Mentors are key to success in racialized communities
Nicholas Johnson has more in common with Michelle Obama than one might think.
Johnson, the Canadian-Bahamian who recently became Princeton University’s first Black valedictorian, indeed shares the same alma mater as the former first lady. And he was thrilled when she congratulated him on Twitter.
“This Princeton alum is so proud of you, Nick!” wrote Obama. “Congratulations on becoming valedictorian — and making history.”
But dig deeper and one discovers they also share an appreciation for the value of mentorship in contributing to the success of young people of colour.
“One important thing that has benefited me is to have mentors in my life who are a few years older, who are sufficiently close to my educational path, so I could learn from them,” Johnson said in a phone interview in between final exams. “These mentors are also Black and could share their experiences, so I could be comforted by those who have passed through similar hurdles.”
Johnson, 22, grew up in Montreal. His parents are both medical professionals and his sister is a successful recording artist. Not only was he fortunate to grow up in a supportive household, he told me that throughout his schooling, several educators also took a keen interest in supporting his aspirations.
Even Obama wasn’t so lucky. In “Becoming,” the recent Netflix documentary based on her memoir, she recounts how her high school guidance counsellor tried to discourage her from following in her brother’s academic footsteps.
“She decided that my wish to go to Princeton was thinking too big; I was reaching too high and at that point she told me I don’t think you’re Princeton material. The nerve!” she tells a stadium full of fans. “Well, she was wrong.”
That experience underscores a stark reality. Racialized youth often face barriers in both education and employment, and frequently lack adequate support systems, said Mohamed Sofa, a director of youth programs at the United Way East Ontario. Sofa grew up in Britannia Woods, a social housing neighbourhood with a diverse population of newly arrived immigrants and refugees.
As a teenager in the 1990s, he played basketball at the non-profit Britannia Woods Community House and landed various leadership roles while he balanced school and work. He would become its executive director in 2014, growing the centre’s budget from around $100,000 to just over $1 million within six years. Throughout, Sofa aimed to empower young people — though he doesn’t quite call it mentorship.
“I see it more as a connection,” he said in an interview. “We know there are opportunity gaps in our communities; we understand that our networks are very thin. In the early days, it wasn’t about mentoring, it was how do we get out of the situation we are in, how do we get into leadership positions? If a Shadi, or an Abdi, or a Donny can see someone that they saw in their neighbourhood who has made it, then they will think that they can make it, too.”
Someone who benefited directly from Sofa’s mentorship, whether he calls it that or not, is Faduma Yusuf. The longtime community developer also grew up in Britannia Woods and would turn to Sofa for advice and guidance after she completed a degree in public administration.
“I’m one of a long line of people that he has mentored in his career,” said Yusuf. “I really wanted to work in government, but then I started to see things very differently through our conversations.”
Years ago, Sofa hired her to run an after-school girls program and has watched her career thrive.
It all came full circle this month when Yusuf took over from Sofa to become the new executive director at the community house. “He always knew I could do more,” she said. “The main thing he did was to provide opportunities, making sure that I was in the right place and making the right connections. I came from a community that doesn’t have historical, generational networks.”
Those networks are finally emerging and will need institutional nurturing to grow. Just imagine the potential. Racialized youth often face barriers in both education and employment, and frequently lack adequate support systems