Young Men United participant Kenneth shares the impact the program has had on his life–and those of his family and friends.
I’d like to start by talking about an interview I had back in February. I was asked a bunch of questions pertaining to the state of young black men in Baltimore and there was one question that stuck with me: “How do you feel about the suicide rate of young black men?” I responded with I believe in it, especially in a city like Baltimore. When all young black men have ever known is suffering, and the only thing in front of them, as far as they can see is more suffering, why would they continue going? Especially at an age where they haven’t lived long enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. At an age where they haven’t had enough time to uplift themselves from this suffering.They’re losing their loved ones, they’ve grown up in poverty, they don’t have any positive role models, and on top of all that, they aren’t equipped with the knowledge of how to make good choices because decision making is a skill you develop.
I followed by saying “But that’s why I’m grateful that Young Men United exists because for these young men in suffering, they offer the guidance needed to find the light at the end of the tunnel. In addition, they offer the strength to overcome challenges, the knowledge of what we don’t know, and the courage to try what we otherwise would have thought impossible.
Young Men United hasn’t just been a mentorship program for me; it’s been my network, it’s been my hope, and family.
My time with Young Men United started back in October, and it wasn’t pleasant. They had us outside doing football drills, but my foot was sprained, so I had to sit and watch. They also stole me from the advisory I planned on doing, which was the Patterson production team. However, as those weekly, Wednesday advisories started to come, I fell in love with the program. They provide us with a plethora of resources and connections.
We met Senator Cory McCray who came to talk to us and answer any questions we had, which I had a lot of. So many, they had to tell me to chill out for a second. But, it was a pleasant experience, and afterward, he offered each of us a copy of his book: The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life.
Up until this point, I hated reading. But this book was so inspiring, I had to read another one. Fast forward to today, reading is now a hobby I enjoy, rather than an activity I hate. All thanks to Senator McCray who I met through Young Men United.
Another man I’ve connected with through Young Men United is a former NFL player, now Vice president and community manager for JP Morgan Chase: Joel Gamble. – that was a mouth full – He came and educated me and my peers on financial literacy and its importance. Since then, I went on to invest $450 of my own money into a roth ira, retirement account, which I know isn’t a lot right now, but I’ll continue to grow it because of the financial literacy I learned from Mr. Gamble. I would have never had this opportunity to build a financial foundation if not for Young Men United.
And that’s one of the best parts of the program; they not only offer us the knowledge and opportunities to further our development in what we do know, but also what we don’t.
Young Men United hosted a career fair on December 4th, where I was able to talk to a bunch of different people in careers with jobs titles I’ve never heard of. Now, yes, I do still want to be an engineer, but I’m appreciative of knowing what’s out there and learning about what I don’t know.
An analogy I like to use is one where you’re in a barren desert. You’re looking forward and either nothing, or what you’ve always known in front of you, as far as you can see, which doesn’t have to be a bad thing if you had the wisdom or guidance to look in another direction–to see the possibilities, but often times, us young black men continue to look forward because that’s all we know is to look forward.
However, Young Men United has given us the chance to look another direction, and along with that chance, the guidance we need to make something of it.
Now, this pivot is different for everyone, but for me, that pivot was not setting myself short. Young Men United helped me gain the confidence to be sure of myself and what I want to achieve in life through the various mentors and learning opportunities that they offer.
My aunt passed away February 1st, 2026. She was shot in the head by her girlfriend in Cincinnati and her name was Diamond Rice, and because of Young Men United, I know it’s possible for me to one day start a scholarship foundation in her name, continuing her legacy. She was big on college and was the one who convinced me to go. I got accepted into UMD – College Park on January 30th, 2026. Of course, she was one of the first people I told and we talked for about an hour, discussing next steps. But she died 2 days later. She didn’t get to live long enough for me to tell her about the full ride I got to the school, but I know she would be proud.
In addition to that, I’m a brother to 3 beautiful younger sisters. Because of Young Men United, I know it’s possible to one day start trust funds for them. I want to show them that despite all we’ve been through, it’s possible for us to be happy and successful. None of our dads are in our lives, back in 2019 we were homeless and had to stay in a homeless shelter, and for most of our lives, we grew up without money. But despite all of that, it’s my job as their older brother to show them the path to happiness.
I also want to come back and start a community based organization of my own, much like Young Men United. I want one of my focuses to be mental health since I myself have struggled with that for a long time growing up–especially in middle school.
Finally, I just want to be a better man tomorrow than I am today, and Young Men United has provided me with the knowledge and guidance to make that possible.
My promise to Young Men United is to continue growing as a person, continue being a leader to change the stereotypes on young black men, continue to put forth my best effort, and most importantly, continue the cycle of bettering young men after me.
I can start fulfilling those promises by finishing my final days of high school strong, continue investing to build up my wealth for my ambitious goals, continue learning of the things I don’t know and building on the things I do, while having the courage to try the things I don’t without a fear of failure, continue to be a role model to my peers and siblings, and lastly, convince you all of how important Young Men United has been, is now, and will continue to be for me and my peers and the next group of Young Men who’ll follow after us. If my story alone isn’t enough to convince you of that already, I’d like to highlight some of my peers.
Christopher is an incoming, D1 athlete at Towson University who I can confidently say is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. He’s smart and wise and has a work ethic that rivals my own.
Keon is an incoming freshman at Morgan State, where he has a full ride and is pursuing engineering like me. I plan to collaborate with him once we’re both industry professionals because he’s just that reliable.
Wesley is one of the best baseball players in Baltimore City. He’s pursuing apprenticeships in HVAC trades. There isn’t a doubt in my mind he’ll succeed.
Samuel is practically a brother of mine, who’s attending the University of the District of Columbia, where he’ll go on to do great things because of the charisma he possesses.
I could be here all night, naming one young man after another, but the thing we all have in common, besides being young black men, is having Young Men United in our corner. Proving the program doesn’t just produce A successful young black man, but a brotherhood of them who are determined, ambitious, and courageous. For ourselves and for the next generation after us.
