‘Ultimately, I want my work to transcend time and be passed down from generation to generation.’
What do you do?
I oversee the curriculum, theme integration and business partnerships at High School, Inc. I also run www.theblackmancan.org, which is an online media platform that promotes positive images of Black Men and Boys. I recently authored Define Yourself, Redefine the World: A Guided Journal for Black Boys and Men. Lastly, I am the principal partner of Final Frame, a line of men’s neckwear.
Please describe your career path.
In college I was a business major with plans to graduate and climb the corporate ladder. During my various internships at a few Fortune 500s, I realized my passion was in education and youth development. I turned down all six corporate job offers, some as high as $60,000 with a singing bonus, to take a teaching position at The Fessenden School for $25,000. I spent two years at Fessenden and then Terrell Hill hired me at High School, Inc., which allowed me to combine my passions of business, education, and youth development to create avenues of success for young people.
What’s been your biggest challenge professionally?
Obtaining a leadership role that put me into a position in which I had to earn the trust and respect of people who, in some cases, were two times my age.
Where do you want to be in 10 years?
On a personal note, in 10 years I hope to have my Master’s degree, be working toward my Ph.D., and start a family of my own. Professionally, I hope for TheBlackManCan.org to have grown to be more successful in combating the negative images of Black men and boys with which we’re bombarded on a daily basis. I want TheBlackManCan Institute to touch the lives of boys and men around the world. I want the Annual BlackManCan Awards to be a global experience. Ultimately, I want my work to transcend time and be passed down from generation to generation. If any of that happens in ten years, I’ll know I’m going down the right path.
What is the best advice you received?
The most important decisions will be made when you are not in the room. ~ Carla Harris, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley.
How are you involved in your community?
When I’m not educating the young scholars at High School, Inc., I’m working on TheBlackManCan.org or something related to it. I’ve created TheBlackManCan Institute to uplift, motivate, educate, and empower men and boys of color and I look for ways to bring that to males of color across the nation. I have also created an online awards show, the Annual BlackManCan Awards, which recognizes Black men and boys who embody the definition of positive Black male images. I also volunteer with the Urban League of Greater Hartford Young Professionals. I have served on the executive board as vice president and professional development series chair.