The Bing Youth Institute is committed to changing the narrative of young Black men in our community. We recently hosted 60 of our Mentees, 7th - 12th graders for a storytelling workshop. Our young men shared powerful stories that challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes placed on our young Black men.
Check out these revealing highlights below!
Satori Shakoor, Founder of the Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers facilitated the workshop and taught our mentees everything they needed to know in order to tell their story.
Andre Johnson, CEO of the Detroit Recovery Project inspired our young men. He told his story of being a high school dropout and running the streets of Detroit to becoming a Morehouse College graduate. His story was a testament to what's possible when you have a dream and a vision.
Aaron Dawson is the Program Facilitator for the Bing Youth Institute. Aaron is also the Founder of Passion MGMT, a production management and consulting company based in Detroit. He works to create amazing mentee and mentor program experiences. Usually he's behind the scenes, but on this day he shared his personal story and how he's living in his purpose.
Mentee Leadership Forums are a unique space for Mentees to connect with each other and share their experiences in a safe and supportive environment.
Former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing was so proud to hear and see the growth in his BINGO (Boys Inspired Through Nurturing Growth and Opportunities) mentees. Some of our young men have been in the mentoring program for 4 years and are about to graduate high school. They shared how the program has changed their lives as well as thoughts on what their stories might be had they not been matched with a caring and supportive mentor.
Choosing a winner was difficult! All of our mentees shared powerful and compelling stories. The Mentees judged their peers based on the storytelling guidelines and principles provided by Ms. Shakoor.
Ultimately, 10th Grader - Ridgley Hudson (Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School) was on top with a perfect 30/30 score and delivered a great story of perseverance and hope.
Our top 3, Ridgley, Orlando and Darryl took home some nice Detroit Vs. Everybody gear. Shoutout to DVE partner and Darryl's mentor, Will Willingham!
This wouldn't be possible without the support of all our school officials, principals, and coordinators:
Dr. Echols, Ms. Carr, Ms. LaViolette, Ms. Lewis, Ms. Goosby, Ms. Knolton, Ms. Jones, Ms. Garcia, Ms. Howard, Ms. Harris, Ms. Wheeler, Mr. Williams, Mr. Jones, Mr. Hildreth and Mr. Johnson.
© 2026 Bing Youth Institute
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