Center for Black Male Youth Leadership
A 4-Year Leadership Journey Rooted in Identity, Research, and Liberation
Launching Fall 2026 in Wilmington and Dover, Delaware, the Melanated Masterminds Center for Black Male Youth Leadership is a revolutionary, cohort-based leadership program designed to cultivate a new generation of culturally grounded, globally conscious Black male leaders.
We believe that Black boys deserve more than preparation—they deserve transformation.
What We Offer
Beginning with our inaugural cohort of 30 ninth-grade Black males in Fall 2026, our Center guides students through a four-year journey of:
Participatory Action Research (PAR): Students investigate real-world issues affecting their lives and communities—and design solutions rooted in justice and truth.
Leadership Coaching: By Year 3, students become certified peer coaches, trained to support and guide others using the Messy Roots Coaching Framework.
Global Citizenship: Each cohort concludes with an international immersion trip to an African nation, connecting Black youth to their roots and the global Black diaspora.
Cultural Identity Development: Through Afrocentric teachings, rituals, and storytelling, students reclaim their history, voice, and purpose.
Rites of Passage: Annual milestones mark the personal, academic, and spiritual growth of each scholar through ceremony and celebration.
Melanated Masterminds
Reclaiming Identity. Researching Truth. Leading with Purpose.
We Ground Our Approach in:
The Africana Studies Framework (Carr)
Gholdy Muhammad’s HILL Model (Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, Joy)
Messy Roots Coaching & Social Impact Leadership
This program is not just about learning—it’s about remembering, healing, and building.
Schedule
One weekend convening per month (Saturday–Sunday)
Summer intensives and international travel
Scholars are compensated for pre-work and participation
Our First Cohort
We will welcome our first 30 ninth-grade scholars in Fall 2026. Applications open in early 2026.
If you’re raising, teaching, mentoring, or are a young Black male seeking to lead, heal, and transform—we invite you to join the village.
Grow Your Own Leaders
We support schools, organizations, and communities in Developing Grow-Your-Own Programs rooted in an African-centered foundation that cultivates the next generation of educators and leaders.
Social Impact Leadership Coaching
We support leaders in this work—partner with our coaches to help you, your team, and your organization to CREATE and BUILD equitable systems that will lead to liberatory outcomes for our communities. Inquire about our coaching packages.
Youth Community Leadership Fellowship
The Youth Community Leadership Fellowship (YCLF) is a 4-year leadership and social impact program for Black college students attending HBCUs or PWIs in Delaware. Rooted in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), the fellowship equips students with the tools to lead change in their communities while deepening their identity, critical thinking, communication, and global awareness.