Community Connex with True Daley: Creating Cycles of Change
True Daley
By True Daley
Like his name, Shaka Licorish, is anything but conventional. One of his many titles is the Senior Program Facilitator & Case Manager of The Canadian Training Institute’s ‘Breaking the Cycle’, a youth gang exit ambassador leadership program. He is recognized for constantly exploring innovative ways to motivate youth to make better lifestyle choices and break self-destructive patterns. Licorish says his passion and dedication for youth is driven by his personal experiences.
“I definitely endured and developed a lot of resiliency at a young age. I had a name ‘Shaka Licorish’ and often my teachers couldn’t pronounce my first name accurately. They would mash that up and on the first day of school, I’d be listening for roll call. Then I got to a point where it was just dirt off my shoulders. I flipped it on them like, ‘You’re a teacher, my name is not that complex’. I think I developed a sense of empowerment from having a stronger sense of self. I grew up in Hamilton where there was a mixture of people. There was a strong Jewish community close to where other minorities were. I was definitely exposed to some things that maybe others from similar backgrounds may not have been exposed to. Being involved with sports also exposed me to a lot of different things at a young age. As I got older, it gave me an opportunity to do non-traditional things.”
By ‘non-traditional’, Licorish means introducing Yoga to at-risk youth, as an advisor for the New Leaf Foundation, or coordinating volunteer opportunities overseas, for Breaking The Cycle participants.
By implementing a travel piece to the 6-month program, a recent graduate will be volunteering in the ‘Golden Triangle’ with 3 non-profits, beginning in Thailand. As a child, this young woman witnessed her mother and brother being stabbed multiple times and became abusive to her partners as a result. She has since made the connection between her childhood and her adult life and turned her life around. She is one of many success stories at Breaking The Cycle.
Motivated by his former (American) football career , Licorish says international experience provides youth with an opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth. “I’m passionate about traveling because I feel that was a huge turning point in my life. I was playing in Denmark, being exposed to a different culture, and being able to withstand the things that came with being in a foreign environment without any support. I didn’t have any friends or family, so I had to develop a level of resiliency and maintain a level of humility at the same time. I had to be humble and take in all that the opportunity had to offer.”
Creating opportunities for youth facing multiple barriers and personal challenges is Licorish’s forte. However, when gang members are in the same room as their rivals, building camaraderie can be a challenge, to say the least. Before any progress can be made, Licorish says establishing trust is key. “There definitely haven’t been any fatalities since I’ve been a part of BTC. There have been confrontations, and there have been incidents. But one thing that our staff is great at, is building relationships with the young people that we work with, so that we can affect the outcome of some of those confrontations. They trust us, and they know that we are there to support them. They know that they can call me day or night, 24 hours a day. They know I’m available to them.”
Even though he’s a trusted mentor, Licorish admits conflicts still arise within the group, bringing suppressed personal issues to the surface. “There are definitely some situations where youth are dealing with anger issues, and are trying to learn how to cope with vicarious trauma and post-traumatic stress. We help them to deconstruct how these behaviours are linked to their anxiety and anger, so that when they are in that situation they can recognize there are other ways to deal with it, instead of resorting to violence.”
Athletics, travel, academics and community involvement have broadened Licorish’s horizons and provided opportunities to expand his career to include public speaking. He has facilitated workshops with the TDSB for marginalized youth and has also been a guest speaker at York University. In addition, he’s the Senior Facilitator and Advisor for the ‘More than A Haircut Program’, which creates opportunities for peer mentoring and open dialogue between black men at local barbershops throughout the GTA. Most recently, Licorish was chosen to speak at “The Power of Ideas Conference”, taking place at the Toronto Centre for the Arts on July 9. The event is spearheaded by a group of young minds from different walks of life that have come together with the aim of spreading inspiration through powerful ideas, which influence young adults to become contributors to society.
Licorish credits his leadership skills and work ethic to his Guyanese mother, who raised him alone while working up to 3 jobs at a time. Although, his father wasn’t involved for most of his life, he says African pride was instilled in him from an early age. “Growing up I really felt like I only had two options, to play basketball or to be a hip-hop star. Then there was the third option, to find other illegitimate ways to be successful. That was my thought process. I don’t think it was really any fault of my own really, because that’s what was being thrown at me through media. Meanwhile, I’d be watching Malcolm X speeches with my father. He would bring books home and I’d be learning about Anansi the Spider. On the weekends all the other kids got to chill and go play, but I had to go to Swahili classes. At that time I didn’t really understand, but when I look back, it’s because he didn’t want me to lose sense of who I was culturally. Now I appreciate that.”
To learn more about Shaka Licorish’s work with the New Leaf Foundation, click on the link below
torontobodymind.ca/articles/new-leaf-empowering-youth-through-yoga
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Brother Shaka
I call him lion, young elder, brother Licorish ; but most of all i call him inspiration. Big up to the brother for being that beacon of light and continues to inspire his community.
Big up yourself True for writing this.
Brandon
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