Antiwan Tate knows firsthand the importance of a young man having a mentor. 

“My life was changed by having a mentor,” said Tate, executive director of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance of South Carolina. “Having a mentor created an avenue for me to look at things and look at life through a different lens. Having a mentor can give positive reinforcements and exposure to different opportunities.” 

My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Spartanburg is doing just that for young men of color. 

Through community and school-based partnerships, the organization provides opportunities for positive development, mentoring, progressive relationships for young people and a safe space for their voices to be heard. 

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation has partnered with My Brother’s Keeper through the philanthropic support of Connect Spartanburg to make intentional mentorships and youth programming successful. 

Tate is the 2024 recipient of the Dr. George Newby, Jr. Health Equity Leadership Award. Presented by the Mary Black Foundation, the award recognizes an individual or organization working to advance health equity by ensuring that all people in Spartanburg County have access to opportunities for health and well-being regardless of who they are or where they live. 

In March, MBK launched the Empower Youth Leadership Academy, which holds workshops and gives participants the chance to learn more about manufacturing, healthcare providers and community organizations. 

“We are developing and creating the leaders of tomorrow,” Tate said. 

From the city of Spartanburg to the county’s rural areas, My Brother’s Keeper is having a positive impact on standardized test scores, grades, attendance and behavior, according to reports. 

“When we realize that young people are achieving, they are closing the academic gap,” Tate said. “We see the exponential increase in the results of young men — African American, Latin, Latinx and Hispanic young men — who typically, when it comes to a lot of test scoring, are in the lower threshold of scores.” 

To highlight the impact of My Brother’s Keeper, Tate said that out of a roster of 60 children, everyone had positive statistical growth in one or multiple school subjects. 

“This is why we’re doing the work,” he said. 

Tate is particularly proud of the community partnership with Spartanburg law enforcement. It has brought young men of color — often subject to biases and stereotypes — to the table to discuss their concerns with local law enforcement officers. 

Students learn from the officers while officers learn from the young men, Tate said. Daekwon Carpenter-Bishop joined MBK Spartanburg as a sixth-grader at Carver Middle School. Not only did the organization introduce him to other young men at other schools and get him out of his comfort zone, but it also provided him with mentors who helped him identify his leadership skills. 

“The mentors have been a big help in my life with everything that I go through,” Carpenter-Bishop said.

“Connecting with Mr. Tate, getting to know him on a deeper level and understanding his background, understanding that we shared similarities growing up, has been a big help. Mr. Tate and other mentors are there for me any time I need them. Everybody needs to have something like MBK. I feel like everybody deserves a mentor.” 

Kymani Williams joined MBK Spartanburg in middle school. After realizing what the organization has done for his life, he wants to become a mentor as he attends college. 

“When I was in seventh grade, I was a ‘knucklehead,’ as one of my mentors would say,” said Williams. “I was a goofy class clown. That lasted throughout all of middle school until I really got involved in MBK throughout my high school years.” 

My Brother’s Keeper not only inspired Williams to change but also motivated him to help others. His story is just one example of how the program is impacting the community through authentic and intentional mentorships. “Once I got involved, my behavior changed,” Williams shared. “My mentors really opened my eyes.”

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation prioritizes adolescent health and wellness through community partnerships, ensuring teens have access to high-quality, out-of-school-time opportunities.

Three-year federal funding, housed at the Foundation’s Connect initiative, has allowed MBK to expand to four middle schools through training facilitators and opportunities for positive youth development activities. 

“MBK is a notable example of the importance of long-term, consistent programming with caring, trusted adults and how it can improve adolescent health and wellness,” said Keith Hill, grants project manager for the Foundation.