This Presentation Documents the Rites of Passage Graduation Celebration for the Seniors of the Turning Point of Lansing, Michigan Non-Profit Community Organization. The Turning Point is comprised of a group of dedicated men in the Lansing Minority community who donate many hours of their time to mentor, direct, and counsel young black males residing in the Greater Lansing, Michigan area. Many of the young men are from single family homes. Some had encountered adjustment problems in the public school systems and need someone in their corner to help them figure out how to navigate the difficult transition from Boys to Men for black adolescent youth. This presentation shows some of the phases of the Rites of Passage ceremony, and also the reception immediately after the graduation ceremony. The ceremony was held at Lansing Community College at Dart auditorium on May 13, 2015. A separate photo album presentation is also uploaded in which approximately 90 photographs taken at the even are shared.

1. Turning Point of Lansing Rites
of Passage Transition
Celebration 2015
“RITES OF PASSAGE” CEREMONY HELD MAY 13, 2015 AT LANSING
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DART AUDITORIUM IN LANSING, MICHIGAN TO
RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE THE TURNING POINT GRADUATING
SENIORS AS THEY TRANSITION INTO MANHOOD!

2. Thanks to the “Elders” of
the Turning Point of
Lansing for the Time and
Love They Contribute to
the Minority Youth of
Lansing, Michigan
The Turning Point of Lansing is a non-
Profit Organization operating in the
Greater Lansing, Michigan area
consisting of a cadre of Men who are
Leaders in the Black Community who
are focused on providing guidance,
encouragement, mentoring and other
assistance to a group of high school
and middle school students from
throughout the Greater Lansing area.
Visit their Facebook page at
Turning Point of Lansing
Visit the www.theturningpointoflansing.org
to Learn More or to make a Donation

3. THE TURNING POINT OF LANSING, MICHIGAN –
MEN AND BOYS WORKING TOGETHER TO TURN BOYS INTO MEN WHO CAN CONT RIBUTE TO OUR
COMMUNITY!
( P I C T U R E C R E D I T T O T U R N I N G P O I N T F A C E B O O K W E B S I T E P R O F I L E P I C T U R E )

4. CREDITS AND INTRODUCTION
I WAS PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE 2015 “RITES OF PASSAGE” GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE
TURNING POINT OF GREATER LANSING, MICHIGAN ON MAY 13, 2015 AT THE LANSING COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DART AUDITORIUM. THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR ATTENDING A RITES OF PASSAGE CEREMONY HERE
IN LANSING AT WHICH YOUNG MEN ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR SPECIAL EFFORTS TO GROW INTO
CONTRIBUTING AND VALUABLE MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES AS THEY TRANSITION FROM BEING BOYS
INTO YOUNG MEN WHO WILL BECOME THE LEADERS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN OUR CITY, STATE AND
NATION.
THIS IS SUCH A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHARACTER OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT I WANTED TO
DOCUMENT IT AND MAKE THE ENTIRE GREATER LANSING COMMUNITY AWARE OF THIS POSITIVE FORCE
FOR CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY BY FOCUSING ON ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE
RESOURCES – OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF OUR HOPE…
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION IS BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE TURNING POINT
IN THE PROGRAM SOUVENIR BOOKLET THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE AT THE
CEREMONY. THE PICTURES ARE SNAPSHOTS WHICH I PERSONALLY TOOK AT THE PROGRAM AND RECEPTION
AFTERWARDS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THE PICTURES AND INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

5. What Is the Turning Point?

6. The Turning Point of Lansing is a Group Male Mentoring effort that provides African American males with
an opportunity to explore the daily challenges that they encounter, as they work to achieve success in
school, their communities, and in life. The program serves young men, grades 7 – 12, who attend a Tri-
County (Ingham, Eaton, Clinton) area school. The program has been in operation since 2006 and is a
501©(3) not for profit organization.
This organization survives on Donations from the community of money and resources, and on the
significant amounts of time donated by leaders and interested persons in the Tri-County community.
The Turning Point has as its primary goals the following:
- Establishing pride in our young men
- Providing motivation for academic and personal achievement
- Providing direction on tough issues (both relationship and scholastic)
- Providing a forum for discussion
- Establishing meaningful relationships through group mentoring

7. The Turning Point of Lansing strives to provide its program participants with cultural awareness, positive
attitudes and the professional skills through an afro centric programmatic theme, which is based on the “7
Principles of Kwanzaa.”
“Kwanzaa is a celebration that has its roots in the black nationalist movement of the 1960s, and was
established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical
heritage by uniting in meditation and study of African traditions and Nguzo Saba, the "seven principles of
African Heritage" which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy".
Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo
Saba (originally Nguzu Saba—the seven principles of African Heritage), which Karenga said "is
a communitarian African philosophy," consisting of what Karenga called "the best of African thought and
practice in constant exchange with the world." These seven principles comprise *Kawaida, a Swahili term
for tradition and reason. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles,
as follows:

8. The 7 Principles of Kwanzaa Which Guide and Focus the Mentoring Program of
the Turning Point of Lansing are:
Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for
ourselves.
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our
brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to
profit from them together.
Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to
restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community
more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the
righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Taken from Wikipedia Internet Encyclopedia, Article on Kwanzaa

9. Want Detailed Information About Turning Point of
Lansing or to Make a Charitable Deductible Donation?
Visit the Turning Point website at www.TheTurningPointOfLansing.Org or Like The Turning Point of Lansing on Facebook!

10. The May 13, 2015 Graduation and Rite of
Passage Celebration Ceremony

11. Dr. Carl S. Taylor, Featured Speaker and
Recipient of Kevin D. Bibbs Memorial Award
Dr. Carl S. Taylor, Professor of Sociology and a
Senior Fellow in University Outreach and
Engagement at Michigan State University, was
selected to receive the Kevin D. Bibbs Memorial
Award. Dr. Taylor is nationally recognized for his
work in understanding gangs, youth culture, and
violence in our country today.
He served on the Michigan Juvenile Justice
Committee for more than ten years, and advises
various projects concerning youth throughout the
nation. He is a recognized criminologist and also
ecologist, and is widely praised for his work as an
ethnographer. He takes pride in having worked in
some of the most isolated and distressed
communities in the nation.

12. Martha and Coach James Bibbs Were Present
to Witness the Kevin Bibbs Award to Dr. Taylor

13. The Highlight of
the Evening Was
the Graduation or
Rite of Passage
Kwanzaa
Ceremony
The Young Men and Boys who
Participated in this Ceremony Are a living
Testimony of the Love and Time that
their “Elders” Have Expended on Them as
Members of the Group and As Individuals
Over the Past Nine Months of the School
Year and Turning Point Program!
The Ceremony was Beautiful, and the
Effort and Preparation of the Young Men
for this Special Occasion was Evident.
WE WERE ALL SO PROUD OF THESE
YOUNG MEN, AND ESPECIALLY THE
GRADUATING SENIORS OF THE GROUP!

14. The Graduating Seniors of the 2014 – 2015
Turning Point of Lansing Organization
The Focus of the entire program at the Rite of Passage Ceremony was on the Achievement, Maturation, and
Moving Forward of the Seven Graduating Seniors from the Group who passed from the realms of Boys to the
world and challenges of Young Men!
The seven Seniors recognized for their perseverance and achievements were:
Brandon Devon Beckum, Graduating Senior from J. W. Sexton High School of Lansing, Michigan
Lawrence Davis, Graduating Senior from East Lansing High School of East Lansing, Michigan
Jarohn Gibbs, Graduating Senior from East Lansing High School of East Lansing, Michigan
DeJuan Jones, Graduating Senior from East Lansing High School of East Lansing, Michigan
Soloman K. Sanders, Graduating Senior from Grand Ledge High School of Grand Ledge, Michigan
Brandon Smith, Graduating Senior from Eastern High School of Lansing, Michigan
Isaiah Wasson, Graduating Senior at Oak Park High School of Oak Park, Michigan

15. Each Senior Received Special Recognition
for Effort and Success!
*Pictures and Bio Statements are taken from the Rite of Passages Event Program Booklet distributed at the Ceremony to Guests

23. A Proud and Happy Group of Elders, Seniors, and Other
Members of the Turning Point of Lansing 2014-2015

24. Special Thanks and
Appreciation to
Each Elder
Involved in the
Turning Point
It takes a Special Man in Our
Community to Take Time Out of His
Personal Life and Away from His Family
to Mentor and Guide and Love a Young
Man Who Might Need Just a Little
Help to Fulfill His Potential During
those Difficult Adolescent Years
encompassing the Transition from
Boyhood to Manhood.
If you see any of these Elders in the
Community, Reach Out and Thank
them for their Service to Our Children
and Young Men!

25. Acknowledgements
and Thanks to
Organizations,
Groups and
Individual Donors
Which Provided
Support to the
Turning Point of
Lansing in 2014 -
2015

26. Special Thanks to Lansing
Community College for
their Investment in Our
Young Men and for
Hosting this Rite of
Passage Ceremony and
the Buffet Reception
After the Ceremony!

27. Howard’s Photo Album from the May 13, 2015 Rite of
Passage Ceremony
Everyone has a special or favorite kid in the Turning Point Program that they are rooting for to have a breakout positive
experience as the result of the efforts of the Turning Point Elders. I am rooting for Tim and the Elders who are working with him!

28. A separate Presentation Entitled Turning Point of Lansing Transition Celebration 2015 Photos is Also
Uploaded to Document the 2015 Turning Point Rite of Passage Ceremony. That photo album contains
more than 90 photos of varying degrees of quality showing the Rite of Passage Ceremony, the Celebration
Reception which immediately followed the ceremony, and some of the persons attending the Ceremony
and/or Reception.
Feel free to use these photos in this Presentation or in the accompanying photo album as you wish; No
copyright is enforced for normal personal use, sharing, or publication.
-- Howard T. Spence, Photographer