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You may remember the body cam footage released by Cincinnati police that involved several teens selling water, the police then taking them into custody.
The video gained a lot of views on social media.
Since that arrest, community activists approached the group to come up with a safer sales plan.
The boys said Friday’s meeting with the mayor open their eyes to view their community in a different way.
While weeks later, they are still trying to make sense of what happened. They are continuing to sell water to keep them off the streets.
“Just keep us out of the way and do something productive, so we don’t have to rob or do anything else to people,” said Dashaun Cook, part of the group.
The incident prompted the help of Iris Roley. A longtime customer and consultant to the city’s Collaborative Agreement.
Within the past five weeks, the ‘Cincy water boys’ have become ‘Brothers N Motion.’
“We are more organized when we sell waters now. We are wearing our shirts and stuff and that brings more customers to us,” said Carlos Howell, the vice president of ‘Brothers N Motion.’
Now, the teens have a mission “to empower our brothers and sisters with a positive mindset through entrepreneur endeavors,” said Mahki Kemper, president of ‘Brothers N Motion.’
Friday morning, the group met with Mayor Aftab Pureval and other city leaders to discuss a safer and more effective sales plan.
“Having the mayor actually listen to me about ideas and him really giving me feedback, it was like my opinion mattered. You know, like I had a big voice,” Kemper said.
A new city youth employment program offers support and resources for entrepreneurship.
“This track that we have created is a year long with them, where they lead. They determine what area of entrepreneurship they want to go and actually who comes in and pours into them,” Roley said.
Also, giving them a chance to share their vision for their community.
“I see young, well older, rich, Black men. That’s what I think, that’s what I know we are going to be. You ain’t got to be in the streets, just to be rich, just to be seen. You can be different too,” Kemper said.
The city is also creating a universal peddler’s license so that they are not wrong when they are out there selling waters.
People or police will also not be able to interfere with what they are doing.
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