Black History Month is a time to look back at the history of African Americans in the United States, celebrate milestones and achievements, and honor the contributions of Black Americans to our history and culture. But it’s also a time to recognize work being done now that helps people in the African American community and in doing so improves the lives of people of all communities.

Like the good work of my friend, John Queen, and the Bayside H.O.Y.A.S., Inc.

Queen, as he’s called, moved to Kent County in 2010 from the D.C. area. Pretty quickly he noticed a shortage of activities for young people not only in the county but on the Eastern Shore in general.

“I just realized there were no positive Black male role models,” said Queen, “people who show the youth who are about to make that bad decision in life, there’s other ways.”

So in 2013 he and two friends started the Bayside H.O.Y.A.S., Inc. using an acronym for “Helping Our Youth to Achieve Success” and paying tribute to the Georgetown basketball program, of which he was a longtime fan. The Bayside program, originally intended for young men 11 to 17, began not surprisingly with basketball.

“Basketball was our bread and butter and how we started,” said Queen. “In the beginning basketball was the hook to get some of the youth off the street because there was no travel basketball here.” Program participants had to commit to stay in school and graduate with at least a 2.0 grade point average.

The program was a fast success and quickly grew, Queen said.

“The females, the elementary kids, the family members of the kids between 11 and 17,” wanted to become involved, he said, so the organization changed its mission to help all elementary and secondary age youth. Eventually, it expanded to include much more than basketball – and to help people young, old, Black, and white not only in Kent County but throughout the Eastern Shore.

Now, as the Bayside H.O.Y.A.S. approach their ninth anniversary this month, the organization still centers on people 24 and under, but also has what Queen calls “two-generational” programming.

“I can be helping your grandmother, your aunt, at the same time I’m helping you,” he said.

Bayside’s youth activities include programs for students from elementary through high school. A program in partnership with Washington College provided tutoring and mentoring in English and math and other college preparation for 60 middle schoolers, as well as cultural field trips and team-building activities. Other programs emphasize civic responsibility.

Queen said “kids that joined our program in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, before they reached high school they had over 200 hours of community service. We probably did over 2,000 hours of community service, and we stopped counting after a while.”

The group also offers community programs – including a Black History Month program and an annual Easter event that draws around 1,000 people. This year the Bayside H.O.Y.A.S., Inc. will host the Juneteenth celebration on June 18th in Chestertown, which is dedicated to Frederick Douglass and other African American leaders on the Eastern Shore.

Bayside has come so far that they don’t even do basketball anymore, as other youth programs have emerged for basketball.

More importantly, Bayside builds bonds – bonds among program participants, bonds among families of current and former participants, multigenerational bonds within families, and bonds within the community.

“There was a time when Black kids didn’t have any white friends,” Queen said. “Now some of the Black kids are best friends with some of the white kids. And they met through H.O.Y.A.S.”

I’m proud to call Queen my friend and to honor the work he and Bayside H.O.Y.A.S., Inc. do that carries forward the contributions of the African American communities of the past and builds a stronger Eastern Shore for all for the future.

Thank you,

Dave