Tuesday, August 4, 2015

How to Close the "Belief Gap" in Black Boys

We need more people that unequivocally, without a doubt, love Black people. When you love Black people, you get obsessed about the work of elevating Black people. And nothing is going to change in this country until we have that critical mass of obsessed people. I believe we are approaching that tipping point.

I lead the national Campaign for Black Male Achievement. The campaign is a philanthropic strategy to improve the life outcomes for Black men and boys—a national movement to change the frame around how Black men and boys are perceived, how we value them, and how we invest in them. This is my life's work.

People will say we need to close the achievement gap, the education gap. This is true. But, to do so, we've got to close the belief gap—that's the self-belief Black males themselves have in their own worth, their own potential. It's also the belief society has in Black males. #BlackMenLove 

I can't emphasize how important mentoring is for changing the game for Black males. Mentoring, for me, is about that combination of instilling confidence and being nurturing. It's about revealing one's own vulnerabilities and failures as a basis for establishing genuine rapport with young people. So let me reveal mine. 

Full article available here: How to Close the "Belief Gap"... 

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