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Meet LeMarcus and Amber Newman

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Today we’d like to introduce you to LeMarcus Newman and Amber Newman.

Thanks for sharing your story with us LeMarcus and Amber. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.

LeMarcus:
I had a host of successful people in my corner at every phase of my life. I was blessed in growing up in two parent household and Amber grew up in a single parent home. Watching my parents being a driving force in the community of Hiram Clarke, which lies on the Southside of Houston, Texas, a subdivision called Glen Iris, which we call G.I. for short. I sometimes think the neighborhood was a blessing and a curse in some ways. We have a host of kids who we grew up with who became victim to being incarcerated, suffering from drug addiction or violence. Out of the 14 streets in our neighborhood, I can name one or two kids who I grew up with who was murdered or who are now incarcerated. I recently served as the Designated Signature Officer and International Advisor for Texas Southern University. He recently implemented nine of the top student population nation’s flags on Texas Southern University campus. I worked diligently to increase the international student population on the Texas Southern campus from 377 to more than 900 students in a four year time span, helping bring in over $41,000,000.

My life experience has help shape me into who I am today. From having a child at a young age to making so many sacrifices either on the football field or traveling to places like Iraq, Afghanistan working alongside of soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. This has help me understand the population which I’m serving. Understanding how to deal with people from different ethnic backgrounds, different cultures, parents, community, government policy and procedures and our aspiring youth scholars who just need a opportunity to succeed.

I currently work for My Brother’s Keeper Change Happens’ Each One of Us Mentoring Program supported by the Obama Foundation. My Brother’s Keeper, Each One of Us Mentoring Program, is mobilizing resources and promoting what works in our community, with the goal of encouraging mentorship, reducing youth violence, and improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color, “Helen Stagg, CEO of Change Happens.”

President Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper in February 2014 to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and to ensure all youth can reach their full potential. In 2015 the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance) was launched, inspired by My Brother’s Keeper, to scale and sustain this mission. In late 2017, MBK Alliance became an initiative of the Obama Foundation. Within the Obama Foundation, MBK Alliance focuses on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity.

Amber:
My mom is working in non-profit and that is what exposed me to do for others. My dad worked at the Firestone Plant, where he worked hard because it was a labor intensive job. That where I got the mindset to work hard from. My husband is a positive motivator. He sees the light in someone; he will support you and pushes you to do your best. and he has helped me to reach my potential as CEO. I laughed, but it is hard to find someone who can help people reach their true potential, giving them confidence to change the world and be genuine about it.

In the near future, I would like to teach my Non Profit class to a larger scale, right now I’m in local community colleges but I want to help more inspiring like-minded individuals to start their own Non-Profit organization. The more people I help the more people they can serve and we can partner and bridge this gap in our community. Although my Husband feels as if he can do it all but he can’t. He is a jack of all trades but we all must work together. I want to open a teen center in the Pearland or Manvel area. Brazoria County teens have few options when it comes to recreation, and she wants to create a space where they can practice job skills, get college-ready, and have fun with their peers. Currently I’m working on something special with DeAndre Hopkins. Our kids need mentors who can show them how to accomplish their goals and lead them on the right path,” Newman said. “That’s my next goal to build a teen center.

Has it been a smooth road?
Growing up, I struggled in school with my grades and my behavior. I was the true definition of no child left behind. I actually failed the fifth and sixth grades and my teacher recommended me to enroll in the resource program for students who had learning and behavioral problems in class. My parents felt that the program wasn’t a good fit, so they sent me to a gentleman by the name of Alvin Boom Boom Jackson. He was famous in the Houston area for helping inner-city kids. Although I struggled, I made great strides and made deans list all throughout college and graduated from Texas A&M in Kingsville. In addition, I completed grad school at Texas Southern University and graduated with a 3.4 GPA. I had a host of successful people in my corner at every phase of my life people who you can call upon like Former NFL Hall of Former Darrell Green who is my Mentor, Coach Elliott, Leonard Wheeler, Former NFL Executive the late Gene Upshaw, the late Rick Forzano who was also Bill Belichick Mentor, Lackwanna Head Coach Mark Duda, Bill Snyder, Phil Bennett, Phil Hughes who is now Director of the Academic Success Program at the University of Michigan, Retired 1st Sargent Ms. Pearl Brown, Darryl Matthews, Baltimore News Anchor Vic Carter, Retired Command General Spider Marks and Retired Army General Rick Gibbs. I think one of my struggles in life has been dealing with people who are not like minded and not engage in helping people or the youth and that takes a special person.

My life experience has help shape me into who I am today. From having a child at a young age to making so many sacrifices either on the football field or traveling to places like Iraq, Afghanistan along with side soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. This has help me understand the population which I’m serving. Understand things culture the parents, the mentality, and the youth struggles to succeed.

I was born in Louisiana. I have a bachelor’s degree from Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Master’s degree from Texas Southern University in Public Administration with a focus in Non-Profit and a Non-Profit Certification from Rice University. My parents got a divorce when I was very young and my mother and I moved to Houston, Texas. I grew up on the Southwest side of Houston, Texas, went to a middle school in the 5th ward (Houston, TX) and high school in Sunnyside (Houston, TX).

Growing up in a single parent house, I went to my mom’s job. My mom worked for a non-profit which introduced me to non-profit. My mom worked for the Crescent Moon Foundation, an organization that was run by an NFL Hall of Former Warren Moon. The organization she worked for gave scholarships to kids. His family is very philanthropic, giving and always gave back to the community. It reminds me of much of the vital role that my husband’s parents played in the community. As a young girl, I enjoyed seeing my mother going over the scholarship application of the kids. Reading most of the letters was entirely heartbreaking. High School students who are so young facing so much adversity, hardships in life and struggling with their parents to make ends meet. This scholarship would give them the chance to rewrite the way their life and give them a chance to go to college.

We’d love to hear more about the organization.
I currently work for Change Happens’ My Brother’s Keeper Each One of Us Mentoring Program supported by the Obama Foundation. My Brother’s Keeper, Each One of Us Mentoring Program, is mobilizing resources and promoting what works, with the goal of encouraging mentorship, reducing youth violence, and improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color, “Helen Stagg, CEO of Change Happens.”

Change Happens awarded a National Impact Communities grant to expand its flagship mentoring program at Jack Yates High School. The program pairs more than 100 boys and young men of color with one-to-one mentors who provide weekly support in a classroom setting and leverage resources to ensure the development of strong relationships.

What set us apart for other organization is our willingness to work and partner with others. We specialize in supporting our youth. We have a strong caliber of Mentors who not only volunteer to mentor young men from the inner city but Mentors who can provide outside resources, help our young men obtain internships and giving them guidance on making better choices in life.

It feels so good to be able to do something that I enjoy doing without it feeling like a job. Mentoring and helping others is something that my family has been doing since I was a child. Today my family volunteer supporting the homeless participating in church activities and supporting our youth at least 330 days out of the year. I honestly believe God has given me a gift with building relationships, helping the youth, making connections and touching the world.

I’m the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club in Brazioria County. I want to bring more resources here. I sat down with Mayor Turner (of Houston) and told him that I’m the CEO here and I need your help. Need Astros tickets, I need Rockets tickets, I need Texans tickets, things that the kids here don’t have access to.”

During the Super Bowl in Houston, the Boys and Girls Club took 400 kids to a free football camp. On July 19, 2019 we took 350 kids to Minute Maid Park to see the Astros play. In the fall, We take kids to the Texans game for many of the kids. It’s the first time they have an opportunity to go to a game.

In the near future, I hope to open a teen center in the Pearland or Manvel area. Brazoria County teens have few options when it comes to recreation, and she wants to create a space where they can practice job skills, get college-ready, and have fun with their peers. Our kids need mentors who can show them how to accomplish their goals and lead them on the right path,” Newman said. “That’s my next goal to build a teen center.

I also sit on the board for the Dillard University Houston Alumni chapter, where I was recently the president, member of Off the Field (NFL wives), member of the Pink & Green Foundation, a board member for the Brazoria County Hispanic Chamber. I am also a mother and wife, which is my most priceless role. Former member of Brentwood Baptist Church Scholarship Board, The St. John Missionary Baptist Church fundraising committee, which was founded by freed slaves in 1869.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is the city of the future, Houston is very diverse, and our city is very supportive. When the Government asks our city to step up, we step up. Houston is a very diverse city, it over 145 different languages spoken here Houston also scores well in place and prosperity. Houston’s is very affordable in housing (the average selling price of a home is $140,300 — compared to $222,300 in Atlanta and $257,800 in Austin.

If someone was starting out, would you recommend them starting out here? Attend social events and try to build relationships like The Young and the Politics or other social networks. Houston is a city that you must build relationships and get a true understanding of it.

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Image Credit:
Anthony W.

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