Send Martay to DC

Hi! Martay's a seventh grader at APG Middle School, in the Sunset of San Francisco, where I work. Martay's great and like any student, can use all the support he can get. Martay's on the Bayview Boys and Girls Club football team and enjoys basketball. He's also really social and a sweet kid.

    There's an amazing opportunity for our kids to go to DC over their spring break this year. The program is Close Up, a non-profit organization, that engages youth in educational programming to learn about our country's history. The program costs 2,500 dollars and will cover Martay's airfare, food and accomodations, other transit, and the educational programming.

I feel very strongly that this is an important experience for Martay for a few reasons.  As a young black man growing up and trying to make sense of  the racial injustice existing in this country from his personal experiences as well as on a national level, he deserves to be able to travel this country and gain perspective about the things that affect him.

I can only imagine what it would be like for him to visit the African American Museum and to stand in front of the Martin Luther King Monument.  So much of what is happening in this country right now, and in the past, is directly tied to Washington DC.  It is quite different learning about these events right where they happened and are happening than inside the walls of his classroom at AP Giannini in San Francisco.

 I really believe that any child that wants to have this opportunity should be able to go regardless of means.  Growing up I know I would have loved to have experiences like this but was unable to, which is partially why I feel so strongly about helping Martay.  

Please help me get this kid to DC, he deserves it.  The Deadline is in two weeks.  Thank you all for your support! I'll post pictures of Martay and I in DC together on my Facebook for all of you to enjoy.