Personal Stories of Boston Black Males Highlight Introduction to Seminar Series

Over 150 people heard 5 successful Black Males discuss their sources of support in growing up. Four were born and raised in Boston, while the fifth grew up in Philadelphia but has been in the Boston area for the past 35 years.

Wheelock College and the Delores Walker Johnson Center for Thoughtful Leadership at the Atlas Learning Communities introduced a series of 4 all day seminars-The Education of Black Male Youth- with a two hour program Tuesday afternoon at the Wheelock Family Theatre.

After Wheelock President Jackie Jenkins Scott welcomed the attendees, Ron Walker, Director of the Johnson Center and a Philadelphia native, described his own life’s travels to becoming a teacher, principal and educational reformer. When Ron saw some of his students’ lives destroyed through violence, he comitted himself to making the education of Black Males his highest priority.
Ron moved the audience with his tale of being contacted after some 25 years by a former 7th grade students who was serving a life term for murder in a Pennsylvania state penitentiary. Ron described him as bright, engaging, and motivated as a student, but involved in some bad decisions. Ron has visited the prison twice since being contacted, and describes mostly Black and Brown faces when he addressed the inmates.

The statistics about Black Males is discouraging. High percentages of failure in school, and involvement in the penal system. What can schools and the community do to reach this group?

A panel representing three generations of Boston raised Black males and hosted by Dr. Roger Harris helped frame the questions.
Dr. Harris is current Headmaster of the Boston Renaissance Charter School, but first developed his reputation as principal of the Timilty Middle School in Roxbury.


Harry Wilson returned to Boston from a stint in Vietnam as a Marine, and devoted himself to reaching community youth by establishing the Boston Raiders, a Pop Warner football program, that has had national recognition. Coach Wilson emphasized the importance of moral development in our youth.

Dr. Richard O’Bryant is currently a professor at Northeastern University and is the son of John O’Bryant, Boston’s first elected Black. Dr. O’Bryant
credited his father with his academic success and then acknowledged many in the audience who he said by their example gave him support to move forward. Dr. Bryant is currently the Head of Concerned Black Males, a volunteer group, which runs programs for Black Male Youth in the Boston Community.

The third panelist was Darryl Edwards a youth minister in Boston who credited his mother for getting him through the rigors of Boston Latin School and St. Johns University. He emphasized the importance of family and focused on the preschool years as the most formative years in a child’s development.

The panel answered some prepared questions before the audience became involved. Many had personal stories of support systems, and it was heartening to hear from so many successful Bostonians.


Roger Harris ended the discussion with his own story of taking resistant Timilty students first to church and then the movies each Sunday and how the group grew from two to a dozen. Commitment and follow through are needed to reach all students.

There was a sense that in the hall were many members of the Boston Black community who had found their own success, and were now willing to do what they could to make it happen for the next generation.

Ron Walker called for a Conspiracy of Care from those in attendance, and asked that they all communicate through e-mail things they’re doing to make a difference for Black Males.

The four part day long series begin next Tuesday at 8 am.
Soaring With the Eagles
Date: October 24
Speaker: David Banks
Mr. Banks is the founding administrator of the Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first all-boys public high school in New York City in over 30 years.