By Sarah Cole | November 21, 2013
Fadhal Moore is a junior from Atlanta, GA, studying Government at Harvard College. In addition to co-directing the David Walker Scholars Program, he serves as vice-president of the Harvard Black Men’s Forum, sings with the Kuumba Singers, staffs Harvard Model Congress, and is a course assistant in the General Education Department.
JPI: Who is David Walker, and why is your mentorship program named after him?
Fadhal: David Walker was a black abolitionist in the early 19th century who is most famous for his work An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World. He advocated for the unification of the black community in America so that they may rise up and help themselves. These stances are essentially why the program was named after him. While DWS does teach its mentees that there are a plethora of structural inequities that inhibit young men of color from succeeding, we stress that there are also many steps that we can take to navigate this system and better ourselves and our communities.
JPI: What makes the David Walker Scholars Mentor Program different from all the other mentor programs on campus?
Fadhal: What differentiates DWS from other mentoring groups on campus is the makeup of the mentor and mentee bases. DWS is a program run by the Black Men’s Forum and utilizes a base of minority, male mentors to serve young African-American and Latino men. While not built upon a notion of self-segregation, the David Walker Scholars program does believe that for its purposes, the role model presented to our mentees is of great importance. Having role models who look like you and often have similar upbringings while still succeeding is pertinent because it brings that success into the realm of possibility.
We also focus on a curriculum of “real talk,” which is a life skills curriculum crafted specifically for young men of color. We cover topics such as public speaking, dealing with authority, diversity, sexuality, and the breaking down of events in America that have implications for us as a demographic (e.g. the shooting of Trayvon Martin).
JPI: Can you describe a moment that revealed to you the importance of the work of the DWS?
Fadhal: I was working with a student last year who showed me his grades on progress report day. The young man was doing okay, but his social studies grade stood out amongst the rest, as it was quite low. I asked him why he was having problems with this particular subject, and he pointed out to me that it was because of the lack of textbooks in the class. Because of the lack of textbooks, the teacher had to print out copies of the pages to distribute that often were not of very high quality. The young man did not have the best vision and had trouble reading the copied pages, which greatly inhibited his understanding of the material.
I talked with him about how a lack of textbooks is unfortunately a problem in many places and ways that he could get around it. I realized that our work was important because had he been born into a different family 15 minutes down the road, he’d be in a different school with extra textbooks and a good pair of glasses. I also realized that had I been born next door, I would not be perched upon my ivy tower gazing upon the countless friends I feel like I left behind. I’m only in this position because I’m standing on someone else’s shoulders, and I believe that’s worth being shoulders for someone else. Even if that someone else is only one middle school student.
To that end, I developed a curriculum on perseverance for the entire group, as I realized that the boys we serve, through no fault of their own, need more of it. That being said, I hope that they will be stronger because of this need to persevere. Though their (our) starting line may have unjustly been placed behind those of others, together we’ll run this race faster than all who dare to be complacent.
JPI: What other needs or problems in the communities you serve through DWS have you observed through your work?
Fadhal: DWS has worked in both Roxbury and Cambridge. In both locations, we have seen that, in addition to a cornucopia of other possible improvements to schools, young people need to be introduced to practical skills that they are not taught in the classroom. This of course includes things like personal finance, applying to college and scholarships, and creating a resume. However, we also believe that youth need to be given the tools to see the world for what it is, whether that be through discussions on cultural arbitration, current events, or gender and sexuality.
JPI: How can students on campus get involved with the David Walker Scholars Program?
Fadhal: DWS is staffed by African-American and Latino males on campus interested in youth work. If you are interested, please contact us at harvardbmf@gmail.com! Applications to DWS are accepted on a rolling basis, and we would love to have you!
Journal for Public Interest 