Campaign to impact 1,000,000 men of color by 2025

We vow to impact 1,000,000 men of color by 2025. Anyone wants to support us, please DM

Tracy Morris said, "Considering?black boys have a unique set of experiences?growing up that often influences their development, it's important that their mentors have also had those experiences too. To properly address those challenges,?they ( the challenges) must be acknowledged first. If the mentor does not have firsthand experience as a black male with these challenges, mentor/mentee relationships can be susceptible to cultural misunderstandings and mistrust. And like all relationships, successful mentorships are based on?empathy and trust."

We believe now is the time to step up and make a difference in the lives of our young men of color, especially those attending postsecondary institutions. As a mentor, I have discovered four principles that I have used since 2016: Purpose, Place, Identity, and Support.

Purpose allows us to identify the Why? As we help our young men articulate why they are attending college, they can better focus and generally do well.

When Purpose becomes clear, you must create a covenant with your mentee to commit yourself to help him accomplish whatever is important to them in achieving their goal.

Place affords them safe spaces to gather and engage in conversations that allow them to embrace each other and networking opportunities among their peers that always lead to positive experiences.

Providing them with a Place allows them to meet together, get to know each other, and discover themselves in the process. In spaces where black and brown men receive positive affirmation, they do better and can fly above the onslaught of negative societal narratives that paint them in continual negativity.

We celebrate their Identity as individuals and highlight positive cultural aspects that are perhaps overlooked, and finally.

Until our young men figure out who they are, their heritage and culture, what their history looks like, they lack knowledge of themselves.

Support is where the village plays a vital role in providing networks, resources, and job opportunities to help our young men thrive and become contributing members of society.

David H. Demo argues that "the most critical messages black Americans receive in their families while growing up are pivotal to shaping their racial Identity and self-worth as a minority. He further suggests that adult relationships, including family, friends, and community, give them their sense of identity as a group and minority in the U.S. The stronger their Identity as a racial group established and a positive and supporting environment, the better they interact in mainstream society. We must provide additional messages that affirm their self-worth and help them survive in a world of inequity." If it was important growing, it is equally important to enter postsecondary institutions where they become adults.