The Educated Mentor: Volume 2, Issue 3 (Winter 2022)

THE EDUCATED

Winter 2021 Volume 2, Issue 3

MENTOR

MESSAGE FROM THE CO-FOUNDERS

W

With COVID-19, and another year living through a pandemic, the physical and mental health of the nation's population is still at risk. Currently, the best means protecting ourselves and loved ones as much as possible while considering how we survive financially, physically, and mentally while trying to strive towards aspirations and goals.

This issue of The Educated Mentor is more than just another publication. Instead, it offers guidance and support in creative ways that stimulate change in hopes of destigmatizing mental health. To maximize our impact, The Collegiate Black Male Network partnered with collegiate Black male leaders and mental health practitioners to amplify their stories and knowledge about the importance of mental health and self-care awareness.

We are grateful for all the memories we have created in 2021 and look forward to what's to come in the new year. We at The Collegiate Black Male Network cannot thank you enough for sticking with us. Take care of yourself, your mental and physical well-being, and each other in 2022!

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Dr. Darryl Hylton, Jr. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Jamie L. Enge JOURNAL EDITOR Dr. Darryl Hylton, Jr. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Myles Baldwin Jamie Enge Dr. Darryl Hylton, Jr. Elijah Jones Dae Melvin Kelvin Osei-Asamoah Mulleak Pitts De’Andre Smith Justen Smith Jared Washington Kris Wilson

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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thecbmnetwork.org

THE EDUCATED

MENTOR

volume 2, issue 3

12 BEYOND INITIATIVE

LEGACY

06 Philanthropy At-A-Glance

12 Dear Brother,

An overview of our philanthropy from Quarter 2

08 National News

Receive a Word of Encouragement from Jared Washington

Get the latest information from the National Office

09 Amplified Students share their perspective on the importance of mental health and wellness

The Educated Mentor

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Q2 Philanthropy AT A GLANCE

$1.3K+

Acquired in donations

27

Total numbers of donors

#CLUB250 Donors

General Donors

DaQuan Love Anonymous Katie & Corley Senyard Doc Dillard Betsy Jones Michelle Ford Gregory Dendy, Jr. Curtis Shannon, Jr. Myles Baldwin Joyce Walker Derrick Stanfield Renee Lyons Lindsey Nurczyk Dimarcus Rhuna Holley Marquise McGriff Washington Richard Brown Nadine Spruell Donovan Perry Tara Williams Nathan Anthony Gabriela Torres Travis Henderson Noreen Spruell Jaron Dawson Tymon Graham Jasiri Mtambala Yonzay Chambers

THANK YOU!

1

Gifts were made by organizations/businesses

26

Gifts were made by individuals

National News The CBM Network and CBeyond Enterprises kicks off Onyx 25 Program The Collegiate Black Male Network is please to announce its partnership with CBeyond Enterprises as a part of our Onyx 25: 25 Under 25 Recognition and Leadership Program.

Onyx 25: 25 Under 25 Recognition & Leadership program celebrates African-American college students across the nation who have proven themselves as role models for their respective campus and community while supporting them in taking their talent to the next level. Students are nominated based on their achievement in one of the following areas: Arts & Humanities, Business, Education, STEM, and Human & Social Science.

Beginning January through April 2022, the selected students will engage in a 12-week experience connected them to networks of individuals to elevate their career trajectories.

To learn more about Onyx 25, visit www.thecbmnetwork.org/onyx25

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Amplified "Can You Hear Me Now?!"

I'm Here to Help!

By: Dr. Darryl Hylton

Mental health and wellness has a stronger presence in higher education than ever before. Many practitioners argue that mental health is one of the top challenges college students are facing today.

However, despite this being a significant challenge, many students do not know what they’re experiencing, how to safely navigate those experiences, or where to seek appropriate help.

To that end, colleges/universities across the nation utilize the power of peer influence to help share information and resources on mental health and wellness. Through various training and development, student leaders often get first hand information and encouraged to program around the idea of taking care of self. In this segment of Amplified, students share how they incorporate mental health and wellness within their student-facing leadership roles on their college campus.

Deandre Smith

Transfer, Florida A&M University

Being a resident assistant grants me the luxury to create a unique relationship with residents, which causes them to express themselves more freely in situations. Most Black men do not have someone to pitch their dreams to make them a reality which causes them to give up on their goals and neglect themselves mentally as wells as physically. If they are in an environment that encourages learning and provides alternative methods rather than traditional ones, their minds will be stretched. I genuinely believe, regardless of what one has been through or was born into, should Kelvin Osei Asamoah have an opportunity Senior, Virginia Commonwealth University to make something of themselves. At Black men of today are Florida A&M moving away from the University, we pride archaic view of “masculinity ourselves on being a and manliness” and are being FAMUly. I treat each ushered into a new age of resident as FAMUly vulnerability and by always having a deep urge to resolve acceptance. We can talk about physical and mental health any issues that may without being ridiculed and society welcomes that now. arise. By lending a Black men have their fair share of struggles and prioritizing listening ear total wellbeing creates a balanced mental state. As a black equipped with a queer RA, I encourage my residents to utilize the plethora of resources University’s numerous resources and to take advantage of eager to break any my open-door policy. The journey through college is never smooth sailing, especially for minority groups who are wall a student may face and create a bridge from burdened with family problems, financial issues, and them to effectively handle all challenges life may personal challenges to overcome. For this reason, I always present, I ensure my residents are operating at include weblinks to VCU’s wellness, advising, and financial optimum performance mentally and physically. centers in my weekly newsletters so residents can be informed and refer those resources to their peers as well.

The Educated Mentor

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Kris Wilson

Sophomore, North Carolina State University

In college, academics are often put ahead of mental and physical health.

Black men are often underrepresented in many spaces and therefore under-prioritized. Through my role as a BMI Mentor, I advocate for total wellness by connecting village events and conversations to multiple aspects of wellness such as physical, emotional, and social wellness.

Being a Black man at a predominately white institution (PWI) adds another layer of complexity by navigating a space that was not built for us. Some Black students came from majority-Black communities, and upon their arrival to PWIs, they sometimes struggled to connect with their peers. I combat this by forming one-on-one connections whenever possible. Additionally, I refer students to resources on campus for us, such as the African American Cultural Center (AACC), Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), and culturally relevant student organizations like Black Students Board (BSB).

Justen Smith 5th Year, Business/MBA Candidate, Florida A&M University

It is crucial that black men are mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy and well. First, black males that are healthy and well are vital to a successful family (besides having an absent father). Secondly, deaths related to diseases and homicides are higher for black males than other racial or gender groups. Lastly, black males experience stress and burnout constantly from many external factors every day at any moment.

As an RA, I’ve strived to create programs that benefit everyone’s emotional well-being and provide resources to improve their health that deals with stress and burnout. As an RA, I’ve invited academic coaches to meet with my residents to receive assistance on workload stress, facilitated a movie night to destress for midterms, sponsored a kickball game to improve physical and mental health, and planned to give anti-stress kits to help lower stress levels for their finals.

Myles Baldwin

Senior, Virginia Commonwealth University

The importance of the health and wellness of black men boils down to the simple truth that we are people just like everyone else who deserve to have their health and wellness cared about. For too long the health of black men, especially their mental health, has been overlooked and written off as a weakness. In my role as a Resident Assistant, I make sure to talk to black men about their mental health and about a healthy way to express their emotions because many of them have been taught that expressing their emotions is not a "manly" thing to do. Additionally, I like to focus on keeping a balance between social, physical, and emotional/mental health.

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Winter 2022 Edition

Elijah Jones

Sophomore, North Carolina State University

Health and wellness is important because it ties into many things in our life. If you are neglecting it sooner or later, it’s going to come back and get you. When in college, it can be one of the things we sometimes unintentionally push down on our priorities list due to the demands of life. This can lead to not doing well in school, social interactions, and relationships. Improving our health and wellness is complicated because we are all different in a unique way where listening to music is more helpful for some than reading a book for others or practicing mindfulness. In my position, I try to help them know about our school’s services to help them. I also like letting them know beforehand because if they feel that their mental health is not the best they can go to the services to get the support they need.

Mulleak Pitts

Senior, Florida A&M University

Being a Black male residential assistant, I understand the importance of promoting ways to increase health & wellness to the Black males in my dorm by creating events focused on goal creating and self-love. I constantly do wellness checks, serve as an open arm to any that may need help with anything, or just be a listening ear. I am also the Vice President of mentoring for the FAMU chapter of Collegiate 100. This organization's main focus is to be a positive role model to young Black males who have little to no role models in their community. One of our pillars Is Health & Wellness. As it has always been, the society has had a target on the African American males to make use fail in life and turn against each other. I’ve gotten men in the dorms to join to form a bound with likeminded, succeeding Black males and let their voices be heard. They have told me it helped them with their confidence and allowed them to feel important in this world, and making a positive change in the community as well.

Dae Melvin

Junior, North Carolina State University

Health and Wellness affect every aspect of your life. It is so important, especially for Black men because there are already many systems in place affect our well-being and success. Health and wellness include our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. As a resident advisor, I’m always advocating for students to take care of themselves because it always starts with self-care. My favorite piece of advice to give my residents is to schedule time for themselves, whether it’s time just to relax, do a routine, not having anything to do, but time just for themselves to focus, heal, relax, and just exist.

This can be a daily practice, a weekly practice, or a monthly practice where you take a couple of hours or a whole weekend just to focus and take care of yourself.

Practicing this will allow you to sleep better, which can cause a chain reaction to performing better academically and socially.

The Educated Mentor

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DEAR BROTHER

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT BY: JARED WASHINGTON

Dear Brother

"If you haven’t heard it enough in your life, I want you to hear it here, that you are loved."

- Jared Washington

A Word of Encouragement

I

Dear Brother, I first would like to express the love I have for you just for being a Black Man in America trying to find your way. If you haven’t heard it enough in your life, I want you to hear it here, that you are loved. I want you to continue to get to know and fall in love with yourself. This is important if you want to live a life filled with mental and emotional wellness. I want you to be unapologetic and bold as you travel through the world around you. Most importantly, as you’re giving back to the world, I want you to give back to yourself and pour life into you.

My younger brother, wellness is the key to obtaining and maintaining a good quality of life.

Focus on implementing self-care activities into your normal routine as you go through the different phases of your life. This is pivotal because it prevents burn out and also allows for you to remain mentally and emotionally well. Keep self-care at the center of your life so that you’re never neglecting your mental health. In order for your body to go, your mind has to be healthy.

My younger brother do not be afraid to be vulnerable when it comes to expressing your feelings and emotions. Society will tell you that to be strong is to not show emotions because that indicates weakness. My brother I am here to tell you that this is false and unsustainable.

With vulnerability comes growth and takes courage. Express yourself to the best of your ability and communicate with loved ones when your feelings are comfortable and uncomfortable. Don’t be fearful to cry in front of others or be sad around strangers. These are natural human emotions that we must experience, sit with and process. Embrace them!

Lastly my younger brother, seek help if needed. When I say seek help, I mean from those who have walked the path that you’re going down. Seek help from professionals who may look like you and me. Seek help when you may not know what’s going on mentally and emotionally. Carrying the weight of the world along with your emotions is a burden that you don’t have to bear. You don’t have to travel through this life experience alone and there are others out here who are willing and motivated to assist you in being the best version of yourself. Do not shy away from tapping into networks that can contribute to your overall wellness. Again, I love you brother and my hand will always be extended to you.

Your Brother,

Jared Washington

Jared Washington Ramapo College of New Jersey '11 Argosy University '15

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Winter 2022 Edition

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