5 Black Men, 5 Communities, 1 Big Impact

Stay Connected | @byvernonscott

After solidifying himself as a celebrity hairstylist, Vernon Scott is now on a mission to inspire and mentor young entrepreneurs and creatives. “I am using the gifts God gave me to teach others passion, consistency, and the discipline necessary to accomplish their goals,” Scott told ESSENCE.

Stay Connected | @byvernonscott

Scott, who is the hands behind some of today’s best red carpet looks from Danai Gurira, Jaden Smith and Maxwell, leverages his industry connections to help pair his mentees with the right jobs and internships. He also works closely with creative entrepreneurs to help them develop their marketing and branding to better grow their businesses. Scott’s ethos is simple: take accountability for the lives you directly affect. Inspire those that look up to you, even if it’s just encouraging their work or giving positive advice.

Stay Connected | Aulston G. Taylor Scholarship

As a young man growing up in New Orleans, Aulston Taylor was a witness to his mother’s perseverance to work two jobs so he could attend St. Augustine High School – a leading secondary institution for young Black men in the city of New Orleans. He never forgot those days and her commitment to his education. So much so, he is paying it forward with the Aulston G. Taylor Scholarship at his alma mater. Not only is he rewarding hard-working and talented students, he is also giving financial support to single parents so they too can give their sons the education his mother fought so hard to afford for him. “It was a responsibility, not a choice,” Taylor told ESSENCE.

Stay Connected | Aulston G. Taylor Scholarship

Making multiple trips annually back to his hometown, Taylor always makes time to return to his alma mater. “When I walk the halls, I see nearly 600 African American men ages 13–18 advancing their minds and growing from boys to men, it reminds me who I’m working for and why my efforts are significant to my success and most importantly, theirs.”
Taylor believes strongly in not asking permission to ‘do good’. “If you believe in a person, a mission or a cause, get creative and get involved,” says Taylor. “Leave an indelible mark on the world. By doing so, you will be rewarded abundantly.”

Stay Connected | @avenueswank

Whether teaching students the benefits of STEM education or helping to develop and inspire future leaders from a college campus, Quentin Washington is committed to helping students tap into their fullest potential. The product of an activist mother who worked for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) , Washington was taught from an early age that action, not opinion, is the true agent of change. This is the belief that guides his work today. “I decided to help students of all ages learn how to fight smart [and] win the battle,” Washington told ESSENCE.

Stay Connected | @avenueswank

At the University of Virginia, Washington experienced first-hand racial tensions and micro-aggressions on and off campus. Now as a celebrated alum, he is committed to making the college campus a safer place for all students. After the Charlottesville rally in 2017, Washington was motivated to go back to his campus, galvanize students and develop a plan to protect and empower students on campus. “I am aware that I am uniquely made with a unique purpose and I live in this awareness,” Washington said. “It is my duty to help others realize that living and overcoming will happen in parallel, and we must ensure that we provide those opportunities, experiences, and awareness to others.

Stay Connected | Lights On

Principal Akbar Cook is a true champion and advocate for his students at West Side High School in New Jersey. He works 11 months out of the year to facilitate custom programming for students who need support, encouragement and help in ways that would have otherwise gone ignored in the traditional educational system. “These set of students face obstacles or barriers that [you] one could not even imagine. In order for them to be successful …I had to provide a safe place where these things can happen.”

Growing up in the neighborhood where he now leads a two school campus, Principal Cook can relate to these unimaginable barriers his students face. “I grew up in the area and often had my own issues growing up which included the water and electricity being off,” Cook told ESSENCE. “Some nights, I had to take care of my sister while my mom worked double shifts.” Now as Principal, Cook can implement programming to safeguard his students against those obstacles.

Stay Connected | Lights On

This year, Cook led an effort to convert a football locker room into a free laundry room for students who were being bullied for wearing dirty clothes. In 2016, Cook spearheaded an after-hours initiative called Lights On – a program that provides free activities, food and most importantly a safe haven for nearly 300 students every Friday until 11 PM. The program was championed by Principal Cook after the school district suffered the loss of students due to gun violence in the area.

Principal Cook believes that everyone can impact the world by giving their “time, talents and treasure”, he says. “There is no greater joy than investing in young people and watching them bloom.”

Stay Connected | @bklyncombine

The Bklyn Combine truly embodies the proverb, ‘each one, teach one.’ Together twelve men Phillip Shung, Kenneth J. Montgomery, Esq, Keith White, Esq, Mali X, Jazz Joseph, Barnabas Crosby, Asen James, Roni Moore, Ryan Hobbs, Steve Lynch, Esq, Randolph “Rudie” Carty and Kenard Bunkley have created a non-profit organization to mentor and inspire young adults in low-income and underserved communities through education and leadership.

Many of the BK Combine members were born and raised in Brooklyn and work in various industries from musicians to lawyers and more. These men were brought together under one common cause: to uplift and inspire students through coding, critical thinking and storytelling through new media and history.

“We realized that education is the true liberator, but we also realize that we have to be instrumental in developing the educational and cultural experience for our young people and our community,” Phillip Shung told ESSENCE.

Stay Connected | @bklyncombine

The Bklyn Combine host a number of programs in New York like a legal program where lawyers Kenneth J. Montgomery and Keith White help students better understand the law and how to operate within it. Their STEM program is designed to help students understand the digital landscape and push them beyond consumption and into innovation and creation.

The Bklyn Combine is committed to being a part of the solution– creating a roadmap for those that will come after us. “This is our one shot at being productive members to our community and making a positive impact on the next generation,” said Shung. By being well informed about the state of humans and the state of the world, they believe that only then can you make any attempts at positively impacting the world.