I was recently invited to be the keynote speaker at an event that was organized to highlight the work and achievement of a non-profit organization that deals in sports. As I thought on that event a few days later and the words I shared there, the idea of this article came to mind. Periodically, I am approached by people who wish to have me do a piece on them or someone who they feel is worthy of having their story or experiences shared in The Herald. I have made it my business to be very careful and selective on the people and topics I choose to write about. In an endeavor to not be bias or boring, I have attempted to write about issues, individuals, and ideas that are both interesting and at times intriguing. In a small rural community where African Americans do not have much to look forward to in a progressive and positive way due to the lack of culture, opportunities, and innovators with ideas that could make a change, it is refreshing to know that there are two men who were born and raised in our locale who have stepped forward to meet the challenge of helping to motivate and mentor our youth, many of which often fall through the cracks because of a lack of inspiration and encouragement during the formative years of their lives. Please do not judge or label me as being chauvinistic or to any degree anti-women. How in the world could I ever be when perhaps the most important and influential people in my life were women? Heroic women like my mother, Pastor Katie Sanders (my first pastor), Mrs. Vergie Peppers, Mrs. Eunice Jones, Mrs. Ruby Carter, Aunt Mary (Mae) Martin, and a host of others who helped to lay the foundation of my life during my formative years. I know I speak for the majority of the African American community when I say that had it not been for strong and compassionate Black women, I dread to say where we, African Americans, would be. Certainly, unlike any other ethnic group in this nation, we’ve had to depend upon our mamas, grandmamas, aunts, and other community matriarchs and mentors for spiritual, social, educational, and moral grooming and nurturing. However, since there is an urgent need for African American men to be restored, recognized, and respected in the position that far too many have abandoned for various reasons (that in some cases was no fault of their own), this column is dedicated to that effort.
There are two men that I am quite familiar with who I am going to comment about and commend this day. Both of these men are grandfathers, who are making an impact on the youth of Dillon County through their mentoring and preparing youth to succeed and go to the next level. Since their efforts are non-profit and voluntary, they are the ideal people who we desperately need at this crucial time to step up and meet the challenge. This is very important because there are only a few people in the African American community of Dillon County, who are engaged in voluntary community service as these two men. The list becomes even smaller when you look for Black men who are actively and seriously involved in some constructive and positive effort to influence and impact the lives of African American youth who are at greater risk of failing and falling through the cracks than any other ethnic group in our culture. Due to the regrettable reality that over seventy percent of African American children are being brought up in homes where the father is absent, their chances of succeeding and going to the next level is very slim indeed and this is due to no fault of their own. This disadvantage alone, not to consider the many others that poor Black children have to contend with if they are going to succeed, make people like Mike McRae and Kenneth Smith so important and necessary. They are beacons of hope for our youth and perhaps for many, a lifeline for the ones who are struggling to stay afloat in the turbulent waters that are infested with sharks and other predators. Both of these grandfathers, who have established themselves as good fathers to their children as well as outstanding citizens, are truly worthy to be commended and supported for their labor of love toward the disadvantaged youth of Dillon County.
Mike McRae, who himself was an outstanding basketball player while attending Latta High School and even after graduating at both the college and semi-professional level for a season, has transferred his passion for basketball and sports into a non-profit organization for the youth of our locale and beyond. He is able to undertake this endeavor along with quite a few volunteers and his son, Mike McRae, Jr., who is an assistant principal at Dillon Middle School and one time Wildcat star basketball player. Mike’s group is called the Think Big Academy. Its focus is to instill life skills and lessons through sports. They are endeavoring to totally develop youth physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually through the usage of sports.
Kenneth Smith, along with his wife, Annie, are the founders of Dillon County Boys and Girls Youth Center, which is located in Latta, South Carolina. To my knowledge, this outreach ministry is the first of its kind in Dillon County. The youth center is a non-profit organization whose main objective is to give the youth a place to hangout where there is adult supervision, as well as counseling, mentoring, and motivation from concerned and competent adult professionals. The center is also a certified afterschooll site that aids children with their homework and assignments.
These two grandfathers are making an impact on the youth in our locale through their various outreach ministries. Their efforts are truly worth supporting through prayers, donations, and words of encouragement, if and when you see them in the public. Both Mike McRae and Kenneth Smith are men who are not standing idly by with words of criticism and looks of disdain in regard to our disadvantaged and in many cases problematic youth. They are involved, engaged, and busy through their respective organizations to make a difference.