A place to go, a place to grow

the long version

Lou Dantzler founded Challengers in his besieged neighborhood in the wake of the 1960s Watts riots. What started out as a circle of 12 boys meeting under a maple tree has grown into a $6 million facility that has served 32,000 boys and girls to date, creating productive citizens out of potential juvenile delinquents. A South Carolina transplant to South Central LA who was once victimized by racial violence, Dantzler was determined to break the cycle of hatred and bigotry. In A Place to Go, A Place to Grow, he shares his philosophy of caring and the secrets of his success working with at-risk kids. The list of people who recognize Dantzler's talent for getting these disadvantaged young people to reach their full potential reads like a Who's Who of notables. President George H.W. Bush has said that Challengers' existence "proves the power of our better selves." Denzel Washington calls the club "an oasis" and says Dantzler epitomizes "what a role model is." And Sidney Poitier praises it as "a great service to young people. It gives them a sense of belonging."