By: Kelvin Fleming and James Whitfield, Metro Campus Staff Writers
With the evolution of websites that perpetuate the stereotypical black male, such as WorldStarHipHop and YouTube, it has become hard to remember what a strong black man looks like.
These shenanigans, by both definitions of the word, have taken the forefront of viewers. Which leads to the question, are there enough impassioned role models for us to turn to for proper guidance on our life journey to one day becoming exceptional leaders ourselves?
Our answer…ABSOLUTELY!
“The key to becoming a leader is to first study the life of leaders. Learn their characteristics” Says Basheer Jones, Activist, Author, and Businessman.
These leaders that Jones speaks of are all around us, in our everyday life. The key is to be open-minded and to view them as such. Professors, pastors, local and national activist, and neighbors doing great things in our communities are the one deserving of our support. You know, the ones who are the total opposite of what we see in the media.
Take Dr. Michael Schoop, Metro Campus President, for instance, one day as he openly shared parts of his struggle and how he overcame them; he instilled in us, as we hope to instill in you, the powerful P’s, as we like to call them, “Find your passion, find your people, find your place.” This advice is imperative in order to find success in whatever it is you choose to do.
Here at the Metro Campus, The Minority Male Leadership Academy is a great place to find inspiration to follow through with your end goal. The program is geared toward, “developing Men of character who are educated, professional, career-ready, and civic minded individuals who are leaders for the 21st century.” In doing this they assist members in the areas of exploration of resources related to academic success, expand networking opportunities, develop a Success Portfolio, and a surplus of additional guidance.
For more information about this program, please visit the Metro Campus Student Life Office.
“Being a leader means to be a servant. If you are not willing to serve then you can never be a true leader.”~Basheer Jones
