The mayors of Newport News and Hampton, Virginia, are urging Black men to become mentors to Black boys in middle school.
According to 13th News Now, Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones and Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck held a joint press conference at Crittenden Middle School in Newport News to bring attention to the issue.
“We need men in our community to step forward and become mentors to middle school males,” Mayor Jones said.
“When you talk about black males, there are individuals that feel like they can’t relate to me. They cannot identify with me. It doesn’t matter about race, it’s just whether or not you are comfortable trying to work or create a relationship with a young person,” Mayor Tuck said.
Tuck continued, “Unfortunately, the fact remains that many of our young Black boys in father-absent families have no male role models or men involved in their lives unless they’re involved in athletics.”
Richard Mason, the chair of the Hampton City School Board, stated that research shows children who have mentors are less likely to get into trouble at school and experience a positive impact on their emotional health.
Pastor Willard Maxwell, the Pastor of New Beech Grove Baptist Church, and a community member in Newport News who works with youth, told the outlet that working with children is sometimes as simple as listening to what they have to say.
“A lot of time, it’s just listening and allowing them to speak out. Finding mentors can sometimes be a challenge because so many people work. But if we can work together and have, you know, maybe you have more than one person for a person.”
Maxwell also committed to using the resources at his disposal, “I’m going to meet with the Men’s ministry. I’m going to meet with the different ministries of the church and make sure we get some volunteers. They love doing that type of stuff, especially our retired people.”
Mentoring Black youth is happening on a global scale.
Across the border in Canada, a student-led initiative at the University of Alberta is helping to bridge the gap in mentorship programs. A facilitator for The Black Youth for Social Innovation program, (BYSI) Seon Yuzyk, spoke to CBC News, highlighting the role the program is playing.
“BYSI is serving a critical role in creating a space of belonging. Equity, diversity and inclusivity are great, but it’s meaningless if youth don’t feel welcome in those spaces.” Yuzyk said. “Black youth needs, perspectives and experiences are so dynamic and always changing. I would love to see BYSI continue to be like a tree, grow, and die when it needs to…when Black students feel that they belong here and on other campuses across Canada.”
In London, Tarik Kifle is spearheading a mentorship program designed for Black high schoolers in her role as a graduation coach. Kifle told CBC News that she wished she had access to this pool of resources during her days in high school.
“It’s really about community building, at the end of the day. It is targeted and direct to supporting Black students, and addressing barriers earlier on. It’s things I wish that I’d had when I was in high school — someone to guide me to post-secondary pathways and life in general,” Kifle said.
RELATED CONTENT: Want More BIPOC Women On Corporate Boards? Start In Middle School
