By Six
For Johnnie Timu, the impetus for change was the arrival of his first-born son.
Johnnie says he felt ashamed of being Pasifika growing up because he thought that the colour of his skin meant being poor.
However, what Johnnie was rich in was culture, community, and clear values. “We didn’t have much growing up,” says Johnnie.
“My friends and I met in primary school. I was 20 years old; we were drinking every weekend, and I had my first son on the way. I knew he couldn’t be born into a life where I was just doing the same routine every week. At first, it wasn’t about looking at what the community needed. I knew we had to change ourselves,” says Johnnie.
He set out to start a business.
“One Friday, I said to the boys that I was having a son and told them that maybe we should look into developing our own business,” says Johnnie.
The first step was to list their strengths on a whiteboard. They decided the goal was to set up a gym, but they had no money or savings. So they started hosting gym boot camps at their old school, De La Salle College, Māngere.
After the success of the first boot camp, Johnnie says he still had money in his account, which didn’t sit right with him, so he reached out to Sunday Blessings, a grass-roots community group providing weekly meals in Auckland Central, asking how Brown Pride could be of service.
Their own gym now keeps the lights on, allowing the Brown Pride team to continue to provide services to the wider community.
Johnnie and his crew continue to give back and now mentor students at their former school.
The Brown Pride gym is now a central part of the South Auckland community and has expanded services to include a barbershop and music studio.
On the first Sunday of each month, they host a market day to support small businesses. Brown Pride merchandise is also available.
Johnnie and his crew have taken ownership of derogatory terms and made them their own. The barbershop is called F.O.B. Cuts. F.O.B. means Fresh Out Of Base.
“I enjoy community; I enjoy connecting people. Brown Pride means being proud of our culture, proud of our upbringing, proud of our values, and proud of our skin. I’m dedicated to the mission. I want kids to grow up and say you don’t have to wear a suit, you don’t have to have a PhD to open a business or do something positive with your life,” says Johnnie.
The Brown Pride mission statement is to empower people through fitness, arts, and community.
Last year, Brown Pride received funding from Pasifika mental health provider Le Va to develop support structures for mental health and counselling.
Produced by Magnetic Pictures for TP+
Marketing support from Woolworths NZ
Made with the support of NZ On Air
