Brothers On A Mission To Make Broken Whole

BKP The Broken Kids Project, according to the mission statement, “is a streetwear brand established January 2021 centered around bringing attention and tailoring healing towards trauma with clothing as the medium. Intentionally broad, BKP aims to address various causes of trauma through different graphic depictions and artistic forms of expression, while integrating with the well-established streetwear culture in New York City and communities alike.
“Our aim as a brand is to support those who have experienced different traumatic events or are currently in the midst of traumatic circumstances. We have been fortunate enough to partner with various like-minded organizations including New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Seeds in the Middle, and The Black Lady Theatre to increase visibility surrounding our mission and bring life to our goals for impacted communities.
“While merchandise is our medium of expression, we aim to function as a collective and support system for those who have experienced hardships. For those who have suffered we hope to be a piece that can put things back together.”
Our Time Press met the founder and organizing team of “The BKP The Broken Kids Project”, last month, outside the Brooklyn Museum of Art. We are happy to introduce you to these young brothers and their thoughts during the month, as part of a special on Young Thought Leaders.

Muhammad Jalloh, CEO, BKP The Broken Kids Project LLC, Speaks
The aim of BKP The Broken Kids Project is to send a message of understanding above all else. The topic of trauma is intentionally broad so we can touch upon it from various aspects including from the spiritual and physical wellness standpoints. We’ve spread this message by curating themes behind each of our collections, for example our newest line the SPlit Decisions collection was crafted in order to bring attention to those who struggle with indecision in various aspects of life. With most of our collections we provide additional community support often in the form of donations to other like-minded organizations aimed to support similar goals of BKP. Ultimately we do not aim to provide solutions to the problems we highlight as we do not claim to be experts, we aim to provide support. BKP is centered around bringing attention to those who can relate to the experiences of trauma and offering our support and understanding through streetwear as the medium.

OTP:How do you define success?
I find that success is never ending as I don’t believe in perfection there is always room for growth. The best indicator I would equate to success is progress, in any pursuit of a goal one should be able to look back from where they began and notice a substantial difference. Success can also come in the form of accomplishing goals set for oneself or be displayed through impact on ones community, at times I find that recognition from my peers to new consumers altogether indicates the level of success I’ve had in the pursuit of BKP’s mission as well.

OTP: What is the message you want to convey to young strivers?
My favorite messages would be to enjoy what you do and to make a little bit of progress everyday. The small step add up with time but it’s much easier to put in the time on something you genuinely enjoy. I’d also like to stress the importance of fearlessness, be ready to fail, failure is the best thing that could happen to you. My last point would be to act on every idea you have, whether that be a social media post, idea sketch, or new operation tactic, you should try as much as you can there’s much more to gain than there is to lose.

OTP: Beyond historical figures, who would you call your modern day role models?
My modern day role models would be the ufc fighter Charles Oliveira and the former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson. To provide context on Charles Oliveira he began his ufc mma career under difficult circumstances, doctors originally informed him that he had a heart condition that they predicted wouldn’t allow him to perform in sports along with gaining an early reputation as a quitter when he began. Over time he proved those who doubted him wrong, going on a 12 fight win streak to become the UFC lightweight champion and also attaining the current record for most submission victories in the UFC. Mike Tyson is my next source of inspiration for the resilience shown after his boxing career. There were points in his life which he struggled with drug addiction and even served time in prison, he has since managed to turn his life around, beat his addiction, and even host a popular podcast “Hotboxin With Mike Tyson” in which he openly recounts the trying periods in his life. The reason these two individuals serve as inspiration for me is because they reached points in life which would cause most people to break and were able to achieve beyond that. They exemplify resilience and display the importance of second chances.

OTP: Where do you go from here as a team and individually?
As a team we aim to execute future ideas for the brand and continue to grow from a marketing standpoint. This can best be showcased in the form of new concepts displayed in our brands photography and graphics, along with increased partnerships with notable influences on social media and in our community in general. This means from an individual standpoint the best I can do is remain informed, from networking with my community to find out the best ways I can provide resources to finding new ways to execute and grow all aspects of BKP.

OTP: What can the Baby Boomer generation do to support Gen-Ys and Gen-Zs?
The Baby Boomer generation can best help the younger Millennials and Gen Z through offering their established platforms to bring visibility towards the goals of the youth. We live in a generation now where networking is key and the more access younger generations have to expanding their professional networks the more that contributes to their likelihood of success. Offering wisdom surrounding their professional experiences is also something that could prove useful as well in terms of inspiration and from a strategic standpoint.

Are you redefining what family means? Our team exemplifies what family is supposed to mean in terms of trust, loyalty, and support. From supporting brand photoshoots and flash retail events to finding new ways to network and grow BKP as a whole we each are willing to put in the necessary time and effort to nurture this entity as a whole. With this in mind we have been able to gain back from our efforts as our participation has furthered opportunities for us in achieving personal goals as well.

OTP: Will you take your messaging to schools?
I hope to be able to speak about my progress as a brand owner to my past schools in particular amongst other schools. I attended Achievement First East New York for elementary and middle school and my time there helped instill in me a strong moral compass inspiring me to create a brand focused on our trauma as people and that would allow me to give back to my community. Medgar Evers College Preparatory School was my high school and I’d love to speak there especially to stress the importance of discipline in the pursuit of one’s goals as one of the schools principals was persistence. Aside from that, speaking at colleges and charter schools in general is a path I would love to take in order to offer my encouragement for those trying to navigate life, not only from a professional standpoint but emotionally as well.

Best Regards,
BKP The Broken Kids Project LLC
Muhammad Jalloh CEO