Joey Bada$$ is paying it forward in a big way.
According to wide reports, the musician and actor recently launched a mentorship program, ImpactMENtorship, which is aimed at equipping young Black men with critical life skills.
“I’m excited to announce that I’ve been silently working on a free mentorship program for men of color in the US [and] Puerto Rico called @impactmentorship,” he wrote in a recent Instagram post. “I recruited an impressive network of incredible mentors in the areas of art, culinary, fashion, film/TV, media, music, and sports.”
He shared that the inspiration for the program stemmed from his friendship with Sophia Chang, an advocate for advancement of women of color and the founder of Unlock Her Potential, an organization that provides mentorship to the group.
“When I saw the impact we had on [the Unlock Her Potential] mentees, I knew I wanted to create something similar for men of color who could benefit from the knowledge and experience of industry experts,” he said via an Afrotech report. “When I lectured at Harvard and NYU years ago, I was moved by the curiosity and enthusiasm I saw in the students. ImpactMENtorship is proud to offer one-on-one guidance to anyone who qualifies, regardless of education level.”
Research shows that Black men lag behind their female counterparts and other racial and ethnic groups in key educational outcomes (Harper, 2006; Strayhorn, 2010). What’s more, a 2021 UNCF rep0rt writes that 45.9% of Black students complete their degrees in six years—the lowest rate compared to other races and ethnicities. Black men have the lowest completion rate at 40%.
For more details, visit www.impactmentorship.org.