INDIANAPOLIS — A longtime Indianapolis summer camp is being recognized by state leaders for its work with young Black males every summer.
Rev. Malachi Walker founded Young Men Incorporated 27 years ago. When he speaks to the participants in his summer camp, he keeps it real.
"Just pouring out to these young men, letting them know I care about you, and I want you to survive," said Walker.
The summer camp is for boys as young as 8 years old up to high school teens getting tough love.
One of this week's sessions included learning what to do during a traffic stop. A straw poll of the campers showed that most of them thought they would be shot and killed by a police officer if they were pulled over at a traffic stop. Walker explained that most police officers are not out to harm them, but part of the lesson also included teaching them to cooperate with officers.
Camper Messiah Belton is a freshman at Arsenal Technical High School. He was one of the students selected to be in the car during their mock traffic stop.
"I have to take the steps for my safety and for the officer's safety, and not resisting is going to be in my best favor," Belton said.
Camper Jalen Currin is a senior in high school who hopes to attend Purdue University after graduation next year. He had a lot of takeaways from the mock traffic stop as one of the older campers.
"Although we were joking around, we know it is serious," said Currin. "I have been stopped by a cop with my parents before."
Walker not only has affirmations posted around the walls, but introduces a word for the day to the campers.
"The word for the day is 'intelligence,'" said Currin, "and it means a lot to me as a person who goes to school a lot and while growing up kind of lazy."
"Teachers always tell me that I am smart and that I have a lot of intelligence. It does mean a lot because that is how I carry myself," Belton said.
Summer camp comes with both inside recreation and outside sports like basketball. But every year, campers participate in vigils, getting a firsthand look at violent crime scenes, all part of prevention.
Prevention is one reason why the Indiana Department of Child Services just gave Walker its Prevention Provider of the Year Award. DCS Region 10 Manager Peggy Surbey learned about the summer camp at an event she attended for work several years ago.
"There is something about this program that is bringing them in and teaching them to become young men," Surbey said.
Surbey helped facilitate Young Men Incorporated receive much-needed grant money to keep the program afloat. Walker faced shutting down after regular funding from the City of Indianapolis fell through when grant money was diverted to other organizations.
Walker said a DCS audit of his program made sure he had everything in order, which helped earn him financial support. Walker calls his partnership with DCS the best thing that's ever happened for the young men in his program.
"Their ultimate goal is the safety of the kids, and they want us to have that same ultimate goal," he said. "For the Department of Child Services to recognize what we do with the children means a whole lot."
"His integrity, the realness for these youth and the discipline and the message that they are learning," said Surbey.
The number of 2021 camp participants has been cut in half due to social distancing, but Walker plans to return to the full capacity of close to 100 student campers next summer.