Shelton Smith
The Effective Empowerment of Healthy Mentorships
Making A Difference in a World of Indifference with African American Male Youths
Happy Wednesday, Golden Divas!!!
Club Fifty has a Divo in the house!
Ladies, you know how much I love to switch things up at the club. Now and then, I want to bring a man amongst us Divas, especially one who is paying it forward with our African-American male youth in the role of a mentor.
Do you remember the saying, behind every great man, there’s a great woman? This idiom is defined as an expression that the woman in question is usually the wife or mother, with the observation being that no man gets to be “great” unless some woman was somewhere and had a hand in his success.
This may be true, to a certain extent, especially in some two-parent households. However, if we’re honest, most single women thought they could not teach their sons to be men? Only men could do that.
Well, before we even get to the man being great, he was a boy in need of some guidance to get him to be good, that’s where a good mentor comes in, to aid and guide, to help navigate his path.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the African proverb, “It takes a village” to raise a child, where the entire community of people must interact with children so that they can grow in a safe and healthy environment? This proverbs rings true even today.
Golden Divas, the Divo in this interview, is part of that special village; he helps to mentor our sons to be great by making strides to see our young African-American boys grow into their manhood of success.
His great works led us to our magnetic topic for this Golden Divo Interview. ‘The Effective Empowerment of Healthy Mentorships: Making A Difference in a World of Indifference with African American Youths!’
However, before we delve into this spectacular interview, let’s look at how mentoring came about, what mentoring means, and why so many good men choose to devote themselves to mentoring a child.
It is widely cited that the concept of mentoring originated with the character of Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey. In this Ancient Greek epic poem, dating back around 3000 years, Odysseus entrusts his young son Telemachus to the care of Mentor, his trusted companion, when he goes to fight in the Trojan War.
Mentoring means enduring; it is defined as a sustained relationship between a youth and an adult. Through continued involvement, the adult offers support, guidance, and assistance as the younger person goes through a difficult period, faces new challenges or works to correct earlier problems. In particular, where parents are either unavailable or unable to provide trustworthy guidance for their children, mentors can play a critical role.
Just like the characters in Homer’s Odyssey, it takes a special kind of man to want to aid a youth on his journey to becoming a man, and it takes 4 phases, such as preparation, negotiating, enabling growth, and closure, to get him there. These sequential phases build on each other and vary in length, and if you’re doing it right, a bond has formed for a lifetime.
My friendship with my guest on C50 stems back nearly four decades, and he is making waves all around Chicagoland as a successful mentor and he is a man with many talents and a multifaceted skill set. From our early days at my’ Home Church’ Lilydale Progressive M.B. Church and my high school days at Percy L. Julian to being a pivotal guest on our radio show Let’s Stay Together Talk, one can tell he’s the type of guy that stays ready, so he doesn’t have to get ready. A man with a purpose and a plan. A plan that includes reaching back and helping shape and mode a young boy to becoming a successful man.
Shelton is a Deacon Servant Leader, Humanitarian, Teacher, and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. As you can see his extensive resume can go on and on about the different roles and tasks that he performs daily. He is the Ambassador for The Next Generation, community leader, and role model for many African American male youths throughout Chicagoland. He is genuinely a sentiment of the phrase ‘My Brother’s Keeper!’ I want to introduce to some and reacquaint to others my dear friend Shelton Smith, The Mentor!
MEET SHELTON SMITH
Shelton Smith is 54 years old and single. He is a 30 year veteran in wealth management finance. He is 
a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, where he is a Deacon and Assistant Superintendent Saturday Bible School-Confirmation under Rev.’s Pastoral leadership, Dr. Otis Moss III. His hobbies include movies, concerts, and performing arts.
Shelton Smith is also known as The Chicago Fly Guy. He is a professional who has served the corporate American industry of Wealth Management, Radio/TV personality, Celebrity & Artist Manager, and successful mentor, assisting the next generation reach their full potential in life.
The success of Shelton Smith facilitating healthy mentor relationships has served to land African-American boys in college, granting them the ability to earn their degrees. Shelton has provided financial support for scholarship opportunities for higher education. The impact of his financial backing has generated a path toward success. This path leads to achievement, which changes the narrative of black boys living in America. Shelton Smith is a proven notable leader and life changer.
IN CONVERSATION WITH SHELTON SMITH
C50: Welcome to Club Fifty Shelton! Tell us why you decided to become a youth mentor, and how long have you been a mentor?
SS: I have served as a mentor to Chicago’s next generation for twenty-three consecutive years. I began mentoring in 1997 with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Chicago. After carefully observing a significant change in my community’s family structure, I noticed a rapid increase of single Mothers raising African-American boys without a positive male influence. Therefore, I decided to become involved with mentoring and serve as a positive role model.
C50: Who was your role model growing up, and did you have a mentor?
SS: My role model growing up was my dad and my maternal grandfather. I had a healthy relationship with each of these distinguished Gents. My dad taught me anything worth having; it is worth working for. My dad also taught me to follow the golden rule of life, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. My grandfather taught me the best practices and etiquette life skills of a gentleman. No, I did not have a personal mentor.
C50: What are the benefits of mentorship?
SS: The benefits of a mentorship relationship are broad. The inception of establishing a mentor 
relationship begins with working to develop trust amongst the mentor and mentee. Once trust has been earned, the relationship evolves into a rewarding and genuine experience for both the mentee and the mentor. Secondly, healthy mentorships can serve to rescue and safeguard families from hardships and the societal ills which plague our communities. Lastly, words cannot describe how rewarding it is to witness the young person you mentored to reach their full potential in life. I am pleased to share that I am held responsible for one of my mentees being the first male in his family to attend college due to my structured mentoring. After earning his undergrad degree, my mentee decided to further his education and enrolled in Grad school. He is currently working towards his Master’s Degree. I see the fruits of my labor.
C50: Name a few qualities that helped you forged a lifelong relationship with your
Mentee(s)?
SS: A few things that led to my forging a lifelong relationship with my mentees were my ability to be transparent while genuinely nurturing them. Young people can discern between a genuine embrace and an artificial embrace. My work is never about going through the motions solely for an experience. It’s about developing and equipping young people with the skills to survive in a world that sees them as less than equal. I was vulnerable to my mentees. When they hurt, I would hurt. When they were proud, I demonstrated I, too, was proud of them. Our emotions were in sync. My advocacy for their personhood was for them to be appreciated and celebrated for who they are and not how the world identifies them. Although many of my mentees are now adults, some are married with children. These productive adult male citizens, who are now parents, and were once mentees of mine, still sometimes call and seek counsel from Brother Shelton. I always make myself available for each one of them.
C50: What are some organizations that offer outstanding mentoring resources and training to become mentors?
SS: A few organizations which offer mentor programming are: Big Brothers and Big Sisters of 
Metropolitan Chicago, The Divine Nine Black Greek Letter Fraternity and Sorority Organizations, The 100 Black Men of Chicago, Chicago Scholars, Mercy Homes for Boys and Girls Friends First and True Star the brand of Urban Youth. These entities afford young people an extraordinary experience, in a structured environment, with programming designed to enhance their future.
C50: Share with us some tips on mentoring a young male?
SS: A few tips on mentoring a young male begins with the implementation of discipline and structure. Boys need structure. Develop a code of conduct. Enforce consequences for inappropriate actions and poor behavior. Define what it means to be a leader and what it means to be a follower. Have the young man develop a personal plan and assessment. Creating realistic and attainable goals gives the young man work to do in real-time, on preparing for his future. Do not be judgmental. Always provide an unconditional embrace; it strengthens the bond. Black boys get one chance to make a mistake, and their entire life could be ruined. Help the young man understand the importance of thinking and acting responsibly.
C50: What makes a good mentor, and what are some of a mentor’s essential qualities?
SS: A good mentor is someone willing to make sacrifices and compromises in the most vulnerable’s best interest and overall welfare.
C50: Shelton, tell us how has an adult positively impacted your life, and in what ways did you pay it forward?
SS: My mother has always had the most powerful impact on my life. My Mom is one of the most loving and generous persons God created. She is exceptional in all of her ways. She taught me never to be selfish and to always help someone along the way of life. Therefore, I pay it forward by providing college tours, financial scholarships, community service, and a broad range of opportunities to transform the lives of youth and parents.
C50: What are some effective strategies for providing quality youth mentoring in schools and communities?
SS: An effective strategy for providing mentorships in schools can work by identifying a school in a 
community to adopt. I fostered a relationship with ACE Tech Charter high school and Beasley Academic Center; both schools are located on the southside of Chicago. Most principals and school officials could use the volunteer support of community leaders. Typically, this process begins with the mentor successfully completing a background screening. Once the background screening is complete, the mentor can be granted approval to start working with the students under school administrators’ guidance. The school staff will identify a group of students ideal for mentoring. Once the students are identified, their parents are introduced to the idea of mentorship. Parents typically grant consent because the mentorship serves as an extension of school programming. The mentor, parents, and school officials work collectively for the welfare of the student mentees.
C50: Can a mentor make a positive and significant difference in a young man’s life?
SS: A mentor can undoubtedly make a difference in a young man’s life. The mentor-mentee relationship can be the determining factor as to whether the young person learns to view their glass as half full or half empty.
Bonus: Do you feel that mentoring relationships are a shared opportunity for learning and growth?
SS: I feel mentor relationships are shared opportunities. The mentor and mentee have the ability to learn from one another. As we grow and develop during our life journey, times change, out with the old and in with the new. Therefore, in order to remain current and relevant, we must be receptive to embracing change and the idea of learning from our student teachers.
C50: There you have its Golden Divas and Divos, Shelton Smith, a.k.a. The Mentor, a man of courage, heart, and love, dedicated to serve, empower and mode our young black males.
Thanks, Smitty (you know I love that name) for your support and encouragement of African-American boys to manage their learning so that they may maximize their potential.
Your continuous drive to help them develop their skills, improve their performance, and become the person they want to be is priceless!
Club Fifty and the Golden Divas appreciate you dearly for a job well done!
To learn more and get in contact with the multi-faceted Chicago Fly Guy Shelton Smith please see below.