DETROIT (WXYZ) — Honoring Black History Month isn’t only about looking back. It’s about looking forward, shining a light on those putting in the work to uplift the next generation of Black youth.
One organization is doing that by focusing on mentorship to tackle the concerns of absent fathers and mental health in Black communities.
Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows 63% of youth suicides are from single-parent homes. One community group is using love and encouragement to make change.
Where there isn’t a father, there is Calvin T. Mann.
“We wanted them to know that there was somebody out here who loved and cared for them,” Mann said.
Today, he’s a driving force for change. He's a father to three boys but a father figure to 1,500 more.
WXYZ’s Ameera David asked, “We’re sitting on an RV bus. What is this?”
“So, this is our mobile mentoring bus,” Mann said.
Mann is the man behind the organization EMIY, or Encourage Me I'm Young, with a yearslong mission to mentor the kids that need it the most.
“One of the issues we’re facing with our families is that our fathers aren’t present,” said Heather Hetheru Miller, executive director at Encourage Me I'm Young.
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 64% of Black children live in single-parent homes. Roughly 80% of lone-parent households are fatherless, children living without a critical pillar in their development.
“You have to have someone who serves as that father figure,” Hetheru Miller said. “We learned in our research that it takes 12 mentors to equal one father.”
“Wow, 12, 12 mentors? So that is almost like in every area or aspect of your life,” David said.
The organization is addressing the challenge by creating a robust 14-week mentorship program for boys. Each week, there's lessons on teamwork, conflict resolution, career pathways and even stress management.
“Before we even do anything, they stretch, they sit, they have their moments of breathing, so we can calm them down,” Hetheru Miller said.
“Is there a link between mentorship and mental health?” David asked.
“There is definitely a link,” Hetheru Miller responded.
Nobody knows that more than single mom Angela Roman.
“Joseph needed a way to deal with the really big emotions he had,” Roman said.
Some years ago, she noticed her now 12-year-old son having a hard time with bullying and confidence.
“He needed a way to express and he needed a safe place to do it,” Roman said. “(They) invested in him and who he is going to become as a person, as a Black man in our community.”
“Have you seen a change within him? David asked.
“Oh, for sure!” Roman said.
Today, Joseph Roman speaks up more, better communicates his emotions and his grades have started to improve, which Roman credits to the guidance of mentors like Mann.
“If times are tough or if I need it, I can call him and let him know what’s going on,” mentee Joseph Roman said.
“Suffice it to say this is transformative for these kids,” David said.
“It absolutely is,” Joseph Roman said.
Those bonds are a lifetime, and that change that takes place in them is a lifetime change.
Our intent is customizing the inside, so young men can come have workstations. Recognizing the link between mentorship and mental health, EMIY has launched a new campaign to smash suicide, taking the RV on the road, so that instead of waiting for at-risk youth to come to them, EMIY can take their message and their mentors directly to the streets.
We see the results of that work. We can do more, help more and hope for more as the journey toward a better tomorrow continues.
While the mobile mentoring bus still needs an inside transformation, EMIY is working to raise funds.
For more information, check out: EMIY
