In Arms Reach is a non-for-profit organization that offers free educational and social services to low income children and families within NYC. It focuses on helping at risk youth and those whose parents are incarcerated with mentoring programs that allow children to maintain consistent communication with their parents. The organization was founded by Terrance Stevens in 2001.
While conducting a class one day a 12 year old boy approached Terrance and politely asked him why there was not a black Santa Clause. This question set in motion a series of meetings that eventually led to the creation of Melanin Moments (hereafter MM), LLC a premier product company designed to uplift and empower people of color. In time for the holiday season, MM was created to take on America's historic tales of racial exclusion of brown faces as the main figure during the Christmas season. Their unique products are available on-line for entertaining and make a great gift that even non-color descent can give to people of color.
For decades, society has generally circulated fairy tale messages and images of beauty, elegance and greatness in dominance by non-color character images. These characters lack a fatal correlation with children's own identity and do not serve to promote a vision of empowerment and leadership. Such stigmas indirectly and psychologically position children of color in America secondary to figures of greatness or at best are victims of historic tales of holiday racial exclusion.
"Finding presents or gift accessories on which a person of color is one of the main points of focus, the protagonist, the central figure can surprisingly still be hard to come by, "says Terrence Stevens. "The kids we work with need to see themselves reflected in the holidays." This is why we created Melanin Moments. The profits from this company will be supporting the work I do in helping children who need help the most.
The online digital superstore Melanin Moments will aim to empower children of color in America and to incite holiday cheer. Its initial product lines feature high quality and easy to use gift-wrapping paper. The gift-wrap, available in different color patterns and can be ideal to a number of home decorating such as doors, tables and walls. The products features memorable holiday color prints of Santa, a fun and stylish snowman, a reindeer, and a young school-aged boy and girl. The images offer an identity that people of color can be proud of.
Finally, says Terrance this holiday season a product that children of color in America can psychologically attach themselves to their very own self-identity, will be available. It will help position these children in main stream America as figures of greatness, which they truly are. The unique products are available while stock supplies last. Be sure to get your special gift-wrap at their online superstore. Please visit Melanin Moments.