Milwaukee Alderman Cavalier Johnson praised recently a new program unveiled at the new Helen Bader Foundation headquarters in the Harambee neighborhood which focuses on raising the self-esteem of young Black men in the community.
The Leading Men Fellows program is already in place in the Milwaukee Public Schools and NextDoor Foundation classrooms across the city.
The Leading Men Fellows program was developed out of recommendations of the Early Education Task Force (EETF) that Johnson co-chaired along with Danae Davis of Milwaukee Succeeds.
The alderman thanked her and Gerard Randall of the Milwaukee Education Partnership, Tracey Sparrow of Next Door Foundation, and all of the contributors to the EETF for their work in making the program a reality.
“When I walked into the room (at the Bader Foundation), I was immediately greeted by young men of color who stood tall, were confident in themselves, and who were all proud of the work they are doing,” said Johnson.
“These young men have the chance to play a critical role in the education of young kids in Milwaukee by providing a positive example of young men who look like the kids that they interact with on a daily basis. Studies show that youth in difficult circumstances (the situation for far too many kids in Milwaukee) can positively benefit from interactions with educators who they can identify with.
“Whether kids want to ‘get a haircut like Mr. Franco’ (one of the Fellows) — or they open up about the struggles that they face at home and in their neighborhoods, or talk about their challenges and are empowered by the Fellows in their classrooms — this program shows the positive impact that the Leading Men Fellows program is having in Milwaukee today and can continue to have on kids in our community for years to come.”
–Article compiled from press release provided by Alderman Johnson and Milwaukee City Hall