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“If you don’t get involved and understand and allow these two major groups of
people to be better educated about each other, these are the types of things you are going
to hear,” said Richardson.
Richardson is growing accustomed as well. When describing “Motivated Men”
the main goal, he said was “investing in African-American males” to help them become
better students. Because of the school’s shifting demographics, he said, the Motivated
Men are working for greater inclusion of Latino students as well.
The Motivated Men have an everyday presence on campus. They provide
mentoring, monitor classes and most recently developed a program called “Embodi,”
which offers specialized tutoring, mentoring and extracurricular activities for male
students (both black and Latino) showing low academic performance.
The group has only one Latino mentor. In a recent Tuesday night meeting, the
revised mission statement noted the need for Latino inclusion—a call for action that was
met with some hesitant and other enthusiastic “amens” in agreement. Though it may not
be easy, creating racial cohesion on campus, said Richardson, is part and parcel of
improving the culture at Dorsey and cultivating influential men in the community.
“I think it’s important for them to understand and respect each other and
understand, long after I’m done, they’re still probably going to be living and working
together,” said Richardson