Young Black Scholars begins school year with high hopes

The end of summer not only signals “back to school,” but also back to special programs designed to enhance student educational experiences. Hence the academic kickoff and college fair held recently by 100 Black Men of Los Angeles.
“When I was my son’s age, I came here with my father,” Adokiye Ngiangia, Jr., 41, said. “My father got me involved in the program and I think it was very beneficial to me at that age and I’ve looked across at the years and seen the work they’ve been doing. So when my son came of age to be able to do the program, I wanted him to be a part of it.”
Ngiangia’s son, Cai, 13, joined his father and more than 100 other students and parents on the campus of West Los Angeles College for the Sept. 14 event where they learned about the Young Black Scholars (YBS) program.
“I know it was beneficial to my life and I know it will be beneficial to his life too,” Ngiangia, a UC Riverside graduate said. “Just getting young kids to understand where they can go beyond grade school, beyond high school and what preparation is needed to go to the next level.”
The YBS program is for eighth to 12th grade male and female students and is operated by 100 Black Men organizations throughout the nation. It has four pillars: mentorship; education; economic empowerment; and health and wellness.
At the 38th annual kickoff event, organization President Olukoya Davis had all the students in the audience stand and address the parent or guardian who brought them with “Thank you for helping invest in my future.”
YBS was created in answer to a 1983 study that showed that African-Americans were not being prepared for the University of California system. Over 70 percent of the students enrolled in the YBS pilot program met or exceeded national standards for college admissions.
Since its start, YBS has helped more than 21,000 students realize their dreams of attending college.
“There’s still a huge gap to be filled,” Davis said to attendees, noting that not enough has changed in 40 years, with just 75% of Black students graduating high school and only half of them going to college. “We need your help to be an equal participant in your future.”
The YBS workshop schedule begins in October and ends in June, with Saturday morning meetings and occasional zoom Wednesday and Thursday evening meetings covering more than 30 subjects, including “Understanding Academic Requirements for College;” “Financial Literacy;” “Improving Your Study Skills;” “Paying for College;” and a “Medical Careers Seminar.”
Organization Chairman Kirk Williams is a YBS alumni and was mentored by Adolf Dulan of the restaurant empire, and a number of other businesspersons before graduating from the program’s second class in 1991.
“Little did I know, as I was coming through the program, the level of influential leaders who were a part of 100 Black Men,” Williams said, asking that attendees take advantage of the opportunities being offered. “Little did I know I was around greatness coming up, which helped keep me focused.”
The female mentoring program is in its fourth year in response to a request from schools to showcase successful women and expose them to students.
“One of the issues is that we don’t see enough people who do different things,” organization President Emeritus Jewett Walker said. “Our motto is what they see is what they’ll be.”
Culver City Mayor Yasmin-Imani McMorin and her daughter, Yvonne McMorin– Watson, 16, first got involved through the female mentorship program last year. Then Yvonne started the investment program competition.
“As a single mom, I think it’s really admirable that 100 Black Men offer their support and guidance in these open-ended programs,” McMorin said, noting that Yvonne would often come home from investment club meetings and check her stocks. “She was so excited about knowing things about different corporations. It was in effect, exposing her to different career trajectories.”
McMorin said she is grateful for the foresight of 100 Black Men of LA and she and her daughter are both excited to participate again.
A number of YBS alumni mentioned the sacrifice entailed in giving up part of a Saturday to participate, but they noted that the mentor relationships, networking with students from throughout the region and the educational seminars are worth it and will pay off in the long run. Not only in successful college admission, but in financial assistance once YBS students are accepted into institutions of higher learning.
“This upcoming school year, we are pushing ourselves,” Davis said. “The goal is to award $100,000 in scholarships to students next June.”
For more information on the YBS program, visit www.100bmla.net or email questions to info@100bmla.net.