Courtesy of our friends at BlackMarketWares:
Before the NBA tipped off its thorough 10-game schedule on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Brooklyn Nets arose early Monday morning to help present Mentor it Forward, an innovative Speed Mentoring event that brought together high school students from different corners of New York City to gain insight from a passionate group of professionals. NYC Service, a division of the Mayor’s Office, constructed the event as part of their ongoing mission to increase volunteerism within New York City.
Mentors came from major corporations, including the New York Times, BET, Viacom, and Simon & Schuster, to share their stories and impart wisdom on the next generation. The students entered Barclays Center through the VIP entrance, received their orientation on the Brooklyn Nets practice court, and the speed mentoring took place in the glorious Calvin Klein Courtside Club. The conversations were lively, as the teens and mentors learned from each other’s backgrounds and aspirations.
As the youth – from neighborhoods in the Bronx, Queens, and of course, Brooklyn – shared laughs with white-collar professionals, the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. filled the room. The barriers of racism and classism that King hammered away at in his activism were proven to be destroyed on this Day of Service. When Jeff Scott (Nets’ Senior Director of Community Relations) announced that the practice court was available for free throw shooting, all were equally enthralled.
A Special Thanks to the Parties that Made Mentor it Forward Possible: The Teams at NYC Service, the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, St. Nick’s Alliance, Police Athletic League, LaGuardia Community College, and FDNY.
