ABOUT
US
We are Realism Is Loyalty, and
We are Here in the Core of the Community
History
Realism Is Loyalty was born in the mind of JD Chapman Jr. during a time of self-reflection while serving ten (10) to thirty (30) years in Michigan Department of Corrections. After drafting a plan and tucking it away for safe keeping in late 2000, that plan lay dormant for close to 13 years. In 2013, an encounter with Lisa Vinson led JD to dig that ‘blueprint’ out and share his vision. After a lot of conversation, strategizing and convincing the two created a plan and a vision was before us.
JD reached out to Fadia Taylor-Cline and Divine Booker. The three served prison time together and remained intricately connected in society after release as friends, brothers, and accountability partners. The tools, practices and accountability methods that are implemented in RIL today are the same tools, methods, and practices that these young men implemented to both survive and maintain their sanity in prison and succeed in society post-long-term incarceration, in spite of.
The dream was to launch a program that supports the highest-risk male youthful demographic in an effort to mentor them from a relatable, meet-you-where-you-are approach, with the expected outcome of identifying self-worth and self-empowerment. While Lisa facilitated programming to young women from a faith-based perspective, Realism Is Loyalty was born and granted 501(c)(3) tax exemption in April 2014.
As Credible Agents in the community Realism Is Loyalty has morphed into an effective, key organization working with youth, specifically high and/or at-risk youth, in the core Grand Rapids area while focusing on relatability and relationships from an understanding of lived experience. The addition of Antoinette Chapman, MA, LPC, CAADC-DP and Ms. Bobbye Moore-Biles, LMSW to the team has coupled effective and relatable mentoring with a complementing mental health component utilizing 4 main group facilitation approaches:
- Cognitive Behavioral Training
- Dialectical Behavioral Training
- Solution Focused Training
- Trauma Informed Training
creating a safe, holistic and supportive space for our target demographic to be open, honest, and healthy.
“RIL is essential in Grand Rapids! They are a team called and equipped to lead a group of young people who are under-served and so often ignored as helpless and hopeless by the community as a whole.”
Steve VanPoolen
“I love it. Your team is one of sharpest, committed, hardest-working team I’ve seen... onward!”
Tami VandenBerg
Meet Our Team
Executive Board of Directors
