britney; their love for their hair helped me learn to love mine in whatever state whether it’s wet, dry, or in the middle.

I can always look at Baileys to see the lessons I’ve learned through time that may not be applied at the time of learning but I have always noticed it’s there when you need it the most.

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A Family of Friends by Zevediah E.

A Family of Friends

One thing that keeps bringing me back to Baileys is that it is a safe space and the feeling of inclusivity allows me to celebrate the unique way I was created, instead of hiding my true self.

Zevediah E.

It was the summer before I entered high school that my mom enrolled me into Baileys because she thought it’ll be a good opportunity to meet people. That was in 2016 and I’ve been a part of Bailey’s Cafe’s six-week summer program ever since. One thing that keeps bringing me back to Baileys is that it is a safe space and the feeling of inclusivity allows me to celebrate the unique way I was created, instead of hiding my true self.


One of my favorite parts of Baileys this summer was going to the garden with Mr. Brian. During Tuesday mornings, Jeremy and I (later Shelby would join us) walked to the garden on 95 Malcolm X between Greene and Lexington. While there, we worked with Mr. Brian and other youth from a different organization. I learned so much during this time about gardening, how to cultivate crops, and how to give back to the community.

The first day we watered the plants and cleaned the streets nearby and around the garden. The fruits, vegetables and herbs that Mr Brain grows in his garden included eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, thyme, kale, chocolate and many different types of mints. Mr. Brian grows food in his garden with the purpose to distribute the fresh food to the people in the community that are in need, which is important because of the high percentage of food insecurity in the neighborhood.



On Tuesday afternoon, there is gender studies. Gender studies is a workshop dedicated to studying our gender and the roles that are placed on us in society. While the girls go to the church, the guy group stays behind and has a series of discussions. As a young man who’s having to navigate the world without a father figure, it can be challenging at times because there are a lot of things I’m clueless about. Yeah, I can always ask my mother, but as a woman she can only understand so much when it comes to a guy’s perspective. Kadeem, is a great lead male facilitator. I feel like I have a safe space to talk about and ask questions to another man without judgment. We learn about relationships and how to be respectful to women and not rude. This summer Mr Sweat joined our sessions. He teaches us important information about manhood and the real world, like how to communicate with new people we meet. For instance, Jeremy is a new participant at Bailey’s, this is just his second year. He’s very smart and reminds me of me because he does not have many friends and gets bullied. I feel like I’m a good influence on Jeremy, because I can understand his situation of getting bullied. As someone who is different and has health issues, I also don’t have many friends and was bullied a lot in school too. So, I can relate to his situation.

I have also found a good friend in Osei, who joined Bailey’s while I was already a part of it in 2018. He is really somebody who I’ve grown close to over the years. We are not just participants in a summer program, but more like a family now.



Bailey’s Cafe is like a family to me. Ms. Stefanie pushed me to be more engaged in fun activities and I really have learned a lot at Bailey’s. I learned that we each can make a change in our community if we do our part. I’m so proud of my growth. So I say thank you to Ms. Stefanie and the whole family.

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Returning by Pharaoh B.

Baileys is very welcoming and makes you feel at home.

Pharaoh

R E T U R N I N G

 

Bailey’s Café is a place where you can do so many different activities, have fun and spend your time wisely. Every day at Bailey’s at 12:30pm, we have lunchtime. During lunch, it’s an opportunity to talk with the other participants in the program and connect with others in the group; we are free to go out during lunch and explore Bed-Stuy, or stay at Bailey’s and have free time for an hour. A lot of times, I went to play basketball in the park nearby with the other boys, while some of the girls like Kendra and Nevaeh would play Just Dance. Another thing I enjoy about Baileys is they offer the choice of not doing certain things if you cannot do them for religious or other reasons. This really helped me feel included in the program because there were certain activities I could not take part in, but Ms. Stefanie gave me and the other kids activities to do during these times.

I attended Bailey’s summer program when I was younger and we were focused on preparing for a performance..

Pharaoh

This summer Bailey’s offered many different kinds of activities from yoga to art to gardening to photography. I attended Bailey’s summer program when I was younger and we were focused on preparing for a performance. At that time, I wasn’t able to digest the information as well. This year I was able to get more out of the experience.

The teachers are very friendly and treated me as if I was here for the whole time, especially Kadeem; but that’s also because we have known each other for a longtime, even before I came to Bailey’s. He is a dance teacher and also facilitates gender studies for the boys. During gender studies, we have a safe space where we can tell each other everything that we are going through without the stress of somebody telling somebody. Everyone at Bailey’s is very welcoming and makes you feel at home.

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My Safe Space by Shellby L.

I’ve been coming to Bailey’s Café, a community based center located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn for three years. At the heart of Bailey’s, we have Ms. Stefanie. Since I have known her, she has easily become one of the most impactful and inspirational women I know. Every summer since 2018 that I’ve participated in the 6-week program, it has been made influential due to her presence.

My favorite part of Bailey’s is that it’s an environment that is full of love and cultivates personal growth. I always feel safe there. Bailey’s Café helps me find my inner voice and I am able to hear it more clearly throughout the school year. Having a space during the summer where I am able to be vulnerable and authentically myself without fear of judgment is important to me. Ms. Stefanie encourages us to feel and creates space for us to process and understand our emotions. She teaches us to think deeply and thoroughly about our place within this world, the impact we have on other people, as well as our environment. Being around Ms. Stefanie at Bailey’s, something that I’ve learned is how important it is to recycle, and to do our part to take care of and preserve the planet we live on. Something else I’ve learned is that it’s important to take care of your health. I’ve learned about my role and my place in the lives of others. I’ve seen the difference it makes to listen to myself and treat ME with kindness the same way I would to someone else. I’m deserving of good things, and the way I love myself has such an impact on the way I show love to others. Ms. Stefanie has played a big part in me learning these things. I am able to associate Bailey’s Café with positive feelings because of her. I appreciate her and I’m truly grateful for all she’s given me this summer and all of the summers in the past.

Every summer after Bailey’s ends, I feel as if I’ve been reset and I’m prepared with the tools I need to be ready to walk through the rest of the year feeling at peace.


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Stitch By Stitch by Mckenzie

“When sewing lessons started I honestly had no clue what I was doing…”

Mckenzie

Being in Bailey’s this summer, I was happy to learn that I would have the opportunity to learn how to sew. Sewing has always been a skill that I wanted to learn. I have always been facinated by handmade clothing and the process behind it. The fact that people can think of and create their own clothing with their own two hands is something that I’ve always wanted to do.

When sewing lessons started I honestly had no clue what I was doing. On the first day of sewing, Jendayi, Fahmidah and I took the fifteen minute walk from Bailey’s Cafe to the instructor’s studio. The instructor, Willie, has a studio that he built inside of the basement of his house. The studio is a place where he designs, creates, and makes all of his clothes.

Mckenzie (left) and Fahmidah (right) on a trip day volunteering at Fabscraps in Brooklyn

Stitching is a hobby that over time becomes easier and more exciting to do

Mckenzie

We learned how to stitch, how to create a pattern and use a sewing machine. In the class I had the opportunity to make a dress out of a patterned fabric. I was excited to be able to make something and bring it home. The process was filled with trial and error but with Willie’s help, it became more fun than stressful. Stitching is a hobby that over time becomes easier and more exciting to do. Now that I am leaving the class I know that I am walking away with a new skill and possibly a new hobby. 

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