Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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Great Oak: Growing Our Future, Protecting Our Legacy by STEPHANIE CRIDER Karl Merritt and Bobby Washington have been friends for years. As friends do, the Instead of feeling sorry for the young men, the men at Great Oak show them that two often chat about things that matter to them. "One Sunday morning …we can't they are valuable and that they have potential and then challenge them to reach for remember exactly how it happened, Bobby Washington and I started talking and the stars, empowering and encouraging them along the way. Men and Boys Unity, somehow we ended up talking about our daughters," one of the Great Oak programs, meets one Saturday a said Merritt. "I have a daughter about the same age month, eight months out of the year. Guest speakers are as Bobby's daughter. That led to a discussion of black often invited and the men and boys discuss things like males. They (our daughters) had talked to us about responsibility, healthy relationships, financial management the crisis among young black men." and etiquette. But they do much more than talk. Once In a nutshell, America has lost a generation of black they are in high school the boys draft a life plan. "Some males. People seem quick to point out the underunderstand it but most ask 'Why do I need a plan? I am education and poor employment opportunities young just in 9th grade.' Then you explain that this is not a choice black men face. Few seem willing to do much about and we explain that planning is part of critical thinking. it. Washington and Merritt could have shrugged and Sometimes you do get the wide-eyed look or they will say walked away from the problem like so many do, but 'No one ever asked me to think about what I am going to they didn't. They decided to do something about it. do with my life.'" Washington was working on a Ph.D. in nonprofit Then a door is open to explain the importance of management, and an acorn of an idea took root – an having a plan. The boys are given a template that asks organization that would "… provide a foundation about hobbies, classes and what they like to do and are for achievement and success among male youth by Great Oak reaches out to the community to provide good role mod- good at. "If they say they want to go to college," said directly providing educational assistance, mentoring, els and examples for the boys who participate in the program. Washington, "then we will assist with that process or with leadership and life-skills training and culturalwhatever their plan calls for." To help the young men awareness activities." He showed the plan to Merritt. plan, Great Oak brings in military representatives, as well "I looked at it," said Merritt. "In a later conversation I said, 'What are we gonna do as professionals from Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville State about this?' and Bobby's response was 'Let's make Great Oak happen.' I said, 'Okay, University, community leaders and businessmen. People talk with parents about their I am in.'" critical role like making sure the boys take the right courses and tests for post high The two teamed up with Catrina Murphy and got to work. The result was an allschool life, too. volunteer organization that pairs youth with positive male role models — men who To teach the young men the value of hard work, Great Oak gives them something will invest in them, mentor them and hold them accountable. While committing to work toward. Since 2009, Great Oak has managed a few plots at the Fayetteville several hours a month to something may sound intimidating, Washington sees it as Community Garden each year. The boys prep the soil, tend the plots and help a matter of perspective. "I've been doing it for a long time and it is pretty easy. It is a maintain the common areas and abandoned plots. matter of prioritizing. If I had an antique car I wanted to spend 17 hours a week on, To develop critical thinking skills, and help improve performance at school, the Men or if I wanted to golf 20 hours a week, I would figure out how to do it. We just ask for and Boys Unity program added a Chess Club to the program in 2012. six hours a month. It is based on priorities." During the summer, Great Oak offers a leadership and entrepreneur camp. The Great Oak website points out that "Other issues include the lack of men willing Educators, business leaders and civic leaders in the community participate in to invest a few hours a month to mentor a boy; the policy ramifications of public programs that focus on leadership development, skills instruction, confidence building dollars invested after a child gets in trouble versus investment in preventative solutions; and orientation for success. and the general apathy regarding the problem at far too many levels. The black boys The Great Oak mentoring program matches each youth with a volunteer who across America who are adversely affected by these conditions have tremendous is committed to them for an extended period of time. Through these relationships potential and great promise. They simply need to be nurtured." mentors teach the boys important life skills: they help them plan for the future; they For many of the young men who come to Great Oak, just knowing that someone help build confidence in the young men; they encourage positive attitudes and more. cares can be enough to turn them around. The boys that come to Great Oak often Sometimes it is as easy as showing up at school to have lunch with the boys and show up with angry hearts. They've built emotional walls that can be tough to talking with them about their grades. "It means the world to them that someone is penetrate, but patience and consistency on the part of their mentors usually win out. interested in them for them," said Washington. "They may not show it at first but the "We had our first boy go to college in 2012 and three more in 2013," said Merritt. boys really do appreciate when someone takes an interest in them." "These are the stories that show the effectiveness of what we are trying to do. A lot To be a Great Oak mentor, volunteers submit to a background check, are of it is anger management — 80-85 percent of our boys come from single-parent interviewed by a social worker and undergo training before being households with black females as the head of the home. There are some things going paired with a youngster. Youth can be referred to Great Oak by school on that contribute to the crisis among black males, one of those is the anger generated officials, community officials or by STEPHANIE CRIDER, Editor COMin these boys because their father is not present. I hear teenage boys say things like 'I parents/guardians. Find out more haven't talked to my father since was 2,' all the time." about Great Oak at www.goydc.com. MENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 18-24, 2013 UCW 13