Dear Friend of BOND,
I’d like to tell you about a special milestone: BOND is celebrating our 20th Year Anniversary!
Growing up without a father, I had a longing for him that I could never fulfill, and a resentment toward him for abandoning me. I resented my mother too, for taking out her anger for him on me.
My troubles grew when I moved to Los Angeles from Alabama at eighteen, and began attending meetings hosted by Louis Farrakhan and others. They cleverly redirected the anger that many young blacks harbor for their parents toward more convenient scapegoats—namely white people.
I escaped into the comfort of drugs, sex, and welfare—nothing quelled my pain. I went to black churches for answers. Yet no one was able to tell me how to overcome my weakness—until one day on the radio I heard a Jewish minister say that to be free, all anyone needed to do was pray quietly, and seek understanding.
I tried it, and right away I could see the resentment I held against my parents—I was truly sorry for it.
I took the opportunity to see my mother. I told her I was sorry for being angry with her my whole life. And for the first time ever I saw my mother cry. She told me she was sorry, and that she had treated me the same way her mother had treated her. I walked away from this meeting a free man!
1990: BOND is Founded
I soon started BOND, the Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny, to help other black men find the same freedom. We had intense discussions about the failure of men, and I demonstrated the power of forgiveness to overcome these failings.
To get our message out, we began purchasing airtime on a local radio station, but some of the black preachers there feared my straight talk to black men. Someone even threatened to blow up the radio tower—my show was soon taken off the air!
1995: The BOND Home for Boys Opens
I began to realize we needed to reach young men early, so they’d have a chance to change course and have a good life. Learn to forgive? Yes, and much more… No one ever bothered to show these young men the basics:
From how to write a check, to how to dress right, to working and saving money, to learning career skills, to going to trade school or college, to even starting their own businesses—through the generosity of our donors we accomplished all of this!
Later we started our After School Character Building Program to build the moral character of young men and pass on what they’d learned by mentoring a friend.
2000: The First Annual “National Day of Repudiation of Jesse Jackson”!
BOND has always stood for moral values, such as traditional marriage, the rights of unborn children, and securing our national borders. We’ve had a special calling to expose corrupt black “leadership”, such as Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, and the NAACP—and held a National Boycott to protest this racist organization.
Jesse Jackson had built his name by hijacking the civil rights movement and shaking down corporations. For the good of the black community and America, it was time to publicly rebuke this wicked man.
The “National Day of Repudiation of Jesse Jackson” was born, and we held the event the next four years in front of his offices, to contrast Dr. King’s dream with Jesse Jackson’s nightmare.
2001: Attacked by Jesse Jackson!
Toyota had produced an ad featuring a black man grinning to reveal an imbedded Toyota vehicle in his tooth. Jesse Jackson responded: “The only thing missing is the watermelon.” Toyota sought to “make amends” to the black community, by way of its $700 million “21st Century Diversity Strategy” with Jackson essentially positioned as the gatekeeper to the funding.
A meeting was held to discuss the strategy. During the question and answer period, I identified myself and BOND, and said that we don’t agree with anything that Jesse Jackson is about. I told the Toyota representative that we had a Home for Boys, and asked how we could work with Toyota without having to go through Jackson—all hell broke loose!
I was ridiculed by the pro-Jackson audience and verbally abused by Jackson. When attempting to leave the meeting, I was surrounded and harassed by Jackson’s associates, and struck by Jackson’s son, Jonathan. We took the case to court, with Judicial Watch our legal counsel.
2006: The Trial Against Jesse Jackson
Several jurors told us they believed our testimony, but a pro-Jackson juror convinced them not to vote our way, and we were unable to get a conviction. Our assault charge against his son Jonathan did end in a deadlock. And from the information gathered during the trial, Judicial Watch published an expose against Jackson, which in addition to the trial’s bad publicity, blunted his negative impact on America!
2005-2006: Key Conferences with the Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation co-sponsored several key conferences with us in Washington, DC, to highlight the bold ideas of black conservatives: “The New Black Vanguard Conference” (I and II); and “Moral Reconstruction: A Model for Urban Transformation.” Leading black thinkers such as Shelby Steele, Ward Connerly and John McWorther took part in these groundbreaking events.
2008: New Organization, BOND Action is formed!
BOND Action, a 501 (c) (4) nonprofit organization was formed to “educate, motivate, and rally Americans” to greater involvement in the moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our great country.
2010: BOND’s 20th Anniversary
This year—with God’s help and yours—BOND will lead the movement to restore us to “one nation under God.”
We are promoting the strengthening of men through character growth, entrepreneurship/ ownership, and employment assistance. THE BOND HOME (for young men) and our After School Character Building Program will be keys.
And our companion organization BOND Action, Inc. will be active restoring our nation through the expansion of The Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show, increased activism, and national speaking events decrying socialism.
BOND is leading the fight to rebuild men and families, and fostering honest dialogue between the races, to restore America. Please stand with us in this hour of decision, for the sake of yourselves, your children, and the country you love.
Consider committing to helping BOND restore our nation’s most important building block—families—by becoming a BOND FRIENDS OF FATHERS & FAMILIES monthly partner today.
If you are unable to make a monthly commitment, then please make a tax-deductible donation to BOND right now; or call 1-800-411-BOND (2663) to donate with your MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express Card; or send a check to BOND, P.O. Box 35090, Los Angeles, CA 90035-0090. Please write “E-Feb” in the note section.
Thank you so much for your support, and may God bless you.
Sincerely,
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson
Founder and President
BOND is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. To maintain our independence, we’ve never asked for or received government funding, so your financial support is absolutely vital. Please support BOND today by making a tax-deductible donation via a secure online donation or by sending your gift to:
BOND
P.O. Box 35090
Los Angeles, CA 90035-0090
(323) 782-1980
E-mail: bond@bondinfo.org
Web: www.bondinfo.org