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Last month, I walked into the ballroom of Marquette University’s Alumni Memorial Union and saw something powerful. The room was filled with leaders, students, mentors, and community members who all came for the same reason: to help the next generation of Black men succeed.
Throughout the day, different panels talked about education, community partnerships, and leadership. One session focused on how schools help shape young people from childhood all the way to college.
Education leaders such as Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius; Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Desmond Means; and Tarrynce Robinson, superintendent of West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, spoke about why strong schools and strong mentors matter for Black students.
But the panel that meant the most to me happened in the afternoon. I had the chance to sit on a panel called “The Result of Mentoring Mentees to Mentors.”
One big message from our panel was simple: What young people see matters.
When young Black boys see leaders, mentors and professionals who look like them, it changes what they believe is possible. Mentorship helps build confidence. It gives young people direction. And it reminds them that they are not alone.
Without those mentors, my journey might have looked very different.
That is why mentorship is so powerful. It creates a cycle. A young person learns from a mentor, grows into a leader and then helps the next generation.
The summit also reminded me that mentorship is not just about giving advice. It is about showing up. It is about listening. It is about building trust with young people who need guidance.
Organizations like 100 Black Men of America have been doing this work for years. Their focus on mentoring, education, health, and economic empowerment continues to shape communities across the country.
If we want young African American men to become leaders, we must show them leadership. If we want them to succeed, we must guide them.
Mentorship does not just change one’s life. It can change an entire community.
Dakota Barnes-Rush is a senior studying journalism with a minor in digital media at Marquette University.
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