Project Re-Generation

In 2000, a childhood friend of Barnabas Shakur was accused and found guilty of a crime. This individual was given a life sentence in a maximum-security prison. Only 19 at the time of his arrest, he belonged to a notorious gang called the Bloods. Upon his friend's conviction, Barnabas was devastated and decided to create change. In 2001, he founded Bed Stuy's Project Re-Generation, Inc. (PR-G) with a vision to eliminate teenage after-school idleness in Bedford-Stuyvesant and similar communities through education, recreation, and partnerships. Today, PR-G has served over 500 teenagers and 3,000 Bed-Stuy residents through the following programs and activities: Foot Soldiers, a community service beautification initiative, for homeowners in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights; Foot Soldiers Rites of Passage (FSROP), an intense program that works with teens throughout their high school tenure; and NY Knicks Poetry Slams: a six (6) week poetry program that helps participants develop their ability to write and recite performance and nonperformance style poetry.