Young Saviours Academy: Building Young Minds, Skilled Hands and a Future of Their Own
In an age when children can ask technology to write an essay, answer a question or solve a problem within seconds, Brother James is asking young people to do something increasingly important: use their own minds, develop their own hands and learn how to build. That philosophy was at the center of the second annual Youth Day organized through Young Saviours Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina, where education, technology, skilled trades and community involvement came together under one purpose—preparing young people for a future in which they can become producers, builders and leaders rather than simply consumers of what others create.
BLXCR recently sat down with Brother James and his beloved son, Brother Ali, to discuss Youth Day, the continued development of Young Saviours Academy and a larger vision that extends far beyond a single community event. What emerged from the conversation was a powerful reminder that preparing children for the future cannot simply mean giving them access to the latest technology. It must also mean giving them discipline, practical skills, brotherhood, knowledge and opportunities to discover what they are capable of becoming.
More Than a Youth Event
According to Brother James, Youth Day officially began in 2025. After seeing the potential of the first gathering, which was held at the mosque, he knew the program could become something much larger. Brother James credited singer Sunshine Anderson and her father for helping encourage that vision to grow, recalling their message that if they were going to do it, they needed to “go big or go home.” That encouragement helped push Youth Day toward becoming a broader community effort capable of introducing children to resources and experiences they may not encounter in their everyday lives.
This year's event brought together education, technology, skilled trades, literacy and community engagement. Brother James said Mecklenburg library resources, 4-H and Discovery Place participated, while Brother Jamal, an engineer, introduced young people to computer concepts involving coding and cybersecurity. The purpose was not simply to put another screen in front of a child, but to expose young minds to the science and knowledge behind the technology they already use.
The event also made room for something that is becoming increasingly important in a technology-driven society: working with your hands. Brother Roosevelt brought Tools in Schools and introduced young boys to construction and the proper use of basic tools, including something as fundamental as learning how to use a hammer. Youth
Day also included free book bags, hundreds of books distributed by the library, refreshments and activities, but beneath the giveaways was something much more valuable—exposure to possibilities.
The Mind and the Hands
There was a time when shop class, vocational education and hands-on learning were common parts of a young person's education. Students could discover an ability to work with wood, repair machinery, build something or develop an interest in a skilled trade before graduating from high school. Those experiences sometimes opened the door to careers that did not require the traditional four-year college route but could still provide valuable skills, entrepreneurship opportunities and economic stability.
That discussion became particularly important when BLXCR asked Brother James about artificial intelligence. As AI and automation become increasingly integrated into education, business and everyday life, Brother James believes young people must learn how to use modern technology without surrendering their ability to think and work independently. His message was not about rejecting AI or technological progress; it was about making certain technology remains a tool in human hands rather than becoming a substitute for human thought, creativity and ability.
Young Saviours Academy is embracing STEM, engineering, computers and robotics while simultaneously making room for construction, agriculture and skilled trades. Brother James told BLXCR that he had recently visited a robotics program and was exploring partnerships involving robotics and engineering as the academy continues expanding its educational network. His philosophy is centered on balance: teach a child how to understand a computer while also teaching electricity; introduce coding alongside construction; expose students to robotics while making sure they are not intimidated by a toolbox.
That balance may become increasingly important as technology changes the workplace. The young person who understands technology but can also build, repair, grow, design and solve problems with his or her own hands possesses a broader foundation for navigating an uncertain economy. Young Saviours Academy is attempting to develop both sides of that equation rather than forcing children to choose between the modern world and practical skills that have served communities for generations.
Brother Ali: Growing With the Academy
Perhaps one of the strongest moments of the interview came from Brother Ali, who offered something adults cannot manufacture: the perspective of a young person actually growing up inside the program. Brother Ali explained that becoming overly dependent upon technology can leave someone without the ability to function independently when that technology is unavailable. For him, hands-on learning creates a different kind of memory and confidence because once he physically learns how to use a tool, the experience becomes connected to his mind.
Brother Ali also made clear that Young Saviours Academy is about much more than STEM. It is about brotherhood, discipline and developing young men who understand respect and responsibility. He recalled that the academy began in 2015 when he was only two years old because his father wanted him surrounded by a brotherhood that could support him and help him grow. What began with only a handful of young participants has expanded over the years, but Brother Ali understands that the growth did not happen overnight. It required patience, struggle, consistency and people willing to continue working even when the results were not immediately visible.
He has also watched young men develop through that process. Brother Ali described students learning expressions of respect such as “Yes, sir,” “No, ma'am” and “Yes, ma'am,” while being taught that discipline should become part of their character. His message was larger than manners alone. He spoke about young Black boys understanding that they have minds, purpose and the potential to become future leaders, scientists and engineers. His question during the interview captured the importance of the entire mission: how can young people become the leaders and professionals of tomorrow if they never receive the training today?
Start Before They Have to Choose
Brother James believes career exposure should not begin when someone is 20 years old and suddenly trying to determine what to do with his or her life. Young Saviours Academy works with children approximately 6 to 16 years old, giving them an opportunity to encounter different skills and professions while their interests, confidence and imagination are still developing. A child introduced to engineering at seven, agriculture at eight, construction at ten and entrepreneurship as a teenager enters adulthood with a much different understanding of what is possible.
Early exposure can change the question a young person eventually asks. Instead of reaching adulthood wondering what he or she is going to do, that young person may already be deciding which of several interests and skills to pursue. Brother James wants Young Saviours Academy to help create that distinction by surrounding children with people who can show them possibilities instead of waiting until adulthood to tell them what opportunities exist.
Building a Future City
One of the academy's projects, Future City, brings many of these ideas together by requiring students to think about the interconnected systems necessary to build and sustain a functioning city. The project introduces concepts involving electricity, water, plumbing and other forms of infrastructure, encouraging students to understand that communities do not simply appear. They are designed, engineered, constructed, maintained and supported by people possessing different forms of knowledge.
That lesson goes beyond learning an individual occupation because a functioning community depends upon people understanding how their skills connect. A plumber may understand water systems, an electrician understands power, an engineer understands design and infrastructure, while a farmer understands food production. Future leaders must eventually understand how those people and systems work together, and Young Saviours Academy is creating opportunities for children to begin seeing those relationships at an early age.
Brother James also wants agriculture to become a larger part of the academy's programming, including farming and urban gardening. The idea fits naturally within the organization's broader philosophy of self-sufficiency because young people should understand not only how to consume what society produces, but also how to produce something society needs. Learning how food grows, how infrastructure works and how things are built can help children develop a different relationship with the world around them.
“We Don't Need Sideline Cheerleaders”
Big visions require community participation, and when BLXCR asked Brother James what Young Saviours Academy needs most, he did not limit his answer to money. Financial support certainly matters because the academy operates as a nonprofit and many expenses have come directly from his own pocket, but Brother James stressed that resources alone cannot build the institution he envisions. What is equally necessary is community buy-in from people willing to contribute their knowledge, professional experience and time.
Brother James made his position clear when he said, “We don't need sideline cheerleaders.” Supporting youth development cannot stop with telling someone that his program looks good. If you are an electrician, there is something you can teach. If you are a plumber, you can demonstrate how to repair something. If you are a carpenter, you can show a child how to measure and build. Engineers, farmers, gardeners, entrepreneurs and business owners all possess knowledge that can become valuable when placed in front of young people who otherwise may never have access to it.
Not every lesson has to become a complicated course. Brother James emphasized that something as simple as teaching a child how to repair a sink can become knowledge that stays with that young person for life. Small lessons can become seeds, particularly when they are planted early and reinforced by adults who are willing to invest in the development of the next generation.
Eleven Years of Planting Seeds
Young Saviours Academy began in 2015, and eleven years later, Brother James believes some of those early seeds are beginning to break through the ground. During the interview, he shared that Charlotte radio personality No Limit Larry has taken notice of the academy's work and invited them onto the radio. Brother Ali's presence also made an impression, according to Brother James, creating discussions about additional opportunities and greater exposure for the work being done through the academy.
For Brother James, increased recognition is not the destination but a sign that years of consistent work are becoming increasingly visible. He described the process through the image of a seed being placed beneath the soil, where growth begins long before anything can be seen above the ground. That analogy may be one of the best descriptions of Young Saviours Academy's journey because for years, Brother James and those working alongside him have been planting, teaching, organizing and developing young people without always receiving widespread recognition. Now, some of what was planted years ago appears to be germinating.
Charlotte Is Only the Beginning
Brother James does not envision Young Saviours Academy remaining only a Charlotte program. His hope is that what is being developed there can eventually become a model capable of reaching communities nationwide. That vision deserves attention because there is no shortage of talented Black children, imagination or potential future engineers, builders, scientists, farmers, entrepreneurs and community leaders. What is too often missing is organized exposure, training, mentorship and opportunity early enough in life for that potential to take root.
Young Saviours Academy is attempting to help fill that space by connecting modern technology with traditional skills, discipline with imagination and education with practical application. The lesson is not found in robotics, construction, computers or agriculture individually; it is found in bringing those disciplines together so young people understand that the future will require them to think, adapt, build and create.
Brother James and Brother Ali are not presenting the work as finished. After eleven years, they believe it is entering another stage. If the community is willing to provide the knowledge, resources, mentorship and hands necessary to nurture what has already been planted, Young Saviours Academy may ultimately produce something much greater than another successful Youth Day. It may help develop a generation of young people prepared not merely to enter the future, but to use their own minds and their own hands to help build it.
Connect With Young Saviours Academy
Those interested in learning more about Young Saviours Academy, enrolling a young person, volunteering professional skills, supporting future Youth Day events or contributing to the academy's continued growth can connect directly with Brother James and the organization. Community members with experience in skilled trades, STEM, engineering, construction, agriculture, entrepreneurship and other areas are especially encouraged to share their knowledge and help expose the next generation to new possibilities.
Website: YoungSavioursAcademy.com
Phone: 704-369-1295
Social Media: Young Saviours Academy on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram
BLXCR — One Village, One Fight.
Comments