Courtesy Jordan Johnson
Jordan Johnson and the O.B.A.M.A Initiative II participants with Kermit Carolina.
A new mentoring program that bears the name of the first African-American president of the United States has wrapped up its first session of manhood training in the Elm City.
The O.B.A.M.A. Initiative II is the brainchild of Jordon Johnson, program assistant for the city’s Project Fresh Start re-entry program, who started the program to provide positive role models and culturally enriching opportunities for boys in the city. (Read here about the work Johnson does to help convicted felons with the pardon process.)
Johnson, who also is a senior sociology major at Southern Connecticut State University, said O.B.A.M.A., which stands for Outstanding, Brilliant, Ambitious, Merit, Attitude, said the idea was to help the boys from Celentano Biotech, Health, and Medical Magnet School connect with successful professional African American men who came from similar inner-city roots in the community.
Between 15 and 20 boys met every Thursday for four months to learn that “environment doesn’t determine character, and that the sky is the limit if you put your mind to it,” Johnson said. In addition to meeting successful men in the community, they visited college campuses like Southern’s to learn more about the opportunities they have in their own backyard, he said. (Read here about their visit to Southern’s campus.)They also participated in bonding and brotherhood activities and completed weekly reflection assignments.
The boys with Probate Judge Clifton Graves Jr.
Johnson said he wanted to open up opportunities for the boys to meet men who they could emulate as they navigate some of the pitfalls that kids growing up in New Haven can experience. He had those opportunities and he wanted to pay that forward.
One of the people who Johnson considers among those who had a hand in steering him in the right direction is his former boss, and now Probate Judge Clifton Graves Jr. Graves along with local doctors, attorneys, firefighters, educators, police officers, entrepreneurs, and politicians visited the students over the course of the program.
Johnson said the goal of the program is to influence and mentor the boys to go to college or pursue success in trade or entrepreneurship. The boys were encouraged to participate in “Manhood Monday” by wearing a button-up shirt, khaki pants, and a tie to look and act like the successful men Johnson hoped they were inspired to be.
“I’m trying to steer them in the right direction just like those who did the same for me,” he said.
Nice story, however the O.B.A.M.A Initiative was the brainchild of now Probate Judge Graves and was run in three schools. This program was begun in 2009 and ran until 2012 at Lincoln Bassett, Wexler Grant and Roberto Clemente. Judge Graves was instrumental in assisting Jordan Johnson also, however, O.B.A.M.A Inititave 2 is a continuation of a program that was started during the Obama administration, to inspire and motivate young boys of color. Kudos to Mr. Johnson.