THE BAKARI FOUNDATION Healing, Peace, and Clarity for Families in Mourning
Whilst I lived & worked in Athens, Greece in 2019, I came across a heart wrenching story in the Greek media.
At 22, Bakari Henderson, a young African-American man was murdered on the Greek island of Zakynthos on 7-7-17 while pursuing his dream of launching Bakari Luxury Sportswear, his clothing line, which he conceptualised as a young teenager.
Bakari died after being beaten in the street following an argument in a bar in the Laganas resort area of Zakynthos island.
Investigators say a mob ended his life because he took a selfie with a Serbian woman.
Six of the men -- five Serbian nationals and a British man of Serbian origin -- had been convicted by a first instance court and sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison, but four have since been released.
The seventh defendant, a Greek barman, had been acquitted.
A public prosecutor had ordered the retrial of all seven, deeming the sentences too lenient, and the retrial is still ongoing.
I made it my goal to reach out to his parents Jill & Phil, and met them when they came to Greece for the trial. Today I am honoured to call them my friends.
THE LIFE OF BAKARI
Bakari Henderson is the beloved son of Phil and Jill Henderson and brother of P.J. and Jory.
In his early years, Bakari overcame dyslexia, and went on to receive a full academic scholarship to the University of Arizona, where he graduated from with a degree in Business Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Eller College of Management, less than 2 months prior to this tragedy.
He had a singular focus: build a business empire and demonstrate what it means to live fully and fearlessly.
Bakari was a scholar, an athlete, and an avid traveler.
He visited China, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, England, Monaco, Columbia, and Greece using money he saved from his various business ventures.
His passion and love for people of all cultures is honoured through the mission of The Bakari Foundation.
Bakari lived by the motto, “Plan B is for those who are not confident in their Plan A”. He was confident about his plan in life, inquisitive about all things financial and global and relentless in achieving his goals as an entrepreneur. Bakari was a quiet storm who shared his love and compassion with family and friends, by sharing thoughtful sentiments, and encouraging words.
Jill & Phil Henderson run The Bakari Foundation which offers Healing, Peace, and Clarity for families in mourning Honouring the life of Bakari Henderson.
The foundation offers transformative travel experiences for families who have lost loved ones at the hands of another.
To find out more about their work and how you can be a part of it please contact them:
The Bakari Foundation
PO Box 28081 Austin, TX 78755
FB: The Bakari Foundation
https://www.thebakarifoundation.org Email: info@thebakarifoundation.org
Twitter: @thebakarifdn
Instagram: thebakarifoundation Call Us: (512) 222-8857