City Hall Superman: YouthBuild alumni discusses path to discovering his inner superhero and protecting his community

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s…

Superman is well known for dedicating his life to helping others and making the world a safer place. And YouthBuild Newark (YBN) alumni Markeno Bingham does exactly that as a security officer at Newark City Hall. 

As an avid fan of comic books and larger-than-life superheroes, Markeno always dreamed of meeting the man with the S on his chest. However, his first interaction with a real-life superhero, while accompanying his mother on a trip to New York City, was one who dressed in blue and had “NYPD” written on his shoulder. 

“He was polished from head to toe with his uniform on. He was respectful, polite, and was there to make sure everybody was safe - he even held my hand to cross the street,” said Markeno. “That moment highlighted my life with where I wanted to stand. To stand with somebody and help them out, even if it's just crossing the street. Seeing my first police officer gave me an idea of what I wanted to do—be a superhero.” 

Meeting the police officer in New York City and witnessing him protect others inspired Markeno to take action in his own community. He stood up for himself and his peers that were being bullied at school. At a young age, Markeno became the person others could rely on, for better or for worse. However, he took his role as a school superhero a bit too literally and would occasionally get involved in fights.

“I was a straight-A student. The reason I got kicked out was because I noticed this one kid, he was struggling in math. I figured I'd be able to help him out. But he didn't want my help. He said ‘Oh who asked for your smart-ass mouth.’ He took that and went left with it and we ended up in a fight.”

He got kicked out of school because of the incident and wasn’t accepted into any of the schools within the Newark region that he attempted to enroll in. The only other option available to Markeno at the time was to move in with his mother in Brooklyn and attend school there. 

However, his time there was only temporary. He later moved back to Newark to live with his grandmother. Despite his desire to save others, he couldn’t save himself from the chasm of school disconnection. 

Added Markeno, “I tried to stay connected with my friends, my teachers and my school in general in Brooklyn and it just wasn’t working out the way I thought it would.”

He lost all motivation to continue school during his senior year. With the increasing risk of safety due to the presence of gang activity, and witnessing Markeno’s gradual academic descent, Markeno’s grandmother pulled him out of school in 2006, leaving him disengaged from school for years. 

It took some tough love from his grandmother for Markeno to start taking steps toward actualizing his goals. 

“My grandmother, she told me get the hell out the house,” said Markeno. “Just go find what you got to find. I went to the unemployment office and a lady there gave me the number to YouthBuild. It started from there.” 

YBN, an Opportunity Youth Network (OYN) initiative, is a comprehensive youth and community development program, founded in 2002, that offers previously disconnected young people ages 16-to-24 the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and industry-recognized credentials while gaining hands-on job training. The program addresses the core issues facing low-income communities—education, housing, employment, crime prevention and leadership development. 

At YBN, Markeno pursued the construction pathway and, by 2009, had earned NCEER and weatherization certifications. Little did he know at the time, he would also be gaining a community that recognized his potential — his inner superhero. 

“After I got into YouthBuild, they sat down with me and told me ‘You're joining this program at this age, so it’s time to start preparing and lock in on what you want to do in life.’ It opened my mind and that's when I started taking my security and law enforcement profession seriously.” 

One of the people who saw his potential is OYN’s Chief Program Officer Jasmine Joseph-Forman. She met Markeno while she was still a case manager at YBN and said he is one of the many reminders of why youth workforce development is so important. 

“It’s such a joy to see Markeno thriving and doing something he’s meant to do,” said Joseph-Forman. “Ever since I first met him as a case manager, I knew he would go on to do great things. That’s why it’s so important for young people like Markeno to receive the support and tools they need to excel. Each young person has within them the potential to transform themselves, their families, and their communities.”

Thanks to the support of the YBN community and his own perseverance, Markeno has become a notable figure around Newark, keeping residents safe and helping those that need it the most. Now, instead of just looking up to superheroes, Markeno is following in their footsteps - Newark’s very own City Hall Superman.