Community Corner highlights the work of Seattle Human Services’ community partners in their own words. Our goal is to gather stories and photos that illustrate their amazing work on behalf of the people of Seattle. This post was written by Ginger Seslar, Grants Manager, at M.U.S.T.
What is the role your organization fulfills in your community?
Since 2012, Mentoring Urban Students & Teens (M.U.S.T.) has been guided by our mission—to provide a space for Black males to liberate themselves through mentoring—with the intent of influencing the development of a society that supports Black males’ discovery of who they are and what they can achieve.
How does your partnership with Seattle Human Services (HSD) assist you in that role?
M.U.S.T.’s partnership with HSD is integral to our ability to provide mentoring, outings, and community for Seattle’s Black youth. M.U.S.T. Mentees are given opportunities to learn valuable life skills, tour college campuses while planning for their higher education, and explore their world in ways that otherwise wouldn’t be available. M.U.S.T.’s culturally relevant programming is designed to challenge each individual’s perception of the world and their place in it, to inspire them to become empowered, and to develop the tools to liberate themselves. Without HSD’s support, we would not be able to provide these opportunities to nearly as many youth as we do.
What is your organization’s origin story?
Realizing that young Black males often lacked positive, relatable role models and were underrepresented in their schools and communities, M.U.S.T.’s founders began making connections with local colleges to identify Black students who had overcome their circumstances and were invested in creating positive futures for themselves. Offering these college students support in the form of a paycheck, professional coaching, and leadership skills training, M.U.S.T. was able to pair high school-aged Black males with the people best positioned to guide and inspire them through one-on-one mentoring. Over time, a community was built, and group outings were added to the program to foster a space where M.U.S.T. Mentees and Mentors felt connected, safe, and supported.
How has your organization grown or developed in recent years?
Over the past several years M.U.S.T. has grown both in size and the scope of work we do. We have expanded the number of youths we serve while increasing opportunities for skills training, college readiness activities, and enrichment programs. In 2023 M.U.S.T. launched a summer stipend pilot program where Mentees learn and practice soft job skills and earn a paycheck for their efforts. The program is intended to prepare Mentees for employment while also providing an opportunity to learn about money management. The stipends are often used to purchase back-to-school supplies and clothes, giving Mentees a sense of pride and self-sufficiency. The program has been so successful that we are aiming to create and implement a year-round stipend program in the future.
Why is it important for HSD and City of Seattle taxpayers to invest in community-led work?
The ability for each Mentee to have a Mentor who is relatable in their culture and life experience allows for the development of a deep, trusting relationship, which is an invaluable asset in the lives of young Black males.
M.U.S.T. dives much deeper than grades and skills training, providing a space and the tools for participants to learn, process, and reflect on the generational trauma and systematic racism they were born into and face daily.
How do your organization’s programs and services help to reduce the disparities experienced by people of color living in our region?
Adolescence and early adulthood are a dynamic and often confusing time for young people as they navigate high school, develop deeper interpersonal relationships, and start planning for their futures. However, young Black males are burdened with the added pressures of systematic racism and the generational trauma they were born into. Regardless of socio-economic status, young Black males face a complex web of discrimination, underrepresentation, and confusing societal messaging that demands and champions social justice progress while at the same time fueling hostility and aggression toward minority groups. Stereotypes perpetuated in social media, movies, and TV only serve to reinforce the narrative that young Black males have limited options in what they can do and who they can become.
M.U.S.T. focuses on changing the narrative by giving its participants the tools to take control of their own unique mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual potential through connection and brotherhood.
Tell us an example of how an HSD-funded program or service impacted one of your community members.
In 2024 Mentees in their senior year of high school had a 100% graduation rate. These graduates, through their mentorship, had all prepared post-high school plans for themselves. Some had applied and been accepted to colleges and universities, some had enrolled in trade schools, and some set off to start careers.
One graduate who is now pursuing a graphic design degree at Seattle Central College had this to say when asked what he had learned during his time with M.U.S.T.: “I learned that there is always support available, and the world is a lot bigger than it seems – you just might need someone to help you see it. I appreciate M.U.S.T. because it is a very safe community and it allows Black men to connect and explore things they never thought they would see.”
What motivates your staff or keeps you going?
M.U.S.T. can do the important work it does in large part due to the leadership of its core staff who are majority Black males themselves and as such, able to truly understand and connect with our participants and their needs. Our executive director, Kelvin Washington, has a simple motto: “Serve to save.” Kelvin believes the foundation of hope begins with positive relationships. Dedicated to this belief, his self-stated sole purpose in life is to provide hope through building meaningful connections, especially for African American males. Kelvin’s passion and vision, and seeing M.U.S.T. Mentees become empowered, liberated, and educated through the programming we provide keeps us motivated to continue to do the work we do.