In celebration of this year’s Giving Tuesday on November 29, please give to A²MEND. Your generous contribution will help A²MEND continue its vital work of fostering institutional change within the California Community College system to increase the success of Black male students. You can contribute to A²MEND on Giving Tuesday by donating here.
In Memory: A²MEND Mentor Dr. Ned Doffoney
It is with profound sadness that A²MEND announces the recent passing of Dr. Ned Doffoney, a former mentor of the organization. Dr. Doffoney spent more than 40 years serving thousands of community college students, which include leadership roles at the North Orange County Community College District, Fresno City College, Saddleback College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles City College, and South Louisiana Community College.
Dr. Doffoney was one of the first mentors of A²MEND. He and his wife Leige opened their home to A²MEND more than a decade ago to hold one of the organization’s first mentoring sessions to discuss their paths as leaders in the California Community College system and becoming groundbreakers as Black educators in this movement. Dr. Doffoney also became a valuable resource for A²MEND by serving as an elder of the organization, participating in conference panels, and advising college administrators about the importance of Black male success in community colleges.
In honor of Dr. Doffoney’s memory and service to Fresno City College as its former president, a memorial scholarship will be set up by the college in his name.
Student Mentee Profile: Mike Young
A²MEND student mentee Mike Young has a clear vision of how he’ll use his college degree from San Francisco State University. As a college junior who is majoring in business with a concentration in finance, Young seeks to leverage his education to one day help increase economic growth to the same type of low-income communities where he was raised. “I’d like to work with folks on the business development side to help underserved communities see their economic potential,” he said. “I come from an underserved community in Vallejo. So this work is important to me.”
Young believes that A²MEND helped influenced him to achieve his educational goals. He first learned about the organization while a student at Solano Community College, where he was invited to an A²MEND hosted webinar. Enthralled by their work, “I’ve been involved with A²MEND ever since,” he said.
Young has participated in a number of A²MEND activities, from movie events to seminars, which have enabled him to network with other students. Young has also had opportunities to network with business professionals through A²MEND. During an A²MEND webinar that featured speakers from Deloitte, Young was able to invite them to speak at a biannual “Meet the Firms” event at San Francisco State University. “It was great having a Deloitte team there because they’re number one in the financial services field,” he said.
Young hopes that other Black college students throughout the state will learn about A²MEND so they can also benefit from their mentoring support and other valuable services. “A²MEND fills a gaping hole for men of color,” he said. “A²MEND shows Black men that there is a way through education to achieve a measure of success.”
Save-the-Date: A²MEND Annual Summit March 1-3
Join A²MEND as we bring together Black male college students and educators to help find innovative ways to increase the success of Black male students in California’s community college system. The summit’s theme, The Ausar Project: Resurrecting Black Male Success, will cultivate the importance of reestablishing Black male success in community colleges and in communities as a whole. To learn more about Ausar, please visit here. The summit will take place March 1-3 at the Hyatt Regency LAX in Los Angeles. To register, please visit here.
Also, A²MEND invites administrators, researchers, staff, faculty and nonprofit/community leaders to submit workshop proposals for the annual summit. Proposals will be judged on their relevance to the strands, content, quality, applicability and overall connection to issues affecting African American male students and how these strategies related to the conference theme. All proposals should include clearly stated student/participant learning outcomes addressing the salient information students/participants should leave with as a result of attending the session. All proposals must be postmarked by January 13, 2023 in order to be accepted for review and consideration.
For questions or assistance with the workshop proposals, please contact ExecU Connect at reg@execuconnect.org or you may call the Event Management Team at (213) 547-2233. All proposals must be submitted here: CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2023 (google.com)
A²MEND Financially Commits to Ghana Land Acquisition
During last month’s All African Diaspora Education Summit in Ghana, A²MEND’s executive board members made a financial commitment to acquiring 3.3 acres of land in the country. The parcel of land is nestled in the Kanka/Dutch Komenda District located in the Cape Coast region of Ghana. The organization plans to utilize the property to build the A²MEND Racial Trauma and Wellness Treatment Center to provide a healing space where African American students and educators can be themselves and affirm who they are in a safe environment.
A²MEND’s executive board members envision hosting conferences at the future treatment center to invite California Community College staff and faculty as well as other educators there to address how to better educate Black students in California. The treatment center will also welcome students and mentors visiting the country as part of A²MEND’s Africa Study Abroad Program. Additionally, the space will be used to host formerly incarcerated college students who have few societal options but can experience a level of freedom at the treatment center.
To support A²MEND in their endeavor to build this extraordinary treatment center, please add your name and contact information to the Capital Campaign for A²MEND’s Racial Trauma and Wellness Treatment Center by visiting here. A²MEND will remain in touch about how you and your network can help the organization materialize this dream on behalf of the futures of young Black men.