Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamal Minor.
Hi Jamal, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My name is Jamal Minor and I’m from Dallas, Texas. I’m a first-generation college graduate and I completed my BA in Radio, Television, and Film at Howard University in Washington, DC. In 2012, I was approached by a young lady who was present at an event I curated along with the Young Dreamers Movement titled “Dream Day.” Dream Day was an educational event for Howard University Homecoming to help other colleagues not only learn from successful celebrities, educators, activists, and more but for students also actually find the courage to dream the impossible dream again. In our conversation, she made it very clear how much I inspired her and mentioned that I should change career paths because I was needed for youth all over the world. She introduced me to TFA (Teach for America) Americorp Program and the rest was history. Although I quit attending Howard for two years to work for Bad Boy Records (a dream come true), I remember God also speaking to me in New York about my impact being greater. I decided to quit my dream of working full-time with Diddy “Puff Daddy” and instead help inner-city youth just like myself believe they can achieve their wildest dreams as well. 9 years later, everything has come full circle. I graduated with Puff in May 2014 at the same time and we finally were able to have a brief conversation thanks to his sister Keisha who was my direct manager while at Bad Boy. It was at that moment that I knew that I had finished what I thought I was supposed to do and it was time to finally trust the process of God wanting something totally different for my life. I started my journey in education in southside Chicago where I taught 3rd Grade Math in summer school. TFA then placed me in the Miami cohort where I taught 3rd Grade ELA. I was then asked to travel back to DC to teach 3rd, 4th & 6th Grade ELA where I also won Teacher of the Year. In 2019, I was promoted to be a Dean of Students in New York for Uncommon Charter Schools, and since then lead the highest scores in 5th and 7th Grade English Language Arts on the state assessment in Dallas Independent School District. Almost 10 years later, I can truly hear the young lady who I originally inspired at “Dream Day” in the voices of children all over the world, and I’m forever changed. I’ve finally realized it was me who was the one who was truly inspired, and every day I take a serious commitment to making sure that children who come from low-income families, zip codes, and lack resources get the exposure needed to thrive will be seen by someone that looks just like them, who can relate and someone who will model for them how to get there. Gen Z has unlimited potential and Molding Our Minors will unleash their innate ability to be changemakers by building grit, confidence, leadership, empathy, and accountability.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been extremely challenging, but I’ve also learned that it comes with the territory when following your purpose and calling. Nobody said the road would be easy, but I would always reflect on the faces of my children to see if it was worth it. I’ve shed so many tears driving to and from work and even on lunch asking God why would he put me through this lesson. It’s hard to watch a system fail our black and brown children, especially when you look just like them and come from the same or similar upbringings. The hardest part in following your purpose is being consistent and obedient even when nothing around you makes sense.
Struggles I’ve endured: I’ve been fired and rehired, lied to, and misunderstood because there are not enough black men in education who are in schools leading the charge. It’s a struggle watching adults play politics and not put the best quality materials and resources in front of children but expect them to achieve at a high level. I began to challenge the system and that’s when you’re not being compliant in education. Education shouldn’t feel like because I don’t have a leadership role my voice doesn’t matter. I struggled with finding my voice as a school leader and teacher because of the lack of emotional support and development in schools for teachers and leaders who truly want it. I’ve learned that when people don’t want to see you shine, but God tells you to do it anyway, that’s when they try to dim your light and make it difficult for you. I find that disheartening when you’re impacting children. I believe God sent me into education to face so many of the challenges to create Molding Our Minors. I was able to have major success in all schools I’ve taught and led, but it came with so much fight.
I think the biggest struggle I had was also not being able to be transparent and honest in our work. Times are changing and the more we are muted and told we can’t address or discuss; we allow our children to be misguided. I hope whoever reads this is encouraged to speak their truth and not let a title or role affect the important work that is necessary in bridging the academic and social gaps identified in inner cities. I’m from Oak, Cliff and there are so many beautiful things about being raised in underserved communities. Although we didn’t have the resources, we had the talent, academic ability, and drive to want more because sometimes all we could do is a dream. I’m still dreaming at 32 and I’m now back in Oak Cliff making sure other students in Dallas have access to more by exposing them too earlier. I can only imagine how successful I could have been if someone believe in me as much.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Molding Our Minors’ Literacy and Leadership Youth Program?
Molding Our Minors offers youth between the ages of 8-13, in grades 3-8 an opportunity to have their own private tutor that caters to their personalized academic and social needs. We offer both in-person and virtual tutoring in English Language Arts. Although Brown vs. Board of Education was to end the legalized racial segregation in schools, children in underserved communities have been disproportionately disadvantaged to their peers due to the lack of resources provided in their homes and schools. Molding Our Minors Literacy and Leadership Youth Program was founded on the principle that every MINOR deserves access to quality education regardless of race, zip code, or socio-economic background.
The pandemic has shown us that families need more support in their personal lives and we’re here to aid the individual parents and child’s learning needs! Due to the fast-changing demands of society and the high expectations of the 21st-century student (Gen Z) to be critical thinkers, we were pushed to purpose in building a program to increase their cognitive development, enhance interpersonal skills, and build confidence while renewing a love for learning both academically and socially.
Our target audience is underserved families and students ages 8-13, in grades 3-8.
The pandemic has deepened the impact of disparities in access and opportunity facing many students and has disproportionately widened the achievement and social gap amongst inner-city children. After years of research and witnessing the problem children are facing across the globe, we began to create a solution that will kill the widespread “mold” by shaping and molding students’ future one major resource at a time.
Molding Our Minors’ mission is to bridge the social and academic achievement gaps identified in inner-city communities by providing educational consulting for schools, private one-on-one literacy tutoring, and mentorship opportunities for Gen Z through leadership programming, community service, and activism.
Vision
We aspire to spark a mindset shift across all generations by bringing awareness to various academic and social disparities that hinder Black and Brown communities from owning the power of sustainable health and wealth. By providing educational opportunities to underserved youth, we hope to ignite their innate ability to courageously mold the minors of the next generation by changing the status quo.
Studies show that reading skills developed in 3rd -8th grades predict future academic and career success. Reading skills, written expression, confidence in reading new material, and achievement develop as children build their learning skills and develop self-esteem and confidence.
Our innovative cognitive learning approach to tutoring focuses on strengthening the student’s critical thinking skills and lifting their cognitive development through strategy and execution. Our individualized tutoring service follows a traditional model of one-on-one, direct subject instruction which scaffolds and complements daily classroom instruction. We customize our approach based on each student’s unique background and learning profile.
Raising kids is tough enough already, but when you consider the advancement of technology and the ever-so-fast-changing trends of social media, parents, and educators around the world have to create an even stronger village to maintain a united front in what our minors should and should not have access to. We want our children to be safe, happy, and healthy and to use their time to develop their innate talent and capabilities and build confidence and character to be respectful and upstanding citizens of the world. Molding Our Minors meet 3 times a month to offer our students: Community Service, Youth Development Courses, and Social Activities.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is defined by our perception of expectations in our everyday lives. I measure success by whether or not my life is pleasing to God and my true calling on earth. Some days my spirit is perfectly aligned with the physical and success comes easy. Those days when I’m in my head and worried about what society thinks or if I’m living to their wants and needs are when I fail. I always get back up because failure to me is just a lesson and redirection to your true destination. As long as I’m here, I’ll do what I’m supposed to do and I’ll always do it well. Minor is Major.
Pricing:
- Everyone can book a free 30-min consultation on the website!
- We have monthly plans and session-by-session payment options as well.
- $45 hour – 60 min personalized instruction and tutoring
- $250 a month for 5 sessions, 3 mentor sessions, and swag bag included
Contact Info:
- Website: Moldingourminors.com
- Instagram: @jamalminorofficial and @moldingourminors
- Facebook: Facebook.com/MoldingOurMinors
- Twitter: twitter.com/MoldingMinors
