BeatTheOddsSquad aka BTOS is the brainchild of Manchester, CT Educator, youth empowerment activist, poet, hip hop artist Ryan Parker who had a vision to build a leadership community comprised of both youth and adult leaders with a focus on growth through positive collaborations, social justice, art and education!
Who we be:
A collective of social justice change agents comprised of youth and adult leaders promoting upliftedness through education and art.
Why we be:
In a world made up of beauty and injustice we choose to practice beauty as a means of eliminating the injustice. With odds stacked against us we choose to beat those odds and uplift others in the process. We exist because of the ancestors who positively paved the way before us and we understand it to be our responsibility to continue the tradition of positively paving the way for ancestors that will exist after us. We are not afraid of struggle, we embrace it because we know it makes us stronger.
What we do:
Educate, encourage, inspire and support others through community building, presentation and performance.
What the odds are and how you beat them:
The odds are not only the research-based statistical data that indicates limitation, the odds are also the the things in life that go against the grain of justice. These things include but are not limited to: racism, antisemitism, sexism, bodyism, ageism, classism, bullying, abuse, poverty etc. The odds are beat through “uplifteness.”
To UPLIFT is to Unify People, Love Intentionally and Face Truths
Upliftedness is: the unwavering act of promoting love intellect family and truth
Unwavering= consistent
Promotion= encouragement for the furtherance of a cause, venture or aim
Love= love of self and love of others
Intellect= knowledge gained and the ability to gain knowledge in correlation with self awareness (knowledge of self) and worldly awareness (within your immediate community and abroad)
Family= relatives, friends, community and crew near and abroad
Truth= your reality and the reality of others along with the reality of your immediate world and the world around you
Levels of commitment in upliftedness and beating the odds:
ThoughtsWordsAction
Level #1: Thoughts: The first step is thinking that you have the ability to beat the odds
Level #2: Words: The second step is adding voice you your belief about your ability to beat the odds
Level #3: Action: The third step is doing what you need to do to support your thoughts and words about your ability to beat the odds.