The Need For Mentorship In Black Society

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a mentor as “someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person”. In Black Society, there lies a misconception that our youth lack the intelligence and/or the motivation to reach great heights in their lives, and in many cases, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. One of the fundamental issues that our youth face as they strive to “get their weight up” in an increasingly competitive society is their lack of mentorship.

One interesting element to consider when addressing this issue is the fact that other racial groups are inclined to be rich in social capital–a system put in place that benefits countless non–Melanoid people–as they continue to ensure that they will have the resources in place to succeed.

 Another sobering aspect in regards to the issue of mentoring in Black Society is that it appears that many of the men and women who once served as mentors for legions of young Black youths are nowhere to be found. In an age of mere children being led by children, it is critical that the life experience and abundant wisdom of some of our elders be utilized to guide our youth as they embark upon their careers.

There is statistical data that strongly supports the call for mentorship…particularly in Black Society. According to information in a 2015 report provided by the Young People’s Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring, the youth benefit from mentoring in the following ways:

• 55% more likely to be enrolled in college than those who did not have a mentor.
•  81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities.
•  More than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team.
•  78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
•  Nearly nine in ten respondents who had a mentor said they are now interested in becoming mentors.

Although this wasn’t included in the aforementioned itemized statistics, mentoring is also guaranteed to invoke the spirit of entrepreneurship and political/social activism among Melanoid youths, thus empowering them to become greater assets to Black Society and bigger threats to systematic racism/white supremacy which wields a debilitating effect on Melanoid people worldwide.

B. Clark