Empowering Young Black Males: A Conversation with Vernon Smith

This Week in Black History, Society, and Culture

In this episode, Hettie V. Williams discusses empowering young Black males with Dr. Vernon Smith. Williams is an Associate Professor of African American History in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University and Smith is Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Counseling and Leadership. Smith teaches courses centered on social justice advocacy in educational counseling and has published several papers on the subject including in the Journal of Professional School Counseling, The Family Journal, and in the Journal of School Counseling. He is a passionate scholar and teacher interested in the issues concerning Black youth in the African Diaspora. Smith has worked to develop and create Empowering Young Black Males Leadership Mentoring Program that has serviced dozens of Black youth out of the Neptune High School by pairing these young men with Monmouth University students. This is the focus of our conversation today.