One Time For the Good Guys: Black Male Mentors and Community Leaders
Written By: Ambreia Meadows - Fernandez
Black men have always been instrumental in moving the community and the larger world forward. However, their stories, joys, and successes are often excluded. Despite this, Black male mentors and community leaders continue to do the invaluable work of inspiring our youth across every topic area and industry. It's up to us to affirm, celebrate, and support these efforts. Looking for Black men who are bringing ? This list will get you started.
It's impossible to think about medical advocacy without thinking of "Medical Mythbuster” Joel Bervell. Joel uses his social media space and podcast, “The Dose,” to call out bias, racism, and medical misconceptions. Joel isn't just a medical student and science communicator. He’s a deeply engaged health equity advocate whose impact can be felt in the White House, the American Medical Association, and across national media. Joel and his siblings also co-founded Hugs for, a non-profit dedicated to empowering the next generation of high school global leaders.
Chances are you’ve heard of Kier Gaines. He’s a proud family man, mental health advocate, and licensed therapist whose work focuses on self-awareness, self-growth, and mindfulness. His content speaks to our deepest concerns about their relationships with themselves and others, often addressing parenthood, marriage, and family. Kier’s words have gained widespread acclaim. The fruit of his impact is visible on the Oprah Winfrey Network, TODAY, and in conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Etienne Maurice has dedicated his career to being more than “just Sheryl Lee Ralph’s son.” He’s a filmmaker, actor, designer, and wellness philanthropist. His most notable effort is WalkGoodLA, a Los Angeles-based Black & Brown-led community wellness organization. They provide spaces for healing through community yoga classes, guided meditations, hikes, clubs, and other activations throughout Los Angeles that attract hundreds of members each week.
We rarely see Black men living life and interacting with nature joyfully. Nelson ZêPequéno is a multimedia artist who took essential steps to increase the visibility of Black men enjoying nature. He created Black Men With Gardens, an online community highlighting Black men connecting to combat the images of Black and brown trauma and misrepresentation. The community has nearly 200k followers and showcases Black men and boys interacting with plants and experiencing the wealth of joy and healing nature offers.
Mental health doesn’t always feel accessible. Christopher Lemark is a community organizer and founder of Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health, working to change that. Christopher's donation-based coffee shop builds community, normalizes mental health support, and creates a hotspot where patrons can receive the mental health support they need. Coffee, Hip Hop, and Mental Health Cafe raises funds for free therapy and uses hip-hop music to add cultural connection to mental health. His work reminds us our small purchases can support something bigger, lead to a free hip-hop yoga or meditation class, or help find a new therapy session for men and others who need support.