COMMUNITY Lawson: What has been your greatest accomplishment as a mentor to African American students? Ayers: My greatest accomplishment as a mentor has been to see [students] wanting to keep in touch with me. They are 20 to 40-year-old men now with great families, good jobs, and a respect for God in their lives. There is nothing like knowing that you have helped to mold and impact their lives. They take time to call me and acknowledge the impact I’ve had on them, and they are like sons to me and I am received as their second father. Lawson: When mentoring African American students, do you interact with their families? If so, how? Ayers: I have always had a good relationship with the mentees’ families because I respect them as parents or guardians and don’t try to take their place. I have made some really great new friends and have become a part of my mentees’ extended family. I have attended numerous graduations, birthday parties, and football games with family members. Lawson: Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share? Ayers: In conclusion, I must say that being a mentor for young African American males for over 40 years, at three different high schools and through my fraternity’s mentoring program, has been a labor of love. I must also say that we need more positive, responsible and dedicated men to be mentors. Gary Lawson is a freelance writer who focuses on various aspects of public affairs. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Central State University. He is also a Vietnam-era veteran that served in the United States Army as a Commissioned Officer. His work experience includes various administrative and management positions in the public and private sectors to include serving as the former Director of the Iowa Commission on the Status of African Americans and a member of the Human Rights Council within the Iowa Department Email: hiringmadeeasley@gmail.com or text: 309.550.3415 of Human Rights. He is the recipient of numerous national, state, and local awards to include induction into the Iowa African American Hall of Fame. Since the 2000 national election cycle, Gary has donated his time conducting public affairs interviews that include decision-makers and policy makers on the national, state, and local levels to enrich Iowa’s minority community with information that will better inform. ALL APRIL LOGOS $200 April 2019 The URBAN EXPERIENCE 25
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