The Challenges And Opportunities In Education | ForbesBLK Summit 2024 - video Dailymotion

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A conversation with Anthony Brock and Ayisha Mendez on the current status of education, and leading with love and patience for teaching our children.     Anthony Brock, Cofounder & Head of School, Valiant Cross Academy Interviewer: Ayisha Mendez, Community Manager, ForbesBLK.  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

Transcript

00:00For a special spotlight, please welcome Aisha Mendez, Community Manager, Forbes BLK,

00:07and Anthony Brock, Co-Founder and Head of School, Valiant Cross Academy.

00:12Hello, everybody. Today, I have the honor of sitting with 2023 Yass Prize recipient, Anthony

00:22Brock, Co-Founder and Head of the Valiant Cross Academy, a dynamic school which emphasizes faith

00:29and teaching in the birthplace of the civil rights movement. Thank you, Anthony, for being here.

00:34Thank you for having me.

00:36So, in your own words, you say that Valiant Cross Academy is more than a school,

00:42with a unique focus on personal, professional, mentorship, and faith.

00:47Reflecting on Valiant Cross' journey since its inception in 2015, what were the pivotal

00:53moments and challenges you encountered in establishing the academy and securing those

00:57resources?

00:58Sure. So, my first year, I think one of the biggest hurdles was actually we were just a

01:03flyer on a piece of paper, and it was getting people to believe in these young men. In Montgomery,

01:08Alabama, we have about 200,000 residents, and we're averaging about 70 to 75 homicides a year.

01:13So, first of all, it's getting African-American boys to believe naturally in the creativity and

01:18the awesomeness that's inside of us every day. So, it's just getting past that hurdle and

01:23bringing awareness of the school. We have a PBS documentary named Fruit. After that,

01:28the awareness kind of shot around the nation a little bit.

01:32That's incredible. And, you know, since Valiant Cross Academy, you guys have garnered

01:38significant support as the recipient of the prestigious million-dollar Yass Prize, known

01:45as the Pulitzer for Education. How has this recognition impacted your vision and goals

01:51for the academy?

01:53Every time I hear the word Yass Prize, it makes me smile. Since winning the Yass Prize this year,

01:58the social capital has been phenomenal. Just meeting people like Keith Brooks, who's here

02:03from the National Fellowship of Black and Latino Males, Dr. Steve Perry, being able to travel.

02:08I'm now a contributing writer for Forbes Magazine. We've been in the Wall Street Journal,

02:12been on the Today Show. So, those types of things have really catapulted the work we do and shine

02:17a light on Montgomery, Alabama.

02:19Thank you for that important work. Can we give them a round of applause?

02:26Now, in today's diverse educational landscape, how does integrating faith,

02:32religious values contribute to the overall growth of your students?

02:37Okay, well, in Montgomery right now, I just talked about the temperature when

02:41Black and Brown boys are not appreciating who they are and who they were created in

02:45God's image. So, we believe by intertwining faith and a strong sense of self that you're

02:51going to have a person who can't go out and commit a crime or commit homicide against each other.

02:56So, that's what we do. We have an African American male museum that goes all the way

03:00back to ancient civilization, to modern day times, and that's in the basement of our school.

03:04So, we like our young men to leave with a strong sense of self, strong sense of pride,

03:09because I personally believe that God broke the mold when he created the Black man.

03:12And so, that's what we, we really equip them with that.

03:17And Anthony, tell me, what are the three things that you find valuable in a most promising student?

03:23Sorry, say one more time.

03:25What are the three things that you say, and during our conversation about some of the qualities that

03:30you look for, you say anyone is teachable. What are those three skills that you've identified

03:34that make a student?

03:35Yeah, I believe skill, will, and mindset. If they don't have the skill, will, and mindset,

03:41if they don't have the skill, and that's what in any profession, if you don't have the skill,

03:46if you have the will and the mindset, you can do whatever it is that God put inside of you.

03:50And, you know, I always encourage people, I never knew that I would be an educational

03:53entrepreneur, but we're opening up our third school this year. And so, whatever God put

03:57inside you to do personally, you have to listen, and you have to listen to that voice and do

04:02those things in life.

04:04I think that's so important. And what would you say has influenced the disciplinary actions

04:10in your school?

04:11So, to me, discipline is a low-hanging fruit. It bothers me sometimes when people come to

04:16our school, and they say, they're so well-behaved. Look at them, they speak so well. And I'm

04:20thinking, what did you expect? You know, we've cultivated a space for the dopeness of black

04:25boys, and so, in our natural environment, that's who we are. We're just naturally dope,

04:30and that's where we move in. Like Nipsey Hussle said, our culture is contagious, and so that's

04:34where we move in. Yes.

04:36Thank you. Now, we have a few moments left. What advice would you give to aspiring black

04:44men and educators who aim to make a meaningful impact in our communities, particularly in

04:50the realm of education?

04:52Yes. So, even if you do not want or aspire to go into the classroom, there is somebody

04:58on the outside of your family, whether that's a brother, a cousin, or someone that you can

05:02mentor. I think everybody has a responsibility to give back. Don't just go to work every

05:06day and take care of the ones in your house. We have to dive in. You know, just in Montgomery,

05:11if you Google it, the last two, three days, we've had about 13 people involved in shootings

05:16in just in our city, and I can imagine some of our other cities what we're witnessing

05:20as well. So, just jump in, get involved, and just be a vessel.

05:25Thank you so much, Anthony.

05:27Thank you.

The Challenges And Opportunities In Education | ForbesBLK Summit 2024

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