Newspaper:  OurWeekly 

Charisse Bremond Weaver is a bit of a anomaly. Her contemporary young African American leaders-in-waiting often lament that veteran black politicians and leaders do not give them opportunities or sufficient mentoring. But that was not the case at all for Weaver, who last year, became the first woman to head the Brotherhood Crusade since its launch in in 1968.

She was introduced to her future at an early age.

The training initially came from her father Walter T. Bremond, who Weaver said took out a second mortgage on the family home and used $15,000 of those proceeds to found the Brotherhood Crusade 68 years ago. And, although Weaver never had the opportunity to work directly with her dad, growing up she watched his community activism. Her most vivid memory of him was “his passion to help others.”

“Our house was always open during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Our house was like this home where people were always welcomed from the community. At that time, if someone was unemployed or needed help, everyone helped,” recalled Weaver, who said she developed a desire to help everyone from observing this interaction. “That was my life. My parents served the community. My mom as an educator, and my dad was a community activist, philanthropist, mentor and friend.”

Although her a decision to dedicate her life to serving the community began at home, it was nurtured by innumerable community leaders including businessman Danny J. Bakewell Sr., ex-politician Marguerite Archie Hudson, Karen Earl of the Genesee Center, Avalon Carver Senior Center’s Mary Henry, activists Lillian Mobely and Herb Carter as well as a whole host of others.

These people, particularly the women, also gave Weaver a historical context that has made her truly appreciate just how many sacrifices the early African American leaders made to get where they are today.

“These people shaped black L.A from the ‘60s so you really understand their story. It was my history. It was a group of black leaders who were committed to the struggle—how do we do for our own people, when no one else wants to do . . . and even though they are in still in leadership positions, they deserve to be in that position as well as training new leaders.”

Weaver speculates that perhaps her generation has dropped the ball, and now needs to step up to the plate, understand the historical context of the struggle, and then develop innovative ways to engage the next generation. That is in part what she has been doing for the last 15 months at the Brother Crusade.

“How do you engage new donors, younger donors who may not understand the greater need,” asked Weaver, who believes that if each African American with resources helped just one person or one family, it would make a huge difference in the black community.

The other aim, the former Utah State point guard has for the decades-old agency is to show people a slightly different image of the organization.

“When you say Brotherhood Crusade, people think of social justice. And that’s true. Yes we were part of the group that got more black students admitted to UCLA, and we have been engaged in community institution building, but we also have programs of our own,” pointed out Weaver.

These include an upcoming camp with Lakers’ coach Jim Cleamons offering education science, financial literacy, life skills and nutrition as well as basketball. There are after school mentoring and community service programs at Horace Mann Middle School; a Microsoft grant for job training provided in collaboration with the African American Unity Center; as well as the possible revitalization of a waiter/waitress employment training program BHC operated a few years ago.

The organization has also just launched a campaign to combat the spread of Hepatitis C in the African American community. “One in 15 African American have Hepatitis C in Los Angeles County,” pointed out Weaver.

And like the community leaders who nurtured her under their collective wings, Weaver is paying their investments forward by helping people one group and one person at a time.