Malik Turner Memorial Event

Dave and Busters, Wauwatosa, WI

GAB was invited to speak with Malik’s Mom, Nicole Mitchell, at a memorial event to honor her late son. It is unclear as to why Malik took his life, never-the-less, Nicole wanted to bring awareness about the social/economic bullying, suicide and mental health problems in the African American community. GAB Executive Assistant, James Dean addressed the importance of fostering respect, empathy, and love in our communities to help anyone who is struggling.

James illustrated how being an upstander for someone can positively impact any negative behavior situation, not just bullying.

By upstanding for another, you can interrupt negative behavior within 10 seconds 85% of the time.  James said you cannot change a whole community at once, but you can positively affect the community by taking action one situation at a time in your own life.

GAB speaker Michael Turner spoke about all of us being Americans. Not African Americans, or German Americans, or Italian Americans, but Americans. Michael said there are too many people trying to negatively divide us over past events, and that we have to remain in the present. Michael detailed some of the many issues that caused him to spend time in prison as a very young man.

He said he could have dwelled on the negative and continued to view himself as a victim. Instead, Michael illustrated how he has been able to turn his life around by focusing on the positive incentives in his life.

He became an upstander for himself and has developed a very successful construction company.

Michael encouraged the audience to stand up for themselves and others who have fallen into a very negative behavior pattern. He said, once you have helped change your own life, then you can move forward and be of help to someone else. In this way, eventually, the whole community is affected.

Several from the audience asked GAB how can they start a Peer Ambassador Program in their school.

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