When I was a child, I had a huge interest in art. I loved going to the art museum in our town. It's actually one of the finest in the United States. They had special classes on Saturdays for those considered gifted like myself. Although I was indeed talented, unfortunately I was never afforded that opportunity. When my mom purchased a new home for us, we moved to the next school district where our art teacher had a keen interest in art. As a result, some of my classmates & I were featured in a couple of national art magazines for work she inspired us to complete. By then my enthusiasm for drawing & art had waned. In the new neighborhood where I lived, while still in 6th grade, I got a job at the corner store called Red's, working with my friend Larry. The owner was Red Wexler, a short Jewish man who could pass for Santa Claus. He taught me how to sell candy to the kids, make chili dogs, milkshakes, & banana splits, while bagging groceries, sweeping & mopping the floors, & taking the garbage out. I was an excellent student & athlete. I was quarterback, defensive back, & captain on all my football teams thru my junior year in high school, when I was wingback. I was Co-Captain & fullback as a senior. I never left the field during a game. I played basketball, & earned my varsity letter in track as a sophomore. My junior year with only 4 classes, I was done at 11:00am. Senior year with 3, at 10:00am. Completing high school in 3 1/2 years. Of the 2 years I played college football, we won the Division III National Championship in the first. Summer of my 2nd year in college I attended Officer Candidate School for United States Marine Corps in Quantico, VA. After another semester of college, I enlisted in the Marine Corps non-commissioned officer program. I excelled in boot camp & administrative training, graduating top in class with a 99.5% average. I was designated Class Commander & earned meritorious promotion to Lance Corporal (E-3). Eleven months later I received meritorious promoted to Corporal (E-4), with proficiency & conduct marks of 4.9/4.9 on a 5.0 scale. Later overseas, I received meritorious promotion to Sergeant (E-5). I served my last year at Parris Island, SC on return from Okinawa, Japan, with a small stint on active reserve duty in Kansas City, MO where my son Bronson was born. 

As you can see from just a small glimpse into my story, I've been a leader all my life, & been empowered & denied thruout. Thus, I have an astute concept of EMPOWERMENT. I totally relate to the stigma, negative & lingering effects on individuals, groups, & communities by processes of MARGINALIZATION, GENTRIFICATION, DISENFRANCHISEMENT, & the like. Of which, nullify their human value, potential, & ultimately quality of life. As evidenced by my own denial of art lessons. It certainly wasn't the earliest, nor near the last negative experience I've had searching for my God given place on earth. Such is life in America! There's a profound chasm which exists when attempting to find a balance between empowerment & abuse of power in a capitalistic society. The dichotomy is EVERYONE has the ability to IMPART or RECEIVE it. Our place within these spectrums is determined by how we exchange or navigate it. "Y I" seeks to employ a systematic framework to meet those negatively afflicted directly at their state of vulnerability, & restore them to a place of dignity & stability.