Young men involved in the Young Men of Color program, part of Chicago Scholars.
Due to systemic discrimination and attacks on affirmative action, over the past few years college enrollment for Black men has dropped by 14.8%, and Latino men's enrollment decreased by 10.3% in the United States. The Chicago Scholars, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering opportunity, is working to combat these decreases in enrollment with their newly launched program, Young Men of Color. With this initiative, Chicago Scholars is committed to increasing the young men of color served by their college access programs, and enriching their lives.
Chicago is a city full of talent and leadership. But too often Chicago’s young people don’t have the resources and opportunities to go to college, graduate, and fulfill their potential as leaders. Since 1996, Chicago Scholars has built a legacy of success by investing in youth and amplifying their leadership. The scholars are high-achieving, first-generation college students, students from low-income communities, and, according to Managing Director of Strategic Engagement at Chicago Scholars Derrick Fleming, “they have the talent, heart, and big dreams to become our next generation of leaders and transform our city.”
Derrick Fleming Jr., Managing Director of Strategic Engagement, Chicago Scholars.
Fleming recently collaborated with colleagues at Chicago Scholars to a launched new set of Young Men of Color Initiatives and a new Young Men of Color Scholars Program through the power of partnerships. He has worked to raise over $500,000 to fund these initiatives and the new program for the next 2 years. Raised on the Southside of Chicago, Fleming witnessed many things that could have persuaded him to choose a different path in life. However, he wanted to join Chicago Scholars to lead work that allows him to do the work he loves, including coaching organizations, teams, and individuals to achieve goals, developing root cause solutions to some of the systemic issues in both Chicago and the nation overall, and creating innovative programs, curricula, and revenue generation that allow “youth and adults serving youth to be a kid again and discover their own unique superpowers, gifts, and talents.” Fleming is focused on ensuring that “all youth (their families & communities), but especially youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, have a fair, inclusive, and equitable chance at a successful life.” He added, “My passion for this work is important to me because it speaks to my heartbeat and drive for serving youth, their families, and our communities, while fighting for social and systemic change.”
At its core, the work of Chicago Scholars is about economic mobility, leadership development, and belonging. It’s about making sure the scholars have everything they need to make the “journey from Chicago’s neighborhoods and classrooms to Chicago’s boardrooms—or to wherever their dreams may lead.” The organization’s vision is a vibrant Chicago powered by diverse leaders from every neighborhood. According to Fleming, “Our mission is that we uniquely select, train, and mentor academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders who will transform their neighborhoods and our city.” As part of this mission Chicago Scholars focuses on three major areas: college access, colleges success, and career and leadership development.
Chicago Scholars — through its various initiatives — has shaped the lives of more than 5000 youth leaders in the city. Of these individuals 98% matriculate to college immediately following high school graduation and 78% graduate from college in six years or less. Chicago Scholars, which serves students from 77 Chicago communities, assists a population that is 93% students of color, 82% first generation students, and 90% low-income students. As Fleming shared, “We believe that your zip code should not determine your life outcome. We believe that education is social justice. We believe that talent is evenly distributed in our city, but opportunity is not. We believe the way to transform our city is by investing directly in our young people and their leadership.”
The organization’s newest program — Young Men of Color — focuses on young men who often experience higher disengagement rates than other racial and gender groups. For example, 30% of Black men and 13% of Latinx men ages 16-24 are out of school and out of work, compared to 7% of White men peers. Exacerbating this challenge, according to Fleming, is the fact that “when you overlay where resources are allocated [in the city], a demonstrable gap is evident.”
Malcolm Fox, a student Chicago Scholars.
Malcolm Fox became involved with Chicago Scholars during his junior year of high school. Through support from the organization, he graduated from Howard University in 2021, and secured his “dream job” as an operations associate at the McDonald’s Corporation. “I am a person who is heavily involved in the community, so joining a company that not only supports that but has similar goals to consistently make our world a better place is extremely exciting,” Fox shared.
According to Fleming, “Chicago Scholars helped Malcolm get his foot in the door [for the McDonald’s position], but it was his hard work and drive that ultimately led him to launch his career.” Even though Fox has moved to Denver for his career, he is still active in the Chicago community. In the fall of 2021, for example, he raised $20,000 for the new STEM program at Chicago public school — Wendell Phillips Academy High School. Participation in Chicago Scholars has lead to a life of learning, giving, and success for Fox as well as thousands of other young people.
