Guides & Workshops

Being a teenager in school is hard enough. In addition to peer pressure to “fit in,” students face tremendous pressure from parents and teachers to do well and succeed. But for young black men, the challenges are even greater, as they are faced with teachers and school systems ill-equipped to help them manage the emotional impact and real-life repercussions of the unintentional biases and stereotypes they face daily.

This guide is designed to support productive conversations among young black men around Behind Every Promise, a half-hour video adapted from the documentary film American Promise, by Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster. With direct testimonials from Idris Brewster and Seun Summers, interwoven with scenes from the feature-length documentary, Behind Every Promise gives viewers intimate access to the perspectives of two young black men as they come of age in the American school system.

Young leaders, youth serving organizations, educators, guidance counselors and/or church leaders can use Behind Every Promise and this guide to inspire young black men to:

• Deepen understanding about implicit bias and stereotypes by relating personal experiences to shared systemic concerns
• Build peer social support and seek out other support systems that can contribute to academic success and emotional well-being
• Strengthen dialogue and agency around productively dealing with tough choices, hardship and stereotypes