Bed-Stuy Marching Band, Arts Academy Needs Help Keeping Its Doors Open

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — An HBCU-style band and arts academy in Bed-Stuy needs help to keep marching forward.

The Big Apple Leadership Academy for the Arts (BALAA) — which runs a marching band and other youth activities — said Tuesday that it is in urgent need of $12,000 to keep its space on Gates Avenue.

The money, which BALAA hopes to raise through an existing GoFundMe, would mean ensuring the space is available for young people who otherwise wouldn't have such programs to attend, leaders said.

"We are more concerned about ensuring that they have a safe space to go and be productive, especially during prime disruptive hours," Executive Director Jada John wrote in an email. "We believe that keeping the program free allows us to maximize our reach, and our work is becoming more and more essential as we witness crimes amongst youth in our community rise."

BALAA launched in 2019 and has since grown to include a girls empowerment program, male mentoring program, adult wellness program, a summer program, after-school program and its Empire Marching Elite, which helps young Brooklynites secure marching band scholarships to historically Black colleges and universities.

In its last season, three high school seniors in the marching band were chosen for more than $48,000 in scholarships, BALAA officials said.

The Empire Marching Elite also grew its reach this year when it was named the official pep band for minor league baseball team Brooklyn Cyclones' 2022 season.

"Although we are a relatively new organization that has spent the greater half of its years surviving a pandemic, we have pretty big goals and aspirations at BALAA," the GoFundMe reads. "We depend on contributions from the general public and the generosity of people like you to keep our doors open and ensure that operations continue."

Find the fundraiser here.