Born in Cincinnati and raised on Chicago’s East Side, Kenny Flagg Jr. knows firsthand what it means to overcome adversity. His experiences navigating environments marked by poverty and violence give him an authentic connection to the youth CAB serves.

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After relocating from the city to the south suburbs, Kenny recalls how silence replaced the nightly chaos of gunfire — an awakening that reshaped his perspective on peace and community. “I was so used to hearing gunshots, silence felt strange,” he says. That moment of clarity inspired his mission to replace cycles of fear with spaces of expression and opportunity.

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Through mentorship and leadership, Kenny urges young men to find new outlets: “Put down the guns and pick up the mic.” His work at CAB turns those words into action — transforming pain into creativity and structure into hope.