Who else does your YBPness benefit?

May 18th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

Young Black Professional Guide Who Else Does Your YBPness Benefit?Several summers ago I was in a session at the National Association of Black Journalists convention when the facilitator - a senior editor at a newspaper in a major city - said something like,

“You are never too old for a mentor. I am 50 years old and I still have mentors.”

His statement was eye opening to me. As a writer just starting out, I never considered that at 50, I still might need someone with more wisdom to advise me professionally.

Shortly after the convention, while working my first job, I began mentoring a middle school student, so now I say to you,

“You are never too young to mentor someone.”

Although many of us are still in the early years of our professional lives, we know enough about something to help someone who isn’t where we are yet. Doing so is essential to the expansion and livelihood of the black privileged class. And thus has the potential to decrease the number of underprivileged people in our communities.

There are lots of reasons why disadvantaged people in your community are still in their situation. Don’t let your refusal to share your knowledge, wisdom and insight with a younger person be one of the reasons.

Viewing 6 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    I totally agree Eugene. I'm sure we can all point to one person who guided or shaped us through example and experience, directly or indirectly. I often think if I could only give half of what my mentors have given me, I will be making a huge impact in the life(ves) of those younger. What's more helpful, is that most of us are not too far removed from being a senior in high school getting ready for that freshman year of college. Or remember the disappointment of not making the cut for your seventh grade sports team, or what have you. The freshness of our memories will give double bonus, because we remember clearly and have the advantage of wisdom.

    I think we did a post about mentoring, when YBP was still on blogger, and I want to reiterate not forgetting about the young ones in your family. If you have younger cousins, nieces, nephews, distant cousins in your family reach out to them as well.

    For example, I would not have known what the Air Force Academy was had it not been for an older distant cousin who worked there and really wanted to offer different possibilities to family, whether she knew us or not. By doing so, she opened my world through a once in a lifetime experience, and ultimately helped me find (albeit in a roundabout way), that my true love is journalism.

    Up with mentoring! :)
    • ^
    • v
    Well written Eugene. I didn't know you were a professional. What's your full time gig!

    Agreed, Ash. Up with mentoring!

    We're always flying on other people's wing drafts and it's easy to do for others. We just have to be intentional with our mentoring and menteeing.
    • ^
    • v
    I'm a journalist.
    • ^
    • v
    In line with the mentoring theme, check out this NPR News and Notes interview with the head of Big Brothers Big Sisters Middle Tennessee, Lowell Perry.
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?st...
    In summary, there is a verifiable shortage of Black mentors, especially Black male mentors. Mr. Perry is proposing legislation that would allow for a portion of the money's allocated in his state's budget for correction institutions to be funneled to such orgs. as Big Brothers Big Sisters to recruit and attract young Black mentors.
    On a personal note, I was a Big Sister in Chicago through the school program. I was the only Black mentor at my school. There were several young Black boys who were being mentored by non-Black females, and the majority of the time was spent discussing flirting with their classmates or sports. While such interaction cannot be discounted for its "value", these boys needed a Black male who could interact with them on a "realer" level. Consider passing on your blessings through Big Brothers Big Sisters, www.BigBrothersBigSisters.org
    • ^
    • v
    I want to co-sign on JMac's post. My mentee that I mentioned in the original posting was assigned to me through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City. BBBS is a great organization that I encourage those of you looking for mentees to consider. When I was in KC, BBBS was desperately in need of black male mentors. I'm assuming that your local branch needs the same.

    JMac's post brought up something else I wanted to mention. It's often easier for us to mentor kids who are what a mentor of mine calls "no matter what" kids - kids who are probably going to "make it" no matter what; kids who were already on the path to success before we came into their lives. A couple of the young people I mentor now are "no matter what" kids and are incredibly different from the mentee I worked with in KC, who I found extremely challenging to work with. I believe my mentees here in Phoenix benefit from my time with them, but not as much as I believe my KC mentee did.

    I want to encourage all of us - myself included - to take time to sew into people who need it most regardless of how challenging it may be or how many "easier" opportunities present themselves. Even if we're not around to see the fruits of our labor, we should find comfort in knowing that it wasn't in vain.
    • ^
    • v
    Essence Magazine chose to kick off its "Essence Cares" mentoring initiative here in Atlanta. The push is for at least 2,150 adults to join local mentoring organizations and work with underserved children at least 2 hours a month. I am committing to the effort and I ask any Atlanta-area YBP to join me. Go to www.essencecares.org and read more about the initiative.
 
close Reblog this comment
Powered by Disqus · Learn more
blog comments powered by Disqus