The Educated Mentor: Volume 3, Issue 1 (Summer 2022)

THE EDUCATED

Summer 2022 Volume 3, Issue 1

MENTOR

MESSAGE FROM THE CO-FOUNDERS VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 “I know I can (I know I can) Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be) If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it) I’ll be where I wanna be (I’ll be where I wanna be” -Nas In 2003, Hip Hop Legend Nasir Jones, AKA Nas, released one of his most vulnerable albums today, God’s Son. The lyrics mentioned above came directly from the seventh song featured on the album, “I Can,” where the artist attempts to restore pride, confidence, and the desire to achieve and strive among the African American community.

Once the pandemic hit, millions of students' dreams became deferred or hauled. Even before the pandemic, higher education had enrollment problems, and the past few years have made it worse. However, the pandemic took a disproportionate toll on communities of color; tens of thousands of young adults placed on graduation caps and gowns and shifted their trajectories from college students to college graduates. These graduates have demonstrated grit, resilience, ambition, and determination in the face of uncertainty, fear, and defeat. This edition of The Educated Mentor is dedicated to the graduating Class of 2022!

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Dr. Darryl Hylton, Jr. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Jamie L. Enge JOURNAL EDITOR Dr. Darryl Hylton, Jr. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Justin Crawford Jamie Enge Kenneth Goodall Blake James McKinley Lowrey, III Justin Nixon Michael Smart Jerome Thomas-Glass Barry Tyler, Jr.

COVER PHOTO Photographer: Kevin Ware Jr. Model: Austun Reid

We salute you!

In Mentorship,

Dr. Darryl Hylton, Jr. Jamie L. Enge Dr. Darryl Hylton, Jr. & Mr. Jamie Enge Co-Founders

The Educated Mentor is the official publication of The Collegiate Black Male Network published four times a year. For any questions or feedback regarding the publication, please contact us at info@thecbmnetwork.org Stay connected with us: 'Like' us on Facebook: facebook.com/thecbmnetwork Follow us on Instagram: @thecbmnetwork

Follow us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thecbmnetwork

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THE EDUCATED

MENTOR

volume 3, issue 1

17 BEYOND INITIATIVE

LEGACY

06 Philanthropy At-A-Glance

12 The Mentor Spotlight

An overview of our philanthropy from Quarter 4

08 National News Get the latest information from the National Office

Recognizing Trailblazer, Barry Tyler, Jr.

17 Dear Brother, Receive a Word of Celebration from Michael Smart

10 Amplified Celebrating the successes of collegiate Black men.

The Educated Mentor

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Q4 Philanthropy AT A GLANCE

$1.4K+

Acquired in donations

15

Total numbers of donors

#CLUB250 Donors

General Donors

Doc Dillard Gregory Dendy, Jr. Joyce Walker Lindsey Nurczyk Marquise McGriff Nadine Spruell Nathan Anthony Noreen Spruell

Anonymous Gabriella Torres Jaron Dawson Kathleen & Corley Senyard Paul Chernick Rhuna Holley

THANK YOU!

1

Gifts were made by organizations/businesses

14

Gifts were made by individuals

National News Our New Strategic Plan - L.E.S. is More On behalf of the Co-Founders, Board of Directors, and leadership team, we are excited to announce the full rollout of our strategic plan - L.E.S. is More.

We cannot wait to execute this vision over the next few years. To see the full document, please visit our website at www.thecbmnetwork.org

The Educated Mentor, Special Edition: ONYX25 The Collegiate Black Male Network would like to congratulate the inaugural cohort of ONYX25 Recognition and Leadership Program T.H.E Foundation. We are extremely proud of their commitment and growth throughout the journey and cannot wait to see what is next for them.

Learn more about the inaugural cohort's experience, ways to support future cohorts, or how you (or someone you know) can apply for Cohort 2 in the special edition of The Educated Mentor. www.thecbmnetwork.org/onyx25.

Creating a Legacy of Helping Others On May 31, 2022, our co-founder/CEO was featured as a guest on the Profiles in Success podcast created by Gordon Bernhardt and the Bernhardt Wealth Management.

In this 50-minute episode, Dr. Darryl speaks about his passion for education, specifically Black male student success and the origins of The Collegiate Black Male Network. Thank you, Dr. CEO, for your vision and leading the organization! .To listen to the full episode, visit https://www.profilesinsuccess.com/episode/dr-darryl-hyltoncreating-a-legacy-of-helping-others

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Welcome to our new Board Member!

Over the past few months, The Collegiate Black Male Network has participated in a national search to identify a new member to join the Board of Directors. After much consideration, we are excited to introduce Dr. Jonathan Freeman!

Dr. Jonathan Freeman comes to The Collegiate Black Male Network with 10 years of serving in dynamic higher education, non-profit, and corporate environments. His continued passion and drive for student success, mentoring, and teaching students support his practice. As a trained historian and scholar, Dr. Freeman’s scholarly work specializes in the global anti-apartheid movement with a focus on the production of protest music and cultural history. He has taught at four institutions of higher learning across three regions including Los Angeles (UCLA), Baltimore (Coppin State University and the University of Baltimore), and West Tennessee (Lane College). In 2016 he was awarded a Fulbright for graduate research where he was a Visiting Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Dr. Freeman was selected and approved by the board at the Institute for International Education (IIE) and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State in 2018 to serve as a Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Ambassador. As a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador, Dr. Freeman continues to represent the program's rich diversity and play a key role in increasing knowledge about Fulbright opportunities. He also currently serves as a founding board member of Amateka College Prep, a Washington, DC based 501(c)(3).

Dr. Freeman, who began his academic career at Lane College, received a bachelor’s degree with honors in History, a master’s degree in African American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in American Studies from Purdue University.

On behalf of The Collegiate Black Male Network and its supporters, we would like to welcome you to the team!

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Amplified "Can You Hear Me Now?!"

Celebrating Black Men By: Dr. Darryl Hylton

Everyone deserves to be celebrated. Throughout our lives, there are many milestones that we reach. However, despite working hard to accomplish said goal, many individuals choose not to share the good news. Why? Because they fear others becoming jealous, envious, or thinking they are boasting to make themselves look better. So, to spare the disappointment, they diminish the value of their success to remain “humble.”

A recent post on social media stated, “I hope you can see yourself even without the validation from those who refuse to acknowledge you.” And here, at The CBM Network, we pride ourselves in celebrating each other. We see the value in each of our collegiate Black men who encounter obstacles daily yet are still taking the necessary strides to complete a college degree. In this edition of Amplified, we take time and create space to highlight and celebrate those who want to share their accomplishments with us. We salute each of you!

Kenneth Goodall

Graduate, Norfolk State University

Hailing from Washington DC, Kenneth is a Spring 2022 graduate from Norfolk State University earning a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication. At NSU, he marched for four years in the Spartan “ Legion “ Marching Band Percussions section—known as the Million Dollar Funk $quad. Additionally, he served as the head section leader of MDF$ for the 2021-2022 academic year. Kenneth is also a Spring 21 initiate of the Epsilon Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

He plans to continue his education and pursue his Master of Science in Media Production in the Fall of 2022, after which he intends to launch his photography company!

Blake James

Senior, State University of New York: Brockport

Black James received the Residential Life MVP staff award on May 1st, 2022. An honor given to a resident assistant who contributes to the growth of staff and residents while maintaining a healthy balance between their obligations, academics, and other parts of their lives. Our Brockport Student Government also recognized Men of Color (MOC), a student club on campus that assists underrepresented males of color in a PWI university. MOC was awarded service club of the year and was chosen as one of the top six finalists out of 92 organizations to receive the coveted SUNY Brockport Organization of the Year award. It was an honor as Vice President and upcoming president of the club to be recognized as a student group that enhances the college, develops leaders, and has a strong presence on campus and in the surrounding community. We overcame insurmountable hurdles as a club with no funding and issues with racial prejudice to disseminate intercultural awareness, exceptional academic accomplishment, and community service and generated $5,000 for our organization for the upcoming '22–'23 academic year.

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McKinley Lowery III

Graduate, Norfolk State University

McKinley is from Detroit, Michigan and a May 2022 Magna Cum Laude graduate from Norfolk State University (NSU) earning a Bachelor of Science in Business. Coming to NSU as a Presidential Scholar, McKinley made it his mission to make the most of his college experience both personally and professionally. During his time there he has had to privilege to serve as a 2021 White House HBCU Scholar, Fall 2020 participant in the Gucci Program for Scholars, and has interned at Brunello Cucinelli, J.P. Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the Farbman Group. He is a Spring 22 initiate of the Epsilon Pi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. This fall, he will be be attending Columbia University on a full tuition and housing scholarship as a part of the sixth cohort of Columbia’s HBCU Fellowship Program. He will be pursuing a Master of Science in Human Capital Management while at Columbia.

Jerome Thomas – Glass

Junior, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Jerome Thomas – Glass is currently a junior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. On campus, Jerome is an active civically engaged student leader in the Office of Student Service and Leadership Collaborative where he serves as a Collaborative Intern at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the Office of Community Engagement. His passion lies in public health and righting healthcare inequities amongst historically marginalized communities. In continuing his journey of purpose, Jerome was accepted and will be continuing his education at Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska, to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. He was also awarded the Gateway Minority Scholarship which will fully support his academic program. Jerome’s determination and clarity of purpose will position him well as he is soon to join the ranks of Black men who unselfishly serve in the field of medicine.

Justin Nixon

Sophomore, Johnson C. Smith University

Justin is a committed student leader and academician. He knows exactly what he wants to do, and he works diligently to prepare for his future in public policy. He served as president of his residence hall during the past year, and as a fellow with You Can Vote, an organization dedicated to educating people about voting. Justin was also chosen as one of five 2021-2022 JCSU Charlotte Racial Justice Fellows, a collaboration between five Charlotte institutions. The program trains young people in leadership skills and works to change the narrative surrounding race in our community.

Academically, Justin has quickly proven himself as a leader amongst his peers. In addition to his 3.8 GPA, Justin has been awarded the DC College Access Program Scholarship ($4000) and the Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward Scholarship ($12,000).

Justin Crawford

Graduate, State University of New York: Brockport

Justin has been involved in student leadership since his freshman year. He has been in residential life as a resident assistant, then a townhomes assistant, Brockport Student Government as a senator, and then the President, Transition & Success student assistant for Talon Academy (males of color success initiative), Director of Communications for "Men of Color," and an intern for Community Development here at SUNY Brockport. Justin has been recognized as a student leader that helps his peers develop essential skills they will need in life, whether it is professional or social.

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the mentor By: Jamie Enge

C

Continuing our celebration and recognition of individuals doing the work of mentorship, .this quarter, we are highlighting Mr. Barry Tyler, Jr. who is making an impact within his respective community through his nonprofit work and sports.

Tell us a little about your background, who you are, where you're from, etc.

I am originally from Hammond, Indiana, and currently still live there with my wife and twin 18month-old sons. I am 37 years old and serve as the Indiana Director for an educational nonprofit called Empower Schools. I am also the 3rd District Councilman for the City of Hammond, an assistant high school football coach, and co-lead a group mentoring program through the School City of Hammond.

Who are the mentors (if any) that have had the most significant influence on you? What was the best piece of advice they gave you?

My family (my parents and sisters) have played a significant role in helping me become the man I

am today. Without their support, I probably would have fallen through the cracks at some point in my early years. They kept me on track, pushed me, and supported me no matter what I was attempting to accomplish.

What does mentorship mean to you?

Mentorship means using the knowledge, tools, resources, and skills I have to help encourage and support others. As we progress in our personal and professional lives, we are collecting memories and lessons that can help others move forward on their respective paths. Mentorship is about building relationships and spreading the wealth of knowledge you have gained so that others can use that information to succeed.

Tell us a bit about Hammond's new male mentoring program, which you founded.

Over the past few years, our school city made the tough decision to consolidate several schools. This happened at both the elementary and secondary levels. As we see in other urban communities, resources were hard to come by to support multiple buildings with lower student enrollment, so the consolidation made sense from an equity standpoint. Throughout this consolidation process, students were also dealing with the pandemic, and other general challenges from the educational inequities black and brown communities face. Growing up in Hammond, a young male mentoring program called V.A.L.U.E.S. would pull us together for group mentoring sessions and connect us with successful black males from our city. Through several conversations with School City of Hammond administrators, we realized that the time had come for us to create a new version of this program which we launched in October of 2021. Since then, our sessions have focused on education, health, civic engagement, service, and career exploration. We currently meet monthly with about 40-50 students. We plan to build out the program next year to include more students and potentially launch a similar program for elementary and middle school students and young women in our district.

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How were you able to merge your passion for football and mentoring?

I did not start playing football until the 8th grade, but I quickly fell in love with the game and was able to play in college as well eventually. Throughout my playing career, one coach stuck with me; my high school coach, Tim Zasada.

TZ, as we called him, was a powerful motivator. He could make personal connections with each player he coached and help them figure out what drove them and how to use that to be the best version of themselves. As I got older, I realized how important those types of people and connections are, and when I got the opportunity to start coaching high school football at my alma mater, I could not pass up the opportunity. In college, I realized that there were things that other students and other players knew or had experienced that I did not. I wanted to help bridge that learning and achievement gap for students who looked like me and were coming from the community where I grew up. I am now in my 17th season as a coach, and what I am most proud of over that time is the success my current and former players have had off the field and in life. Although my love for football brought me back to the sport after my playing days, the connection I can make with these young men keeps me returning each year.

What attracted you to doing the work you are currently doing?

Community engagement and servant leadership drive me in everything I do. From my time as a City Councilman to serving as an assistant football coach to my role within nonprofit leadership and education, everything I do is about building relationships and exploring how I can help make communities stronger and more collaborative. My parents were union workers, and seeing their dedication and commitment to their fellow workers is what set the tone for me to want to feel connected to something larger than my own personal interest or needs. Luckily, I have been able to connect my passion with my profession, so I genuinely feel like I am living out my life mission in the neighborhoods and communities I serve.

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What has been the most rewarding experience working with young black males?

The most rewarding experience I have had through working with young black males is seeing their continued development in whatever they are involved in. I feel as though growth requires or encourages more growth, and that is what I see in the lives of these young men. Once they are exposed to more and have a taste of success, they become even more motivated and inspired. Since I have been coaching for so long, and I started when I was pretty young, I am at the point where some of my players are married, running their businesses, have children and families, and are even back coaching alongside me. This work is about seeing them take responsibility for their lives and owning their personal growth and development.

What specific advice would you give those individuals who are looking to mentor Black men?

Do not assume you know what young Black men are thinking or experiencing. Communication is the foundation of any strong relationship, especially a mentor-mentee relationship. You have to first learn about your mentee or mentees as individuals before you can figure out what role you can and should play in their life. This will also allow you to determine what experiences or knowledge you have that they can benefit from. Another vital part of mentoring is connecting your mentee(s) with your network so they can experience even more than what you have to offer directly. Exposure is one of the most vital keys to success, so figure out a way to help young Black men see what the world has to offer and explore different opportunities so they can identify their pathway to and definition of success.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

I want to thank the CBM Network for this opportunity to shine a light on my little corner of the world.

The work you are doing to share knowledge and resources is essential. I truly appreciate the vision of your founders to create this network, a piece of communication, and for your role in mentoring and supporting young black males across the country.

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Summer 2022 Edition

L.E.S is More The 2025 Strategic Plan L.E.S is More is an intentionally redesigned strategic plan focused on three major goals rooted in Learning, Execution, and Support to position The Collegiate Black Male Network as a leading organization in increasing the persistence and graduation rates of collegiate African-American men.

L.E.S IS MORE PLAN 2025 GOALS

ONE

INCREASE # OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED WITH THE CBM NETWORK.

TWO

THE CBM NETWORK WILL ESTABLISH ITSELF AS A MODEL FOR COLLEGIATE BLACK MALE STUDENT SUCCESS.

THREE

PROVIDE CONTINUOUS EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR COLLEGIATE BLACK MEN.

To read the full detailed version of the strategic plan, visit our website www.thecbmnetwork.org The Collegiate Black Male Network

www.thecbmnetwork.org

info@thecbmnetwork.org

DEAR BROTHER

A WORD OF CELEBRATION BY: MICHAEL SMART

Dear Brother

"Listen carefully, think logically, respond accordingly."

-Michael Smart

A Word of Celebration

F

Dear Brother, First, it's essential to know that I'm proud of you. I'm not saying this for you to get complacent or stop pushing toward your dreams or goals. Instead, I say this to celebrate how far you have come. You'll learn as you continue to mature to the next level; you must appreciate & glean from the past so you can avoid the same fights and battles that you thought you'd already overcome.

Second, (and this is easier said than done) embrace your journey as you walk through life.

Between the pressure of success, fighting the stereotypical views of being a black man, social media, and our everchanging family dynamics, it can seem like you should be moving faster.

Remember, comparison is a killer and lacks the ability to scale what people "show" versus reality. It'll be almost impossible for you to enjoy the favor you have on and in your life while attempting to "keep up with the Joneses." Your hard work will pay off, trust me, and if it takes a little longer than expected, that is fine too.

Third, learn to be okay with change. I can't tell the future, but I am 100% certain that things won't always be like this. Generations before us have missed out on so much because the mindset of "it was always done like this" hindered so many innovative ideas and opportunities to improve our culture and society. Albert Einstein once said, "the measure of intelligence is the ability to change." Now, I'm not saying change your moral compass, convictions, or entire outlook on life but prioritize a life of consistent learning.

Lastly and most importantly, live by these words before you decide (and in this order), "listen carefully, think logically, respond accordingly." If you think before you listen, you won't understand your assignment; if you respond before you think, you'll move too fast; if you listen after you respond, I guarantee you'll always have to apologize.

I’m always here for you if you ever need anything, and don’t hesitate to reach out. Take care of yourself and watch out for others.

Your Brother,

Michael Smart

Michael Smart, M.Ed. (he/him/his) Norfolk State University, '14 Virginia Commonwealth University, '20

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Summer 2022 Edition

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For more information The Collegiate Black Male Network: info@thecbmnetwork.org