Imagine a world where we celebrated people doing great things for our borough – every single week. If you really sit back and think about it, we’re always the butt of jokes. Whether we’re too brollic or too hard or even too deadass, The Bronx is no stranger to getting the short end of the stick (except for Staten Island – they take L’s everyday, all day).

“The Fixxx Podcast”, much like The Bronx Brand, celebrates members of the community doing dope things to help change the state of The Bronx – and because these people dedicate their lives to doing better, we call them bosses. Introducing a new weekly piece we like to call “Boss of The Bronx”, we’ll introduce you to someone who’s changing the game whether through their small business, volunteering events, or just simply by their attitude because you know positive minds be making positive thoughts!

Our inaugural Boss of The Bronx is Morrisania library manager, Colbert Nembhard. Colbert is quite a special man – a patient, selfless, and incredibly dynamic one. He reads stories, as well as sing songs to the children of the homeless and has been doing so for nearly nine years! Imagine that? Someone who actually cares about the homeless. Not to say there aren’t people who do, but those numbers seem a lot more rare compared to the number of police and congressmen who seem to turn their backs on the homeless population in New York City.

Let’s be real for a second here – how much do we actually know about the homeless epidemic in the city, much less The Bronx? What we do know is that it’s become such a permanent fixture in our everyday lives, that we’ve become immune to those in need around us. We’re more prone to buy candy from the dudes and their basketball teams and giving dollars to the kids who practice full on dance routines just because they managed to not kick you in the face for 30 seconds – than we are to actually helping the homeless out. We forget that any little bit counts…enter Colbert.

It’s a simple act. Reading to children in need but it’s one that they’ll never forget. We take for granted all of the information we have literally at our fingertips but Colbert brings that information, the stories, the fantasies, and most importantly, the hope that will shape these children to have access to a better, smarter life. Then on top of that, he sings songs to them! Music shapes us. It changes us – think about how hype you get when your favorite Solange or Kanye song comes on. Now imagine a world where kids who don’t have iPods or smartphones can hear music to help heal their soul?

Remember when libraries were a permanent fixture in our childhood? We’re so disconnected whilst being connected that reading and libraries are no longer synonymous the way they used to be. Perhaps it’s city funding that makes some libraries look exactly the same as when it was 1996 and I was hiding in aisles trying to find the nasty books like “B More Careful”, “Addicted” and “Coldest Winter Ever”…because this is how a lot of us really learned about what hot sex actually is but not to deter here. How dope is it that Colbert brought the library to these children? It really makes you want to get that ass up out of your seat and do something good in the world, doesn’t it?

Colbert – you’re an angel. You deserve every bit of the Boss of The Bronx title and we’re so grateful to have you as a positive force in The Bronx community! Thank you.

Take a listen to the latest episode of The Fixxx podcast and hear our shout out for this week’s Boss of The Bronx – not to mention an entire rundown on whether or not men actually want us women below:

https://soundcloud.com/listentothefixxx/the-fixxx-ep-47-do-men-really-want-relationships-pshhh

*The opinions and ideas expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the opinions of The Bronx Brand*

Jenni Ruiza is from the Wakefield section of the Bronx.  She says “The Bronx is my home. I know a lot of people out there who say they would move out of The Bronx as soon as they got money but this place is a big part of who I am today. I always feel like an alien when I go to Brooklyn or Queens. A great part about living in The Bronx is there’s so many facets and secrets like City Island, Arthur Avenue, Riverdale, Pelham Parkway and the house that has a thousand mannequins and lights that block traffic every Christmas. Where else are you going to find that?”

Follow her on Twitter: @listen2thefixxx and Instagram: @listen2thefix.xx