MANKATO — Some may call it just a basketball tournament.

But for the five students at Mankato East High School who are hosting the Saturday competition at Minnesota State University, it’s a representation of their commitment to community.

“We want to live in a society,” said East senior Muad Rashid, “where people are accepted and not judged.”

A few months ago, Rashid and four fellow seniors decided they were fed up with the negative perceptions and portrayals of youth in the area, and especially of diverse youth in Mankato.

But they didn’t just take action. They committed to it — by creating their own non-profit organization, called Brand New Image Inc.

Their organization is fully registered with the state and they’ve already begun securing grant funding for events in which youth can get together in a safe and positive atmosphere. In December, they held their kickoff event at the Verizon Wireless Civic Center. In the future, they’re planning mentoring programs, social dances and dinners.

But they decided on a basketball tournament as a public showcase.

Through Facebook and fliers they posted in other communities, the five students were able to recruit eight teams from across southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. With a little help from the Muslim Student Association at MSU, the group was able to rent Otto Arena for a full-court, five-on-five competition. And with an $1,100 grant, they were able to secure state high school league referees, trophies and medals for the top teams and even a meal for players.

“We want to host events that show our positive side,” said Diego Lozano, an East senior who designed the group’s logo and Web site — brandnewimage.webs.com.

Sufi Busuri added: “We were sick and tired of seeing the media pound down on youth.”

All five of the students are seniors this year. And all of them are Somalian — except Lozano, who is Latino.

They’ve been close friends and have shared with each other the frustration of being labeled because of their ethnicities. From racially charged shootings in the Twin Cities to racially motivated altercations in area schools, group members say they often find themselves challenging a perception in the community that diverse youth are troublesome and criminal.

“If one of us does something bad, it reflects on us all,” Rashid said. “Nobody wants to be characterized by another person’s actions.”

Right now, the group is also partnering with the YWCA to start a mentoring program for junior high students in which participants would agree to maintain a 3.5 grade-point average and good attendance at school in exchange for monthly prizes and chances to go bowling or ice skating with their older mentors. They are also considering hosting a soccer tournament this summer.

But they give much of the credit to mentors of their own, including Bukata Hayes — executive director of the Greater Mankato Diversity Council — and East Principal Shane Baier. The students said both men have encouraged them to assume leadership and take action.

“Having great leaders of our own in the school and community has really helped us,” Busuri said.

But these students say their dedication won’t end at graduation. In fact, they view Brand New Image Inc. as a long-term commitment.

“We want to keep it until we get old an can find someone else to take our role,” said Ali, who was a recently recipient of the Pathfinder Award for leadership abilities. “We want to continue helping the community.”