Ramzee Mcrae is Trenton. By day, the lifelong city resident teaches computer skills to at-risk students at Isles YouthBuild. By night, he goes by "Fatha Ramzee," mixing beats at Trenton clubs and producing the music of city artists.
June Ballinger also is Trenton. Serving as director of the Passage Theatre, she's lived in Trenton for 13 years and envisions the capital city as a destination for the performing arts.
Resident Joe Festa is a barber, and he, too, is Trenton. In fact, Festa is so committed to the city, he's dubbed himself the "unofficial mayor of Warren Street."
There are many faces of Trenton.
And now you can see them plastered on giant billboards. It's all part of a campaign by a new nonprofit organization that knows Trenton residents come with different talents and careers.
Some are "A" students, others are taxi drivers and teachers. Some own their own businesses, or have jumped to the top of the ladder into professional sports.
The founders of the organization, I Am Trenton, hope to create a groundswell of participation among the various neighborhoods so that every resident identifies with the city and embraces it with pride.
"Trenton is underserved in a lot of different ways," said Roland Laird, president of I Am Trenton's board of trustees. "But we have a lot to offer, and we're helping to fortify our Trenton communities, the neighborhoods, to get people engaged in philanthropy that solely gives back to the city." And frankly, Laird said, when people in the city need help, they don't always look to their neighbors.
"We get a lot of support from outside Trenton, but we can also do for ourselves," said Laird, who operates Posro Media, which specializes in African American culture.
Not that Trenton doesn't already have many organizations, nonprofit groups and civic associations that aim to bring communities together. The founders want it known they're not trying to replace or show up any other entity in the city.
"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel, because there are definitely strong organizations already here," said treasurer Debby D'Arcangelo, who volunteers for several city groups. "We're trying to add value, to help build on the strengths, not assume a role where we're not needed."
Looking ahead, the leaders of I Am Trenton hope to instill more pride within city residents, and bring the neighborhoods - often referred to as separate wards throughout the city - together.
"Growing up in an immigrant family, I've seen many times that different segments of Trenton have worried about their own," said Vice President J. Carlos Avila, an instructor in Isles' YouthBuild program.
"For immigrants, there's usually one foot here and one foot back home, wherever that may be," he said. "We want all residents to feel like Trenton is home, to feel a sense of identity."
Without using any taxpayer funds, the nonprofit also hopes to provide grants to local organizations and initiatives that directly benefit city residents. But here's a spin: You don't have to live in the city to be welcome. However, all the time and effort and funding will go solely to city efforts.
It's no secret that for many years, suburbanites who work in the city but quickly leave when the workday ends have sometimes been cast in a negative light. Anyone is welcome to participate," said secretary Nelida Valentin, executive director of Division of Civil Rights and Affirmative Action for the state Department of Transportation.
"In many ways, we are all Trenton," she said. "The wealth, the talent and the preparation is here already, and in many different forms. We encourage anyone who identifies with Trenton to be a part of its fabric." And that fabric is filled with talent, Ramzee Mcrae said.
"I love Trenton because it's where I was born and raised, and there is just so much creativity and musical talent here that sometimes gets overshadowed because we as a city are not unifying," he said. "Hopefully, this helps instill pride back into the city, back into the kids."
I Am Trenton is hosting a kickoff celebration and fundraiser on Nov. 15. Suggested donations are $10 a person or $15 per couple.
But really, the organization values $5 and $500 the same.
"Some have more than others and we don't value one contribution any more than another," said resident and board of trustees member Samuel Frisby, director of the city's Department of Recreation, Natural Resources & Culture. "We appreciate any participation because that's key, getting the community involved."
The kickoff event will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Science in the Roebling Market, 675 S. Clinton Ave. The gathering will feature gospel and salsa music, dancing, spoken word, live jazz and food from many Trenton restaurants.