COMMUNITY

Harambee Ministries Director of Operations Jon DeCuir accompanied by President Albert Tate and Executive Director Angela Lee traveled to Mississippi to honor Founder Dr. John Perkins with the 2022 Legacy Award for his contribution to the legacy of Northwest Pasadena and its families. 2022 marks 40 Years of Impact Harambee Ministries has made in the community, and kicks off a year-long program of celebration including a Family Reunion & Block Party, 40 Acts of Service for 2022, and a fundraising Gala in the Fall.

Directed by Jon DeCuir, the Christmas Experience Choir with special guests Nia Allen and Raven Johnson created a hybrid holiday concert, with proceeds benefiting college-bound scholarship students at Victory Bible Church.

In the Fall of 2020, Jon was instrumental in coordinating Harambee Ministries, The City of Pasadena, Shared Harvest Foundation and Lincoln Avenue Church partnering with the city of Pasadena and Lincoln Avenue Church to provide free Covid-19 Antibody testing to the community. Over 150 families participated in a pop-up drive-thru testing designed to serve the community of NorthWest Pasadena.

Faced with the challenge of a virtual performance to end the Fall season due to COVID-10, Harambee Performing Arts ambitiously launched “The Factory,” a socially distanced production based on Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Program Director Jon DeCuir and the Harambee team created an innovative version of the story featuring Charlie, who visits a shoe factory and meets the mysterious Lady B who takes her on a wild ride through the Factory. Executive produced by Jon DeCuir & Albert Tate.

In Fall 2020, SEP Music launched “Rhythms of Life,” a music production and instruction program for foster youth in collaboration with Bourne Family Services. In six weeks, students concepted, wrote, performed and recorded songs in a professional music production studio. Program Director Jon DeCuir created a curriculum to give the students a creative outlet, private group music lessons with professional songwriters, vocalists and musicians, and a path to create a high quality EP at the end of the session during the instability of the pandemic and quarantine.

During the holiday season of 2020, while still under pandemic restrictions, Harambee provided groceries and a free Christmas shopping experience for families to choose gifts free of charge to give to their families who might not have otherwise been able to provide for their families. Program Director Jon DeCuir joined Pasadena City Councilmember Tyron Hampton, and Executive Director Albert Tate in joining efforts to serve the community during the challenging holiday season.

With Harambee Performing Arts, Program Director Jon DeCuir produced “Sounds from the Soul,” a virtual showcase of students featuring vocal, dance and spoken word performances with powerful messages during the pandemic summer of 2020.

In 2019 Harambee served over 100 Pasadena Unified School District students free of charge. Program Director Jon DeCuir created a performing arts program with a foundation of cultural pedagogy, focused on student achievement upholding their own cultural identities. The culmination of camp was a musical review titled “Motown”, attended by over 600 family and community members. Motown was chosen to educate students about the history of the “Motown Sound” and its musical relevance in African American culture, and also to explore how Motown achieved unprecedented crossover success in the music industry, and contributed to social and cultural change by breaking barriers.