By Sterling Davies | OBSERVER Staff Writer, sacobserver.com
When 18-year-old Donsray Hicks III went to a Kings game in February and ran into an old friend, he didn’t know it would lead to door-to-door surveys and projects at River Cats games that only deepened his passion for public policy and civic engagement.
After being introduced to a youth engagement program within his high school, he busied himself with jobs and roles in his community to not only help his family but also others who have gone through similar struggles.
As a kid, Hicks remembers his family’s housing instability and occasionally living with relatives. His brothers were also in and out of jail during his childhood, and when he was 14, his twin sister died after an illness. Struggling with these traumas has heightened his purpose in life to advocate for his community and others.
“I try to make the best out of what I’m given in every day of life,” he said.
Hicks was one of 18 young men who graduated from the fifth cohort of the My Brother’s Keeper Youth Fellowship on June 27. The fellowship, a segment of MBK Sacramento Collaborative and organized by the Sierra Health Foundation, is a 12-week program that gives Black men ages 16-24 the opportunity to grow in leadership skills and develop personal strengths as they move on to the next chapters of their lives.
The MBK Sacramento Collaborative began in 2014 after President Obama signed the My Brother’s Keeper Memorandum to help address the chronic gaps in opportunities for young adults of color. Last year, the Sacramento branch was one of 10 MBK fellowships nationwide recognized by the Obama Foundation for its work.
Ray Green, the program officer for the fellowship, has been a part of MBK Sacramento Collaborative since its founding, and as of 2019, he has overseen the youth fellowship. “I know the impact that mentorship, exposure, and opportunities made for me,” Green said, “and I’m blessed to be in a position where I can hopefully create lasting changes for young men of color here in Sacramento.”
Green has seen how young men grow as individuals throughout the 12 weeks and come to better understand themselves and their plan for the years to come. “They leave with a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose, and with a sense of voice, which a lot of young men in our communities don’t feel they have,” Green said.
This growth comes from the fellowship fostering responsibility and accountability through different civic engagement projects they organize and conduct. With each cohort, the young men decide on a challenge within their surrounding community that they want to analyze, research, and propose solutions for.
In this cohort, the 18 young men chose to focus on educational equity and workforce development opportunities, which led them to different neighborhoods, sporting events, and gatherings to collect responses from their community members.
“They create the questions themselves, they create the surveys themselves, and they engage in those analytical solution-based recommendations,” Green said. Afterward, their solutions are provided to the MBK network to create institutional changes across the community.
This opportunity to help their community is coupled with a focus on building a strong sense of self and identity. Each cohort is paired with mentors who lead the weekly sessions and help support the members as they explore who they are and who they want to be. Each discussion begins by repeating and writing down a set of affirmations that are personal to every member.
“I’ve become more purposeful with my time,” said Gabriel Carstens, 17, when discussing the importance of these affirmations. “I’ve been able to look at things differently … and know what I bring to the table.”
The events and discussions the MBK fellowship takes part in all work to create a sense of brotherhood that forms throughout the weeks. Whether they’re working on projects together or going bowling, they begin to support and lean on one another.
Local activist Keon Johnson gives out medallions during the special event. The 12-week program helps to develop Black men ages 16-24. Madelaine Church, OBSERVER
“I got a lot of people in my corner supporting me,” Hicks said. “I can go to them for anything.”
This brotherhood carries into the connections the members form with their mentors, as their discussions foster an open and collaborative environment where they can engage with the matter at hand.
“At first I thought it was going to be like a regular class,” Jesse Brown, 17, said. “But quickly I realized this is not a class. It feels like just going to your uncle’s house to just talk about their experiences and the knowledge they hold.”
With the fifth closing, the sixth begins in August. It is open for applications by emailing MBKSacramento@shfcenter.org.
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Published By: https://sacobserver.com/2024/07/giving-a-voice-to-the-youth/