OUR VISION IS FOR URBAN YOUTH TO BECOME THE BENCHMARK FOR PERSONAL AND CULTURAL EXCELLENCE IN BIRMINGHAM, AL AND BEYOND!



Why LegacyWorks?






The Problem​


In Birmingham, a sordid racial history has engineered a closed-loop web of disadvantage. Homes in Black neighborhoods are appraised 36% less than identical homes in white areas, fixing families to under-resourced school zones where literacy trails affluent peers. Educational gaps harden into economic gaps, resulting in incarceration rates 2.4 times higher and homicide rates 18 times higher for Black youth. LegacyWorks exists to interrupt this pattern.


The Solution


LegacyWorks addresses this problem by equipping young men to build purposeful lives through trades, mentorship, and postsecondary pathways that help urban youth avoid contact with the criminal justice system and experience

freedom, self-sufficiency, and the pursuit of happiness.





We achieve our vision in three ways:





1. Paid Apprenticeship Program





Meeting monthly with young men ages 13 to 21, we provide hands-on learning in skilled trades, including quarterly courses in carpentry, electrical work, and plumbing for which participants are paid if they meet learning objectives.



2. Education and Advocacy





Alongside trade instruction, participants engage in personal development coursework, literacy enrichment, and agency-building activities that strengthen their confidence and decision-making over time.



3. Proximity and Creativity





We work with urban youth to produce culturally relevant music, videos, and other audiovisual content that inspires them to become their best selves.