The Power of Men Showing Up to Mentor | The Men of Born2BeAMan
By Lana Reid | September 16, 2026
Publication Information
| Interviewee | Born2BeAMan |
|---|---|
| Interviewer | Lana Reid |
| Collection | The Male Perspective: Black Men Matter Oral History Collection |
| Interview No. | 232 |
| Publisher | Conversations in Color |
| Rights Holder | Conversations in Color (501(c)(3)) |
| Original Format | Recorded Video Interview |
| Language | English |
| Original Air Date | September 16, 2026 |
| Publication Date | September 2026 |
| Location | Virtual Interview |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22801288 |
As part of the Black Men Matter Series, Lana Reid sits down with the men of Born2BeAMan Mentoring Program: Russell Harrison Sr., Founder & President; Derrick โDEEโ Feaster, Events and Activities Coordinator; Jamil Hamza, Program Counselor; and Ja’Vonte Holloman, Fitness and Wellness Coach/Youth Spiritual Counselor. Harrison shares how nearly three decades of working with young people, beginning with his own nieces, nephews, children, and their friends, eventually led him to establish Born2BeAMan. Together, the men explore what it means to consistently show up for Black boys with love, discipline, guidance, and support while adapting mentorship to the realities of a generation growing up in a very different world than the generations before them.
In this episode of The Male Perspective, the men of Born2BeAMan demonstrate that mentorship is about far more than giving young people advice. It requires presence, consistency, listening, and a willingness to invest in their lives over time.
Russell Harrison Sr. traces the roots of his mentoring work back nearly three decades, when he became the uncle whose nieces, nephews, and eventually his own children’s friends wanted to be around. Those early experiences showed him that young people responded not only to fun and attention, but also to structure, discipline, and love. Years later, that understanding became the foundation for Born2BeAMan.
One of the central themes of the discussion is the need for adults to understand the world boys are actually growing up in rather than continually measuring them against previous generations. The men discuss generational differences, technology, individuality, and why mentorship cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Harrison also reflects on how mentoring younger generations has changed him. As a father of seven, he acknowledges that he once parented largely according to how he had been raised, but his children and the young men around him taught him the importance of adapting, talking, and listening.
That willingness to listen is paired with a deliberate expression of love. Born2BeAMan begins working with boys as young as five, and Harrison explains why telling young Black boys that they are loved is one of the program’s core practices. The men do not simply want the boys to hear those words; they want them to experience that love through consistent actions and presence.
Born2BeAMan operates throughout the year, with weekly mentoring meetings covering life skills, conflict resolution, mental health, affirmations, tutoring, and academic support. But the men’s involvement does not stop when a meeting ends. They attend games and performances, assist when problems arise at school, remain available to families, and work to become reliable adults the boys know they can call upon.
The program also intentionally broadens what young men get to experience. Participants travel, visit college campuses, attend professional and college sporting events, participate in community service, learn practical automotive skills, and take part in outdoor experiences that teach everything from cooking and fishing to boating. These activities expose boys to environments, skills, careers, and possibilities they may not otherwise encounter.
But perhaps one of the most powerful parts of the Born2BeAMan story is what happens when mentorship begins to reproduce itself.
Ja’Vonte entered Born2BeAMan as a mentee after his grandmother found the program. After graduating from high school, he was invited to remain with the organization in a new capacity as a junior mentor. He describes himself as still occupying a space between the young people and the adults, learning how much work happens behind the scenes while beginning to help guide boys coming behind him.
Derrick and Jamil similarly discuss the balance that comes with being younger mentors. Their ages can make them relatable to the boys, but that closeness also comes with responsibility. They must navigate the line between being someone the young men can connect with and being the mentor or โbig brotherโ who sometimes has to provide correction and guidance.
Mentorship has also required the men to examine themselves. They discuss humility, emotional expression, learning from different perspectives, and recognizing that becoming a mentor does not mean having everything figured out. Jamil shares how journaling helped him develop language for emotions he once struggled to express, while the men emphasize that mentors themselves must remain open to learning and growth.
Fatherhood becomes another important part of this intergenerational exchange. Harrison discusses what his children and mentees have taught him about becoming a better listener and father. He also encourages men who may not have had strong examples of fatherhood themselves to seek guidance rather than believing they must automatically know how to parent. Experience can be passed forward so the next man does not have to repeat every mistake for himself.
And that idea of paying it forward may best capture the larger purpose of Born2BeAMan.
Harrison spent years carrying much of the program himself. Today, he can look around and see younger men standing beside him, showing up for the boys, accepting responsibility, and developing their own approaches to mentorship. He describes being proud not simply of what Derrick, Jamil, and Ja’Vonte do within the program, but of the men they are becoming and the love and care they demonstrate toward others.
After years of largely doing the work alone, Harrison now has a team that is present and dependable. In turn, those men are learning early that what has been poured into them carries a responsibility to pour into somebody else.
That is the power of men showing up to mentor: one generation of men investing in another, who then become the men willing to reach back for the generation coming behind them.
About Born2BeAMan Mentoring Program
Born2BeAMan Mentoring Program works with boys and young men through year-round mentorship focused on personal development, education, emotional wellness, life skills, community involvement, and exposure to new experiences. The program combines structured mentoring with consistent involvement in the everyday lives of its participants, creating relationships designed to support young men as they grow.
The organization also emphasizes that mentoring requires genuine commitment. As the men explain during the interview, young people need time, attention, and love, and anyone stepping into a mentoring role should understand that responsibility before making the commitment.
About the Guests
Russell Harrison Sr. is the Founder & President of Born2BeAMan Mentoring Program and has worked with young people for nearly three decades.
Derrick โDEEโ Feaster serves as Events and Activities Coordinator, helping create experiences and opportunities for the young men participating in the program.
Jamil Hamza serves as Program Counselor and works directly with young men as they navigate personal growth, emotional development, and the challenges of growing up.
Ja’Vonte Holloman serves as Fitness and Wellness Coach/Youth Spiritual Counselor. A former Born2BeAMan mentee, he represents the program’s intergenerational model by transitioning from receiving mentorship to helping provide it to others.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป:
https://b2bammp.org/
https://www.facebook.com/born.harrison.5
https://www.instagram.com/born2beaman
https://www.tiktok.com/@born2beaman__2017_7
About the Series
This episode is part of the Black Men Matter Series, highlighting the voices and lived experiences of Black men across professions, communities, backgrounds, and generations while creating space for them to tell their stories in their own words.
About the Host & Organization
The Male Perspective is hosted by Lana Reid, founder of Conversations in Color, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) grassroots organization dedicated to providing uplifting and community-building spaces of dialogue for Black voices.
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