Black male role models are often hard to come by. They’re out there most definitely, but often not in great abundance in the places where young Black men need them the most. The television provides a distorted reality of what Black male excellence looks like. Without proper guidance and understanding a young Black boy could think that having a lot of money, being sexually promiscuous and abusing drugs and alcohol could be the way to go. For Black families, particularly single Black mothers, it’s utterly important to surround young Black boys with a Black man who is about something.
St. Paul Saturdays in St. Louis, Missouri was started with the goal of transforming boys into young men. They live by the motto, “building men is better than mending boys.” Keith Turner, mentor for St. Paul Saturdays and CEO of TurnGroup Technologies, tells BlackDoctor.org that the model of St. Paul Saturday is successful because the focus is the boys served.
"Grooming them, helping them, teaching them, and helping them set goals is why it works. Our program is a supplement to the parents and the guardians. We set high goals for the young men and provide them with tools and experiences to help them achieve them."
The mentors for St. Paul Saturdays are African American men who understand the value of grooming boys to become responsible and accountable to the needs of their respective community.
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Kadeem Howell is a doctor of physical therapy based in New York City. He specializes in sports rehabilitation, orthopedics and manual therapy. Dr. Howell provides us with an in-depth analysis of what it means to be a mentor and how to find the right one.BlackDoctor.org: Why is there a need for more Black male mentors ?
Kadeem Howell (KH): As a Black male growing up I was fortunate enough to have my father to look up to. He was my first mentor and guided me through the initial 20 years of my life and provided me with a platform to succeed. He made it his duty to be my father and mentor due to the fact that he grew up without his father and did not meet him until he was 35 years old. I understand that for many Black males in America this is not the norm as many are left growing up without fathers. The absence of a strong father figure can have severe detrimental effects on the growth and development of young Black males. A solution to this issue is to have Black male mentors so our young males can have someone they can relate to.
Black males in America face insurmountable odds across several domains that inhibit growth and success for the future. Many Black males in America are left without proper support and guidance to steer them towards achieving goals and setting higher standards for excellence. As a result, national statistics continue to emphasize the various odds that are against Black males. According to the Schott Foundation for Public Education, in 2012 they found that only 52% of all Black males graduated high school.
In recent years, the pool of available Black male mentors has fallen short due to various outside influences such as the mass incarceration of Black males. President Barack Obama provided a powerful related statement “We have more work to do when more young Black men languish in prison than attend colleges and universities across America.” Black male mentors can effectively insert themselves into these above mentioned situations to provide guidance and fill the void left from the lack of Black male role models.
BlackDoctor.org: How can you find Black male mentors in your community?
KH: Finding mentors in the community starts with reaching out and contacting community organizations and talking to leaders and event organizers. Good chances are that available mentors have already established themselves as community leaders. Attending or participating in various community events will lead you to more exposure to possible mentor candidates.
Due to advances in technology and social media, finding a local mentor has become easier than ever before. A simple Google search can take an individual to several mentoring websites such as 100 Black Men. In addition, if you have a passion for a particular career, hobby or sport you can find a community leader via Google search and reach out to them directly. During my undergraduate and graduate years I would search for top Black physical therapists in my quest for guidance. [It] never hurts to ask and from what I have found most Black male figures in my community are always interested in guiding young Black youth.
If that fails, Black mentors can provide mentorship from abroad. A few of my mentors I barely see face-to-face due to time and distance constraints. A mentor can be halfway around the world as long as you communicate through outlets such as email, video chat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you name it. The key here like any other type of relationship is back and forth communication.
BlackDoctor.org: What attributes should they have ?
KH: An ideal mentor in my eyes is someone who puts others first and is willing to share his knowledge to the masses. It should appear second nature to want to help others and not so much as a chore or requirement. He does so with a positive attitude and a positive outlook on life because he’s aware that his actions are a direct reflection of what his mentee sees.
A mentor’s most important intervention tool is effective communication and being able to adapt to communication styles for effective learning. The mentor also must be confident in his ability to provide constructive and sometimes harsh feedback. This will allow a mentee to self reflect on their previous actions and create an opportunity for identifying personal strengths and weaknesses.
BlackDoctor.org: Any other helpful pieces of information?
KH: Be respectful and mindful to the prospective mentor you reach out to. If your mentor is not able to respond to your email or text message immediately don't panic. Try to understand that they’re probably handling multiple projects or multiple mentees as well. Remember, these individuals might have full time jobs or regular life responsibilities and should not be utilized as lifelines when time is convenient for yourself.
As a mentee it is your responsibility to actively open the lines of communication to gain the full benefits of the relationship. This level of personal accountability is very attractive to a mentor and shows that you are motivated and fully invested in improving yourself. Being passive and always waiting for your mentor to contact first isn't an effective strategy because this can come off as being uninterested.
