Over the last three decades, I've had the incredible pleasure and honor to mentor, coach and counsel hundreds of boys, predominantly African-Americans. Being part of their lives as they navigate troubled waters and turbulent times throughout their early developmental span, I've learned so much from them. They taught me how resilient I had to be in order for them to build their own resiliency. I must take this philosophical moment to paraphrase a lil bit, them hard-headed boys took me through a trust building initiation that the toughest gang leader in the land wouldn't endorse. All jokes aside, I am grateful for their belief and trust for allowing me to play an integral role in their lives. Please see what they shared as key strategies to instill resiliency in other black boys because it worked for them. Obviously, these recommendations can be generalized across demographic populations.
