Frank conversations in the classroom about life and the transition from one "hood" to another.
It's the conversation fathers relish with their sons — the transition from boyhood to manhood.
As fathers and former Marines, Morris Hudson and John King became teachers to youth in Montgomery County, Md. The "Brothers" program was a simple mentorship idea for neighborhood boys. College students mentored high schoolers, who would then mentor middle school and elementary students.
As a black community leader, Hudson developed the youth mentorship program. King, a white police officer, met Hudson while serving as a captain with the Montgomery County Police Department more than two decades ago. Hudson picked a diverse group of teens for the program. Some were straight-A students with various home life experiences, and others who would later become perpetrators or victims of violent crime. In fact, over the 25 years of the program, 20 of the young men met violent deaths. Despite this eclectic mix of teens, police officers and the teens managed to develop a level of respect for each other.
LIFE 101 lessons began in weekly Brothers meetings. At the time, Hudson was raising three daughters and wanted to provide life lessons to young men who could potentially date his daughters. Beyond fatherly advice, Hudson would share stories of his rambunctious teen years and experiences learned while serving in the United States Marine Corps. King had grown up on Long Island, New York, in an ethnically diverse, lower-middle-class community with one brother and a strong mother who emigrated from Ireland. The "Brothers" soon realized that King had more in common with them than they thought. More importantly, Hudson and King had the same goals — to make the community safer and to develop positive relationships between the police and young black men.
At weekly Brothers meetings, King invited his police officers. The Brothers went on ride-alongs with the police officers on patrol and even interacted with recruits in the police academy. The officers donated both time and money to the group. Trust permeated the group, where both police and black youth would laugh and share serious stories, sometimes about the "Brothers" they'd lost to either death or the criminal justice system. Hudson had a strong military-disciplinary style while mentoring the Brothers. He required them to wear ties, form study groups, and visit colleges. He also helped them understand the importance of getting a college education and being good citizens.
The Brothers often discussed race relations in America during their meetings and interactions. During those conversations, they learned that they were all "brothers" — regardless of their skin tone — and that each was someone's son. Both sides learned from each other and had positive experiences together. They respected each other — the type of respect that comes when you spend time getting to know someone. With the firmness of their military backgrounds and their pride as dads, Hudson and King showed the Brothers they cared for them and were invested in their success.
Today more than ever, consider the powerful image of white police officers and black teens working together and socializing. There were no negative rallies or police in riot gear. There were only positive interactions, communication, and sincere appreciation for each other's life experiences.
That's how we did it.
It can be done again.
Morris Hudson is the CEO of The Hudson Peer Mentoring Model program in Maryland, which is an outgrowth of the Brothers program. John King currently serves as Provo police chief.