With funding from the City of Tacoma, the Alpha Forum is a group mentoring program co-hosted by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity of Tacoma. It is primarily for young men aged 10-15 who identify as African American, though all are welcome. Alpha Forum provides a safe place for young people to share their thoughts about current events and freely explore ideas with BIPOC leaders.
Representation Matters: If He Can See It, He Can Be It
Tacoma has faced challenges related to youth violence, including gang involvement and substance abuse, highlighting the need for mentoring relationships. In response to these issues, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound have been working diligently with the Alpha Phi Alpha Chapter of Tacoma with funding from The City of Tacoma. The Alphas are known as the first national intercollegiate historically African American fraternity and have a strong national partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Together, we are implementing responsive and supportive programs, and the Alpha Forum is proud to be an on-going effort that the local chapter in Tacoma has committed to co-leading.
Alpha Forum offers monthly themed sessions featuring African American men’s stories of success and lessons learned along the pathway. It creates excitement among youth participants with diverse topics related to common concerns, including current events, school success, and career pathways. African American men from professional fields are recruited to speak about their expertise and experiences. The youth participants develop skills including personal efficacy, public speaking, self-advocacy, character and values, rights within the justice system, networking, financial wellness, STEM, and career exploration.
Learning From Mentors Helps Prevent Violence In Communities
“When you have someone through this Big Brothers Big Sisters program, I know Will (the mentor), he understands what’s going on and breaks down barriers with these kids. Preventing them from continuing down a bad path that they are gonna regret one day” – Officer Gordon Stark.
We know from evidence that mentoring has a positive connection to balancing risk factors for young people and reducing the incidence of youth violence. By providing culturally responsive programming through monthly group sessions, this program fosters the development of prosocial attitudes and behavior. It builds connections between youth and successful, reflective community members, and encourages young people to set and achieve goals.
Doing The Thing: Embracing Cultures and Developing Personal Accountability
Little Brother Ja’kai and Big Brother Ross have been matched for more than two years and hit it off right from the beginning. They have been through ups and downs, and Ross has become an empathetic brother, accompanying Ja’kai in many aspects of his life.
“He is like my actual brother, he has my back, he is just really fun, funny. He is serious too, he has to be straight up if I am doing something wrong, or bad, and he called me out for it. I like that because I need to learn from it.” – Ja’kai, Little Brother.
Ross and Ja’kai regularly attend Alpha Forum, and Ross has always been a Big Brother who is willing to be there for Ja’kai as he goes through the difficulties of being a teenager in middle school. Our Big Brother dedicatedly supports his Little Brother by giving him the opportunity to explore himself and express his feelings.
What’s truly impressive about this match is Ross’s strong desire to support both Ja’kai and his mom, ensuring he receives the guidance he needs. Ja’kai’s mom is also grateful for the program and the support that Big Brothers Big Sisters and Ross have provided her son. This match is remarkable, as Big Brother is helping Little Brother become the best version of himself.
“I have seen him mature into a young man, which is so rewarding. We go to Alpha Forum once a month, and we connect with other mentors and kids who are all like-minded and also facing the challenges of life, and we learn practical skills. That’s something that everyone needs.” – Ross, Big Brother.
With 200+ youth on our waiting list for mentors—primarily boys and young men of color—it’s a game changer to have this vehicle to immediately connect them with our strongest community leaders. We are proud to continuously express our collaboration and mission to connect African American young men with mentors who resemble them in racial identity, culture, and life experience. We are committed to providing monthly opportunities for African American young men to interact with and learn from BIPOC community leaders via the Alpha Forum before and after they are matched with a mentor. Lastly, we connect youth and families with additional resources and take steps toward a positive future.
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