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Ensuring black males are equipped with opportunities, resources and exposure for career exploration and continuing education.

Minority Males for Higher Education - (MMHE) is a non-profit network committed to improving the life outcomes for black men and boys.

We provide ongoing support, motivation, and advocacy through our network in three milestones:

Asset framing the narrative of black males by shifting to narratives that define black males by their aspirations and contributions, rather than using tales of deficit and despair to incite action from stakeholders to gain the sympathetic ear of the public - unaware of the stigmatizing effects.

Providing community leaders with mental health support and resources that aid in wellness and increased self-care.

Providing technical assistance to help strengthen the field of Black Male Achievement by ensuring organizations and leaders are not working for alternative solutions that do not further marginalize communities.

Through listening, reading, and learning, we have selected two focus areas that guide the second phase of our mission.

Health & Healing Initiatives

In 2018, we conducted a survey on men's health (mental, physical, emotional). It revealed an overwhelming need for health and healing for various challenges with major health including, depression, anxiety, lack of funding for ongoing medications, information and preventive care support. MMHE's health and healing initiatives aims to improve health outcomes of black males by promoting and supporting ongoing wellness education, therapy and physical activity.

MMHE has volunteer medical experts offering support for Black Males across the country in prioritizing health and wellness. These strategies are designed to ensure that leaders in the field of Black Male Achievement have the proper tools and resources to facilitate and sustain their personal and health and healing, thus having a greater impact on your overall mission thus impacting the broader community.

We provide support by:

Distributing blood pressure monitors in local barbershops.
Hosting and facilitating semi-annual wellness retreats that offer mental health group therapy, journaling, and nature exploration.

It is our goal is to provide transformational leadership from the inside out. For the first time we are focusing on self -preservation and healing for our community leaders.

We are currently looking to grow our Health and Healing Strategies to work with organizations, barbershops in providing self-care and wellness practice for their staff and employees to avoid burnout.

Workforce Development

MMHE's Workforce Development offers opportunities that empowers black males to develop key life skills needed that also align with their interests and passions. We offer a layered approach of individual services, group support, and agency partnerships, to connect qualified candidates with advanced training and secondary opportunities.

Provide career information and guidance, access to training and education, and job search assistance to help individuals reach their career goals.

Partner with education, industry, and economic development to increase awareness about regional careers and develop Career Pathways that educate people on the skills and credentials they need to get those jobs.

Career Coaching & mock Interviews with Durham Technical Community College and North Carolina Central University Career Services Center through our community college and vocational training partnerships.

Providing data to stakeholders about available jobs that are in demand and corresponding wages to ensure relevant training and services are provided to students.

Throughout the year, we encourage our network to attend events with corporate partners to practice mock interview skills and to build a networking rapport. We also create additional workshops and one on one volunteer support from our Human Resource Specialist, who connects them with job opportunities, internship, and networking opportunities.

We also assist businesses with identifying and obtaining a diverse talent of individuals and contractors needed to grow your portfolio of diversified talent in their workforce.

Collectively MMHE's Workforce Team has facilitated placements for 2000 job opportunities for black males and veterans into workforce opportunities.

Founder

There’s work and there’s my life’s work. The kind of work that has my input and ideas over it. The kind of work that I don't need applause to complete. The kind of work I never compromise on. I don't come into any leadership role to play it safe. I want to add value. I always want my work to add up to something. That has been my mantra for some time as I have traversed through this professional space while continuing to learn about myself. Has it been easy ? Not at all. Truthfully, this has involved work that's not seen, praised, or many times, applauded. But for me, to witness my vision to fruition has been more rewarding; especially when I have quieted the voice of fear and pushed for the bigger picture.

When I created MMHE, the only goal was to find innovative ways to support black boys in schools through discussing challenges they were facing as they prepared to graduate high school and enter the real world. Ten years, later and it humbles me to call this work.

"Be who you needed when you were younger."

elewis@mmhe.org