December 2013
n a i l l i v e z n o r B e th
nt Suppleme A newsletter from the An electronic newsletter from the Department of African African American American and and African African Studies Studies Community Extension Extension Center Center Community
Willis E. Brown joins Near East Area Commission Pages 1, 3: Willis E. Brown joins Near East Area Commission – Judson L. Jeffries, Ph.D. Pages 4, 9: Transforming Young Black Males Through Mentoring – Kevin L. Brooks, Ph.D. Pages 5-6: Summer Residential Program: 2013 Exploring Entrepreneurship and Economic Freedom in the Black Community – Tanisha Jackson, Ph.D. Pages 7-8: Honoring Black Civil War Veterans – Richard C. Pfeiffer, Jr., J.D. Ad Page 3: The Math and Science Program Upcoming Event Page 9: Biram Dah Abeid, President of the 'Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement in Mauritania' (IRA)
By: Judson L. Jeffries, Ph.D.
O
n Thursday, December 12, 2013, Near East Area Commissioners voted Willis E. Brown onto its body by an 8-2 vote. A native New Yorker, Brown has lived in Columbus for nearly thirty years. During that time, Brown has championed many causes and fought for those who have traditionally been denied access to levers of power. Brown’s background is unique. A scientist by trade, Brown earned a B.S. in Biology at Elmira College in upstate New York before moving on to Cornell University where he completed a master’s degree in Horticulture in 1984. Since then, Brown has worked in a number of different capacities around the world; places such as Africa, Russia, Western and Eastern Europe, the Philippines, the Middle East and the Caribbean. He has been employed at Schwab Management Company, US AID, DuPont and the Ohio Department of Agriculture to name a few. Brown brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new position. As the longtime president of the Bronzeville Neighborhood Association, and a teacher at the prestigious Bexley Middle School, Brown is excited about this new opportunity to represent the fine people of District 1. The seat that Brown now occupies opened up when the previous officeholder moved out of the area. In order to retain the seat, Brown will be compelled to run for election in July 2014. For the first time since moving to Columbus, Brown will continued on page 3
Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center 905 Mount Vernon Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43203-1413
Phone: (614) 292-3922 Fax: (614) 292-3892 http://aaascec.osu.edu aaascec@osu.edu
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of the CEC 12Core Programs 6 T he Ohio State University’s AAAS Community Extension Center is the outreach component of the Department of African American and African Studies. The CEC is one of the few off-campus facilities of its kind in the nation. Originally housed at two different locations on Ohio Avenue, the CEC moved to its current location in 1986. The CEC plays an integral role in enhancing the life chances of those who live in and around the Mount Vernon Avenue Area. Toward that end, the CEC offers an array of programs at no or nominal cost to the public. Programs include, but are not limited to, the following: conferences, symposia, computer classes, credit and noncredit courses, summer programs, lecture series, and film series. People from all walks of life have participated in these programs. Based on evaluations of our programs and personal testimonies, the CEC is having an impact on residents living in and around the Bronzeville Neighborhood.
1 Black Veterans Day Salute During the salute, Black men and women from Ohio who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces are publicly recognized. Since the salute’s inception in 2006, the CEC has honored the Tuskegee Airmen (2006), Vietnam War veterans (2007), Korean War veterans (2008), African-American servicewomen (2009), World War II veterans (2010), Gulf War Era veterans (2011) and Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans (2012).
2 Ray Miller Institute for Change & Leadership This 10-week long leadership course trains young Black professionals from the Columbus community in various areas of leadership. The Institute was founded in 2006 by former State Senator and Minority Whip Ray Miller. Miller has built a reputation as a strong advocate for those who have historically not had access to power. Admission to the Institute is highly competitive. The Institute is offered during OSU’s autumn and spring semesters with the support of OSU’s Office of Continuing Education. Participants who complete the course receive three CEU credits.
3 Senior Citizens Movie Matinee The movie matinee is a chance for senior citizens to watch a film that otherwise might be cost prohibitive in an accommodating environment. A discussion, usually led by an OSU professor or administrator, is held at the end of the film.
4 Computer Literacy Program Throughout the academic year, the CEC offers free and reduced-cost computer technology courses. The program is geared toward seniors but open to everyone. Courses include the following: Senior Computer Orientation, Internet, Email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher.
5 Lecture Series Presentations given by OSU faculty, students and/or community members about topics pertinent to the Black community.
Math and Science Program
The Math and Science Program was established in partnership with the OSU Medical Center in 2003. The Math and Science Program exposes students in grades 4 through 12 to the wonders of math and science using hands-on activities. The purpose of the program is three-fold: 1) To increase competency in math and science among students of color; 2) To expose students of color to math and science related careers; and 3) To encourage students of color to major in math or science. The program meets on the fourth Monday of each month from October to May.
7 Summer Residential Program The Summer Residential Program (SRP) was established in 1999 and is designed to provide students with both an appreciation for and an understanding of African-American and African culture and history. The SRP also helps students strengthen their computer literacy skills. Past themes include: “The Underground Railroad” (2012), “All Eyez On Me: Deconstructing Images of African-American Women in Hip Hop” (2011), “letz b down: Social Justice Advocacy for Blacks During the American Revolutionary War Era” (2010), “The Low Country: Black Culture, Literacy and History in Charleston, South Carolina” (2009), and “Hip Hop Literacies” (2008). The program is held every June and is for rising 11th and 12th graders. Students live on OSU’s campus.
8 African Affairs Symposium This one-day symposium brings members of the African American and African communities together to discuss issues of particular interest to Africa. The inaugural symposium in 2007 examined the life of South African civil rights activist Steve Biko. “Africa in the Age of Globalization” was the theme of the 2008 symposium. The 2009 symposium examined the life of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana, West Africa. In 2010, the focus was on Pan-Africanism and the Diaspora. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was the theme of the 2011 symposium.
9 Summer Enrichment Program This week-long, non-residential day program is designed to help rising 9th and 10th graders improve their reading and writing skills. The program, which was founded in 2009, is hosted annually in June and accepts approximately 15 students.
10 History of Black Columbus Conference This one-day conference celebrates the rich history of African Americans in Columbus and increases awareness of the significant contributions African Americans have made in all areas of city life. This annual conference is held in the spring.
11 Black History Month Forum The forum is in its fourth year and is focused on celebrating African descended peoples from all over the world. This year, documentaries about the following influential Black historical figures were shown: John Henrik Clarke, Kwame Nkrumah, Fannie Lou Hamer, James Baldwin, Minister Elijah Muhummad.
12 Enemies of the State The annual event features activists from America’s most notorious radical organizations, people who pressured America to live up to its highest ideals. In past years, activists from The Us Organization (2012), The Black Panther Party (2011) and the Young Lords Organization (2010) were invited to speak.
About Bronzeville During the 1930s, African-American leaders in Columbus named the predominately African-American neighborhood between the boundaries of Woodland Avenue (East), Cleveland Avenue (West), Broad Street (South) and the railroad tracks (North) “Bronzeville.” The population was approximately 40,000 residents. In 1937, the same African-American leaders elected a mayor of Bronzeville and created an eight member Cabinet to address social, political and economic issues in the neighborhood. Now, as a result of the establishment of several Neighborhood Civic Associations such as the Woodland Civic Association (East) and the Discovery District (West), Bronzeville was reduced to its current boundaries: Taylor Avenue (East), Jefferson Avenue (West), Broad Street (South), and I-670 (North). The Bronzevillian is inspired by this rich history.
CEC Advisory Board Paul Cook Wanda Dillard Francisca Figueroa-Jackson Mark S. Froehlich Ray Miller, former State Senator Lupenga Mphande, Ph.D. William E. Nelson, Jr., Ph.D. (Deceased) *Ike Newsum, Ph.D. and Chair Rick Pfeiffer, City Attorney Thomas Simpson, Ph.D. Reita Smith Charleta Tavares, State Senator Nana Watson
CEC Director *Judson L. Jeffries, Ph.D.
CEC Staff Sarah Twitty Senior Program Coordinator & Fiscal Officer Kevin L. Brooks, Ph.D. Program Coordinator Alecia Shipe Technology Program Coordinator
Address Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center 905 Mount Vernon Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43203-1413 *Ex officio members.
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be fighting on behalf of District 1 residents from within the system. “This is new for me . . . usually I’m playing the role of outside agitator . . . now I’ll be part of the system.” When asked his thoughts about the opposition to his candidacy by two of the commissioners, including the commission’s chairperson; Brown shrugged it off saying, “those two have a right to their opinion, but their opinion does not faze me one bit . . . I have a job to do and I’m going to do it. I’m not going there to win a popularity contest, I’m going there as a servant of the people . . . I’ll be representing the people’s interests, the two who voted against me need to understand that . . . I don’t need or seek their approval. The only approval I seek is that of the people.” As the new year approaches, Brown will be gearing up for the important work that awaits him as a member of the Near East Area Commission. It is a challenge that he is prepared to meet head-on.
The Math and Science Program
There is time to enroll your child into the Math and Science Program. For questions please call 614292-3922 or visit http://aaascec.osu.edu
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Transforming Young Black Males Through Mentoring By: Kevin L. Brooks, Ph.D.
The state of Black males has been a topic of many conversations, conferences, symposia and sermons; and rightly so. The tragic deaths of soaring numbers of young males, typically in their prime years, are alarming. Like many of us, they were juggling life’s challenges while searching for ways to improve their lot. Whether due to homicide, suicide or accidental injuries they have been denied the opportunity to actualize their full potential and contribute to society in any meaningful way. Regardless as to how we characterize the current state of Black males, a strategy incorporating communal values is needed. Dr. John Henrik Clarke asks in Africans at the Crossroads: Notes for an African World Revolution, “How do we go back, and pick up, and utilize some of these values—values of self-love, self-appreciation, appreciation for the family, a concept of unity, and a concept of distribution of goods and services…?” The answer is mentoring. However, not any kind of mentoring will do. Mentoring that is holistic—consisting of spiritual, personal, social, psychological, intellectual—and healthy. As discussions on the personal and social development of Black males continue to be a topic of interest in academic and popular arenas, an increasing number of advocates are calling for and creating mentoring relationships and mentoring programs to intercede and repair the damage caused by family disintegration, overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, underperforming in educational settings and a lack of adequate employment to name a few. Mentoring means different things to different people. And different mentors perceive the mentoring process in different ways. Thus, mentoring relationships and programs may have similar aims, but different identities. While many are designed specifically to train burgeoning leaders, others are akin to a parent/child dyad or the relationship between older and younger siblings. Mentoring is a concept mostly affiliated within the service occupations such as business, education, mass communication, law, medicine, social work and so on. It is also associated with the natural sciences and social sciences as senior faculty and scientists guide the careers of junior faculty and researchers. Some consider it a process for professional advancement while others view it as a pathway to personal and social development. For many more, it is a combination of the two. In order for mentoring to be effective it must be holistic, meaning it must employ methods to develop the whole person.
connection with others; and it is to be used for liberation from social and political constraints. In this capacity, the mentor understands that the mentee’s life has a specific function, and the role of the mentor is to nurture the mentee in ways that this purpose is achieved. This connection establishes mutual feelings of trust and affection which are the epitome to developing a genuine and caring friendship. “You need people you can trust to be your friends. And you need people to trust you to fulfill your potential. To have them, you must be trustworthy,” affirms Edwin Louis Cole, author of Courage: A Book for Champions. Such a connection also entails reciprocated consideration, respect, empathy and understanding. Therefore, the focus of the mentorship is to assist with building the character and integrity of the mentee being careful not to muddle divergent values, beliefs and perspectives. Mentoring is personal Building character involves cultivating a personal relationship through affiliation (i.e., connection, membership, deep association). As Professor Terrell Strayhorn, author of College Students’ Sense of Belonging, asserts “Mentoring is intrusive and aggressive, as well as involves being honest.” So as to establish this kind of relationship, persons involved allow themselves to be vulnerable to share and exchange communication openly, honestly and freely without reservation, apprehension or intimidation. Mentoring is psychological Mentors play a variety of roles in the lives of their protégés. They serve as counselor, coach, teacher, advisor, sponsor, role model, big brother and father-figure, specifically guiding one’s capacity to deal with the mental and emotional ups and downs of everyday living. Furthermore, mentors contribute to making triumphs possible while intervening to help provide solutions and solace during difficult times. They provide wisdom and insight to foster courage, as well as instill values of righteousness, truthfulness and faithfulness.
Mentoring is social The mentor’s responsibility is to provide numerous social functions to assist the understudy in fulfilling dreams, goals and objectives. In so doing, an emotionally supportive and intellectually stimulating setting is needed to facilitate self-disclosure—revealing one’s deepest and most intimate aspects of self. This affords mentors and mentees the opportunity to establish and strengthen an authentic bond. Their commitment to one another and their friendship will manifest positively in other relationships. For this reason, mentors put their professional and personal reputations on the line with the aim of Mentoring is spiritual introducing their mentees to personal, social and professional This facet of mentoring is based on three principles: one’s life networks. has purpose; this purpose is held in conjunction with establishing a continued on page 9
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Summer Residential Program 2013 Exploring Entrepreneurship and Economic Freedom in the Black Community By: Tanisha Jackson, Ph.D.
Summer Residential Program Participants and Entrepreneur, Pamela Lowery
The 13th annual AAASCEC Summer Residential Program (SRP) focused on exploring the significance of entrepreneurship and the unique challenges faced by African American entrepreneurs. SRP is a college-prep program for rising 11th and 12th graders. It is designed to provide students with both an appreciation for and understanding of African American culture and history. Students not only get to live and eat on campus, but use the same classrooms and other facilities that are typically reserved for OSU students. This years’ theme was Empire State of Mind: Entrepreneurship in the Black Community & Economic Freedom. Instruction focused on the historical and contemporary political economy of African Americans and aided students in critically examining the societal, cultural and economic factors impacting black-owned businesses in a global economy. The program was divided into three components. Students were engaged in classroom instruction, visited black-owned businesses in the Bronzeville Neighborhood and had black entrepreneurs as guest speakers. Additionally students were charged with developing a well thought-out business plan. On the first day of class, I asked students to create a list of black entrepreneurs. Students crafted a list that primarily included entertainers and celebrities, such as Oprah, Russell Simmons and Tyra Banks. However, when I asked students to create a list of entrepreneurs in their local community or within their families, the task was more challenging and the list was considerably smaller. This exercise prompted such questions as: what exactly does black entrepreneurship look like and who can be an entrepreneur? As the instructor, I challenged the blurry line of celebrity that is often solely connected to entrepreneurship by explaining that most entrepreneurs are not well known. From there, students were given several
examples of black entrepreneurial practices in the United States that dated back as early the 1600’s to the present. Free Frank (1777 -1854) is a wonderful example. An illiterate slave, Free Frank was taught skilled labor and could count. He started a saltpeter manufactory and, within seven years, he was able to purchase his wife’s freedom in 1817 and then his own in 1819 for a total of $1,600. Free Franks’ story and others like his show that entrepreneurship is not a foreign practice in the African American community, but rather entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial activities were regularly practiced in African economies prior to the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade. The greatest strength of this enrichment program was the participation of local entrepreneurs and the stories they shared that conveyed their triumphs and challenges. Students were introduced to entrepreneurs from an array of industries such as food and hospitality, insurance, print media, the non-profit sector, fine arts and health and fitness. Two entrepreneurs with whom students really connected were Mike Nicholson and Marshall Shorts. Nicholson is the owner of Phlex Fitness. He owns a gym in Columbus, Ohio and teaches “Hip Hop fitness” in the surrounding areas. Students met Nicholson at his gym and learned how he merged his love for dance with an exciting and vigorous fitness program. Not only were students taught choreographed moves, but Nicholson shared with them the routine that his clients typically undergo when they enroll in his class. Anthony Evans (age 17) described the experience this way, “I enjoyed the Hip Hop fitness class. It was fun trying to keep up with [the other students], and I saw that what makes this business great is that it is a spacious and clean facility that is welcoming to the public.” Similarly, “The up-to-date technology such as iPads and an energetic environment makes his gym a great business,” observed Diamoni Davis-Ferguson (17 years). Other presenters whom the students really seemed to enjoy were Marshall Shorts and his business partner, Tyiesha Radford, who exposed students to a creative activity that involved painting, snacks and music known as the “B.R.U.S.H Experience.” Students listened to Shorts as he talked about what inspired him to create a business that combines people and art to yield creative results. Both individually and collectively, Shorts’ clients can create artwork. Under Shorts’ direction, the students collectively painted a mural of Magic Johnson, and this correlated with a reading assignment from Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s book, 32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business. When asked to reflect on the mural painting activity and Shorts’ business concept, Diante Davis-Ferguson states, “The B.R.U.S.H experience is a good business. It’s very unique, and they most likely won’t have as many competitors. This business addresses the need for adults to have more entertainment options in Columbus, Ohio.”
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Summer Residential Program Participants working with Entrepreneur Marshall Shorts
Final Project created by the Summer Residential Program Participants and Entrepreneur Marshall Shorts
The guest speakers and business visits offered students a positive outlook of local black entrepreneurship. Students who never considered entrepreneurship prior to attending this program now have an interest in becoming entrepreneurs. The development of a group business plan and product/ service concept was a process that built on their interests. With the help of entrepreneur Dr. Glen T. Walter of The Leadership Training Institute of Columbus (a Non-Profit State of Ohio registered institution providing leadership training to Community Development Corporations), students went through a creative brainstorming process that ultimately led to the development of a business plan and presentation to the community of businesses that were an asset base to the Black community. In sum, this year’s SRP program is an expansion on curricula that I currently teach in Africana Studies, in hopes to get more African American youth to think about the possibility of entrepreneurship. This is a significant key to black empowerment and economic autonomy.
Summer Residential Program Participants and Dr. Tanisha Jackson with Entrepreneur Mike Dean
Summer Residential Program Participants researching during their Fisher College of Business visit
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Honoring Black Civil War Veterans By: Richard C. Pfeiffer, Jr., J.D.
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ritten history supposedly records our past. But who is authorized to tell us who the heroes and villains are of our past? Who decides what to emphasize or ignore about who we are as a nation and who helped get us there? The Black Veterans Day Salute pays homage to Black Americans who served our country either in past military conflicts or during an era in which a conflict occurred. The event assures that Black veterans are not relegated to the back pages of history or omitted from the American narrative altogether. The eighth annual Black Veterans Day Salute, took place on November 9, 2013, at the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center on Mt. Vernon Avenue, as have all of them. The program was titled “Honoring Black Civil War Veterans, Notably the U.S. Colored Troops of Ohio.” April 12, 1861 marked the start of the Civil War when the Confederate bombardment of Ft. Sumner in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina began. At that time, the United States Army numbered just over 16,000 officers and enlisted men. By the war’s 1865 end, over one million men had served, with approximately 185,000 of those having served with one of the 175 regiments of the “United States Colored Troops.” In the early months of the war, there were no such regiments. The fighting between the Union Army of the North and the Confederate Army of the South was contested between white soldiers. Not until the passage of the Second Confiscation and Military Act of July 17, 1862 could a black man be accepted into military service, but not for the armed services. However, with the January 1, 1863 issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, that changed, and President Lincoln authorized “…freed slaves of owners in rebellion against the United States…” and all freedmen of color to enter the armed services. With that change, the War Department (now called the Department of Defense) issued General Order Number 143 on May 22, 1863, establishing a “Bureau of Colored Troops” to expedite the enlistment of black men. While the need for manpower opened the military to black men, some doubted whether the black man could fight. Consequently, there was reluctance to use black soldiers in combat. As the war progressed and the North’s need for manpower became obvious, the reluctance to send regiments of “colored troops” into battle abated. The bravery of the United States Colored Troops was evident in many engagements, and made vivid to present-day Americans in the motion picture Glory, starring Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman, which depicted the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry’s valiant assault at the First Battle of Fort Wagner, South Carolina on July 11, 1863. While the unit was commanded by a white colonel, the enlisted ranks were all black men. The publicity that surrounded their bravery at that battle resulted in greater participation by black soldiers in subsequent conflicts. Of the over 185,000 black men who served in the regiments of the United States Colored Troops, Ohio contributed 5,092. Of those, some became members of the Fifth United States Colored Troop, a unit that was organized at Camp Delaware, Ohio in 1862. To preserve the memory of that unit, a Civil War re-enactment group called Company G of the Fifth, was on tap for the proceedings. Bertram Floyd, presently employed at the NASA John Glenn Research Center, and several other re-enactors, appeared in authentic Civil War-era uniforms and presented information about the conditions faced by men of the United States Colored Troops. In addition to the presentation by members of Company G, Michael E. Crutcher, Sr., “…a devout scholar of Frederick Douglass…” who, looking very much like the real Frederick Douglass, recited from memory selections of Douglass’ writings and speeches, to include the following:
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Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters, U.S.; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship. Not only is Mr. Crutcher a retired veteran of the U.S. Army, he is a former assistant professor at the University of Kentucky’s Lexington Community College. The program began with the posting of the colors by Company G. A prayer was offered by Charles Lindsay (Retired Armed Forces Association, Branch I Chaplin). State Senator Charleta Tavares gave opening remarks followed by a panel discussion by James G. Browser, III, Sandra Capito Jamison and Reita Smith; descendants of civil war veterans. Closing remarks came from Columbus City Councilman Hearcel F. Craig, Sr. If events are not told and recorded, then those who lived and accomplished remarkable feats during those historic events will go unacknowledged and forgotten. Consequently, future generations will be deprived of knowing the full and accurate history of all Americans. The annual Black Veterans Day Salute does not forget. So let us remember.
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Photo courtesy of www.kidsafect.org
Photo courtesy of www.www.bgcstl.org
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Photo courtesy of www.quickbase.intuit.com
Mentoring is intellectual Studying is vital to one’s intellectual development. And studying history is crucial to one’s holistic development. Mentors offer various strategies for improving one’s studying techniques. These methods are used to provide effective decision-making, problem-solving and high-order thinking skills in ways that bring about social change, influence public policy, improve communities and make the world a better and healthier place to live. The West Indian political activist and educator, Hubert Henry Harrison, expressed this sentiment poignantly in When Africa Awakes “if we can master modern knowledge—the kind that counts—we will be able to win ourselves the priceless gifts of freedom and power, and we will be able to hold them against the world…If education be, as we assert, a training for life, it must of course have its roots in the past.” Mentoring is healthy Mentoring is not a novel concept. It has existed presumably since the first humans walked this earth. Hence, mentoring relationships have been etched in cultural norms and practices in ways that impart historical and contemporary knowledge to younger generations. These relationships were designed to improve the life chances of the youth while preserving salubrity as well as the life, legacy and traditions of those their senior. To this end, every aspect of life is used to bring about a prosperous and more efficient existence. And this includes tragedy. However, to stop there is to only look at the glass as half empty. Wise and skilled mentors who have a high aptitude and understanding of life events and tragedies assist mentees with seeing reality as it is and aiding in selecting appropriate ways to respond to such devastation. Tragedies are a natural part of life. Most tragedies can be prevented. A close and continued examination of the past reveals strategies for nearly every life predicament. The journey is not to be embarked on alone. Mentors walk side by side, shoulder to shoulder with their protégés, helping to overcome tragedy and celebrate triumph. Mentoring is based on action; there’s more showing than telling. Mentors can be life developers, life changers and lifesavers. To have a mentor is to have a gift—the gift of friendship. Cole wrote, “Be faithful to friends, keep their confidences, work for their good and enjoy their company. That means giving yourself and being willing to inconvenience yourself for them.” To experience the spiritual gift of friendship means that it is shared with others. In Philippians 2:4 it is written, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” One way to express this gift is through mentoring.
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