When he was young, 22-year-old Rashawn Ray's mother told him,"Being a black man is something I'll never be able to be, and it'ssomething I can't understand, but I can put you around some peoplewho definitely understand that, and can help you along theway."
Ray has never seen his father, but through his mother,grandfather, a mentor program and other positive black male rolemodels, he was able to overcome all the obstacles of being a blackfatherless male.
As a way of giving back the same form of positive guidance, Ray,a University of Memphis senior, created a mentor program for youngboys at the Memphis Family Shelter, a transitional shelter forwomen and children.
"I had been looking for a place where I could feel fulfilled ingiving my all to something," Ray said.
After volunteering through The U of M group Students AdvocatingService for about a month, Ray started a program to involve youngboys in creative and educational activities ranging from museumvisits to step shows. Ray also holds panel discussions about life,chivalry, education and career choices. The program includes 10 to15 boys, ages 7 to 11. Members of his fraternity, Alpha Phi AlphaInc., often participate in the program.
"Ray is like the father and big brother they never had," saidRoberto Young, one of Ray's fraternity brothers who participates inthe program.
"I looked at them and had a bond because their father isn'taround either, and that's something I can really, really relateto," Ray said.
He is a positive African-American role model in an environmentwhere few black men have college or even high school degrees, saidKimberly Cook, Children's Program coordinator at MFS, adding thatRay shows the participants they have options for success that don'tinvolve the NBA.
Ray attributes all his academic and personal success to hismother.
"She's played the biggest role a person possibly could in ayoung man's life," Ray said.
When he was 10 years old, Ray said his mother bought him acollection of black history books and gave him two weeks to readeach book.
When he was a teenager, Ray and his mother would test driveexpensive cars and tour luxurious houses.
"Now I can see myself having those things in five or 10 yearsinstead of just going to look at them," Ray said.
A '99 graduate of Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn.,Ray received an academic scholarship to The U of M.
Both Ray's mother and grandmother were nurses, so it seemed onlynatural to pursue a career in the medical field. Ray said since hewas a young boy, he has wanted to become a doctor.
However, after taking a couple of sociology courses, Ray changedhis mind and his major, from biology to sociology.
"I despise biology and love sociology," Ray said, who dreams ofteaching one day.
In addition to being president of Alpha Phi Alpha, Ray is vicepresident of the Golden Key Honors Society and a member of fourcampus standing committees.
Outstanding Honors Student of the Year, Outstanding SociologyStudent of the Year, the Medger Evers Political Action Award, theIda B. Wells Academic Achievement Award and Tennessee Alpha PhiAlpha Brother of the Year Award are just a few of many awards hehas received over the years.
Ray has been accepted into Indiana University Bloomington'sfour-year doctorate program to earn a master's and doctoral degreein sociology.
Ray said some of his long-term goals are to write books, do somepublic speaking and open a recreation center.
