Since 2014, 抖阴短视频鈥檚 St. Clair Drake Center for African and African American Studies has sought the next generation of leaders by engaging promising black sophomore high school students in community-based programs and other experiential learning opportunities.
In its fourth year, the center鈥檚 Black Male Leadership Academy welcomed back some first attendees of their program as first-time mentors.
鈥淏efore the program, I wasn鈥檛 really focused on academics, I was focused on sports 鈥 basketball,鈥 said Charles Boyd, a Roosevelt first-year who attended the first Summer Institute in 2014. 鈥淏ut by the beginning of basketball season I broke my leg, so I needed a change of plans.鈥
From its inception, the BMLA鈥檚 goal has been to build leadership skills and the intellectual, cultural and social capital of young black men in Chicago. In order to increase the odds of the attendees attending 鈥 and succeeding 鈥 in college and beyond, Summer Institute attendees stayed in touch throughout the year with a monthly meeting called 鈥淪econd Saturdays.鈥
When the program was founded, Dr. Al Bennett, director of the center, said he initially wanted the Drake Center to do more community outreach. 鈥淎s I looked for opportunities, I began to think about black boys and wondered what we as an institution could do to help prepare them to go out in the world and be successful,鈥 he said.
For Boyd, the academy was a literal game-changer. 鈥淐oming into a place where there were so many older people, experiencing a college environment and whether it could be a place I would fit 鈥 I saw all the opportunities I was missing out on,鈥 Boyd said. 鈥淢y mentors showed me that we can rise above the statistics without sports being the only way out 鈥 school can be the way, too.鈥
This year, Boyd, who plans to double major in journalism and psychology at Roosevelt, returned as a first-time mentor to the 2018 Summer Institute, ready to share his experiences with the new students and help move them out of their comfort zones.
Along with returning attendees like Boyd, a few new faces found their way to the Black Male Leadership Academy program as mentors. Jonathan Talley, a political science major at Roosevelt and Chicago native, was one of them.
鈥淚鈥檝e volunteered with children in some way or another since I was a teenager,鈥 Talley said. 鈥淲hen I heard about this opportunity through Dr. [Michael] Ford, I knew it would be something different and interesting.鈥
BMLA IN ACTION:
This year, students and mentors were challenged out of their comfort zones on a camping trip. As an experienced mentor, Talley knew he had to establish trust through understanding, especially in this situation.
鈥淢y group was hesitant when we heard we were going camping and a few of them didn鈥檛 want to go,鈥 Talley said. 鈥淏ut I talked them through it. I told them that I was right there with them 鈥 and I鈥檇 never done anything like that before either! If they were seeing spiders and bugs crawling on everything, I was seeing spiders and bugs; if they were getting swarmed by mosquitoes, I was getting swarmed by mosquitoes, too! I was right there with them, and we were going to get through it together.鈥
Insects aside, camping ended on a high note. 鈥淲e got to sit around the fire, make s鈥檓ores and talk,鈥 said Tyler Moore, a first-time attendee. 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 think we had much in common, but sitting around a campfire we found out just how much we had in common. It didn鈥檛 feel like I鈥檇 met these dudes two days ago 鈥 it felt like I鈥檝e known them forever.鈥
Back in the city, the BMLA students took African Studies courses, visited the Loop Capital offices to learn financial planning basics, and explored parts of the city they鈥檇 never seen before.
鈥淭丑别&苍产蝉辫; was my favorite part! I鈥檝e been to a lot of programs before, and they never taught us anything practical,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淢ostly we鈥檇 sit in a circle and get talked at, like we were a bunch of bad kids. BMLA taught me so much about my own history and culture. I never knew about black people having wealth, power and influence. Taking the African Studies course [at Roosevelt], I was shocked at how little I knew about my own people.鈥
Like Boyd, Moore鈥檚 initial focus was also on sports. 鈥淚 wanted to major in history, but I was thinking I鈥檇 go [to college] on a sports scholarship. We keep getting told that the only way out is through sports 鈥 if you can run or jump, you can get out,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淚n my junior year of high school, I told my mom I wanted to try for academic scholarships instead.鈥
For Moore, the new possibilities have inspired his future beyond academics. 鈥淲hen I got to BMLA, I knew this was the better way to go. I realized I can get out with my mind. I want to rise above the statistics 鈥 and I am,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 doing better than the statistics, and now I want to go back home to help my friends do better and take care of our community.鈥