“I have always believed that the single most important task we have as a nation is to make sure our young people can go as far as their dreams and hard work will take them. It is the single most important thing we can do for our country’s future. And we’ve got to do it together.” President Barack Obama
Great men are not born. They are made. And a man’s greatness can be made in a myriad of different ways. The experiences a boy has at the hands of his father are perhaps the greatest influence of all, as parents are their child’s first teachers. But for some young men, a father’s influence may be minimal or entirely absent. That is why organizations such as My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) and Becoming a Man (BAM) play a critical role in communities of color.
Circumstances interrupt lives in families of all races and colors. But statistics indicate that there are more single-parent households in communities of color than in white communities. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, in their latest report, cite the numbers as high as 64 and 42 percent in Black and Latino households, respectively, compared to 24 percent in White households. Furthermore, 80 percent of Black and Latino boys are not reading at grade level by third grade (National Center for Educational Statistics).
Boys and young men of color need the influence of caring adults who look like them to help them become men. Schools can help make that happen. In 2001, for example, the BAM program was launched in Chicago to help young men navigate difficult circumstances that threaten their futures. According to the program’s website, founder Anthony Ramirez-Di Vittorio created a safe space for young men at Clemente High School to openly express themselves, receive support and develop the social and emotional skills necessary to succeed. Now in its 19th year, the BAM program serves more than 8,000 youth in 140 schools.
In February 2014, President Barak Obama launched MBK, a program designed to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. MBK leads a cross-sector national call-to-action focused on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity. In communities throughout the nation, that cross section is comprised of local leaders, nonprofits, corporations, philanthropists, and local residents who bring resources to support an empowering agenda for young boys that is rooted in education and a belief in second chances.
I often reflect on my own journey. I am always so incredibly grateful for the mentor and surrogate father who played such an integral role in shaping me into the man I am today. So, as we approach Father’s Day 2021, I’d like to recognize the many outstanding fathers raising their sons and the remarkable men helping to raise boys who may not be of their loins, but are certainly of their hearts, their families or even their communities.
I also encourage all school districts largely serving students of color to consider more evidenced-based programs that can provide hands-on mentoring for boys and young men so that they become great men in the myriad of ways they are meant to become.