History
Being a black man raising two boys in the inner city is really the best way to describe why I decided to develop this mentoring program.
I have seen the impact of having a positive male presence around in my own life growing up and I have also seen the impact of the absence of such a figure. I was determined that my sons and daughters will always be able to look around and know that “Dad” is there. It has never been a question of whether or not my children need me, or if the sacrifice was worth it.
However it did not register to me just how many of our young black boys did not have the same privilege until I began working in the Baltimore City Public Schools in 1993. I noticed that over 80% of my parent interactions were with the motherly figures in the child’s life and not the father. I have nothing against mothers, I was raised by a single mother myself. However I also had uncles, pastors and teachers who were strong male influences to guide me through the challenging years of adolescence.
Many of my students however only has one parent in the home, usually a mom or a grandmother that is the primary caretaker. I watched this disturbing trend continue to years, realizing that there probably wasn’t much I could do about it, I became satisfied raising my own. two sons.
However, when my youngest son began having difficulty at school, the principal encouraged me to become a cub scouts leader and open a chapter at the school. After investigating the program, I felt that our young men needed a program that spoke directly to them as urban youths. After some additional research, the OMOL program was born. The program utilized the “Young Lions” curriculum which focuses on spiritual, social, and emotional needs of young black boys and their journey into man-hood. The program is offered free of charge to boys in Baltimore City. The Mentors or unpaid volunteers and all the necessary materials are provided by mentors, parents, and donations from other organizations. ~ Elder Ron Beazer, Founder
To contact us or to donate to the program click here
I have seen the impact of having a positive male presence around in my own life growing up and I have also seen the impact of the absence of such a figure. I was determined that my sons and daughters will always be able to look around and know that “Dad” is there. It has never been a question of whether or not my children need me, or if the sacrifice was worth it.
However it did not register to me just how many of our young black boys did not have the same privilege until I began working in the Baltimore City Public Schools in 1993. I noticed that over 80% of my parent interactions were with the motherly figures in the child’s life and not the father. I have nothing against mothers, I was raised by a single mother myself. However I also had uncles, pastors and teachers who were strong male influences to guide me through the challenging years of adolescence.
Many of my students however only has one parent in the home, usually a mom or a grandmother that is the primary caretaker. I watched this disturbing trend continue to years, realizing that there probably wasn’t much I could do about it, I became satisfied raising my own. two sons.
However, when my youngest son began having difficulty at school, the principal encouraged me to become a cub scouts leader and open a chapter at the school. After investigating the program, I felt that our young men needed a program that spoke directly to them as urban youths. After some additional research, the OMOL program was born. The program utilized the “Young Lions” curriculum which focuses on spiritual, social, and emotional needs of young black boys and their journey into man-hood. The program is offered free of charge to boys in Baltimore City. The Mentors or unpaid volunteers and all the necessary materials are provided by mentors, parents, and donations from other organizations. ~ Elder Ron Beazer, Founder
To contact us or to donate to the program click here