"I'll be honest with you I don't come to school a lot, but if we had more conversations about this, I would come to school more."
A high school student said this to Jarrett Mathis '09 after attending one of Mathis' workshops focusing on empowering African-American youth.
Mathis, who played for the Dartmouth men's basketball team from 2005-2009 and began working on the project while at the College, created "Empowering Ourselves," in order to raise African-American youth's consciousness about their history. He now travels to community centers and schools throughout the United States to hold workshops.
These workshops are not lectures, but conversations between Mathis and the African-American students, he said. Mathis provides historical background for the students, such as information about slavery and the Civil Rights movement, as well as engages the students with questions and listens to the students' frustrations.
"I try to show them the sacrifices our ancestors made in order to reawaken them and refocus them to take school more seriously, graduate from high school, go to college and not to choose violence as a way of life," Mathis said.
African-American history is often not taught to these students in school, Mathis said, either because it is overlooked by teachers or because textbooks focus too narrowly on figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks.
"If kids today understood what it was like to be on a slave plantation or on a slave ship, they would be more focused and they wouldn't fight and kill each other," Mathis said.
One workshop was featured on CNN's "What Matters Most" segment on Oct. 10, 2010, entitled "Taking Power Away from the N-word." The workshop was held in Brooklyn and approximately 70 boys and girls were present.
Mathis presented information linking the use of the "n-word" to the lynching and dehumanization of African Americans in America's past. On his website, EmpoweringOurselvesNow.com, Mathis clearly states his mission.
"First, we can honor the memories of our ancestors who fought tirelessly to attain equality and basic civil rights," the website reads. "And second, by eliminating [the "n-word"], we can gain a better understanding of ourselves as young black people in the world today."
Mathis also posted a 75-minute documentary online, with clips of workshops he held while traveling around America trying to teach African-American youth to escape the dehumanization related to the "n-word."
After engaging in conversations with the students and collecting surveys about the effectiveness of the workshops, Mathis said he reached two conclusions about the students' responses.
One group of students said that they would personally agree with not using the "n-word" anymore, but would feel pressured to continue using it because their peers would likely still be using it, according to Mathis.
Another group of students said that they initially walked out of Mathis' workshop refusing to use the "n-word," but then started using it again in a few days, Mathis added.
"I wanted to create a video that kids could watch whenever they want in case they want to revisit it," Mathis said. "It shows kids that it is a movement and they aren't the only ones. I wanted this to be a free resource. A lot of the kids I work with have no money, but they can use a computer for free as a resource. There is also a works cited page in case the parents want to read more."
The documentary also focuses on analyzing "gangster rap music," according to Mathis' website. The usage of degrading words, including the "n-word," in this type of music perpetuates the dehumanization of the African-American community, according to Mathis.
As a result of the conversational aspect of his workshops, Mathis has received input about how to be more effective. Suggestions from students include presenting a real noose during the workshop so the students can see what one looks like and putting on a workshop for the "gansta rappers," according to a list on the website.
Mathis also created a Facebook group that currently has 442 members and maintains a blog. He posts quotes from notable African-American philosophers, inspirational songs of the week and articles about the recent accomplishments of African Americans.
During his time at Dartmouth, Mathis served as a co-captain of the basketball team during the 2008-2009 season, leading the Big Green to a 7-7 Ivy season.
"I think the same mental toughness that it takes to play a sport is the same strength it takes for this project," Mathis said. "Playing basketball at Dartmouth, you aren't picked to finish first. It is kind of like you are the underdog. With this, where there are a lot of people who said they don't really see the point of this project or I struggled in terms of funding it was the same drive that this could turn into something good."
Growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn Mathis said he lived in an area that led the state in certain statistics such as violence and HIV rates. While Mathis said he was fortunate to have a father who served as a good role model, he recognized that many of his peers lacked a similar inspirational figure.
"I was frustrated because I felt like our youth were really struggling," Mathis said. "I wanted to help the kids in my neighborhood. I felt the best way to do a grassroots movement was to go around to community members and schools, and get groups of kids together to talk to them."
During his sophomore year at Dartmouth, Mathis immersed himself in a research project to create the foundation for his organization. With guidance and funding from Dartmouth Undergraduate Advising and Research, Mathis was able to convert his frustration with the struggles of the African-American youth into a grassroots movement.
Mathis initially applied for a grant to start his research during his freshman Summer, but his research proposal still needed focusing, Assistant Dean of Faculty for Undergraduate Research Margaret Funnell said. He improved the proposal during his sophomore year and later received three research grants during his sophomore Spring, junior Summer and senior Spring.
According to Funnell, procuring three research grants is unusual for Dartmouth students.
"With every reiteration, his thinking became more sophisticated each time, adding more historical background and intellectual sophistication," Funnell said.
In 2009, Mathis received the Gary Love 1976 Prize in African and Afro-American studies, according to Funnell.
"I think his biggest obstacles were his time commitments because of the commitment of varsity sports," Funnell said. "We don't see many athletes who jump in and make the commitment to do research. This was something that was so important to him that he made this a priority."
Big Green men's basketball player Ronnie Dixon '11, who was a sophomore when Mathis served as a co-captain, said that the organization's mission fits with Mathis' personality.
"Jarrett is the type of person that always had advice to give and positive things to say," Dixon said. "He always wants to keep people informed and up to date on current events and issues. There would be a lot of political discussions in the locker room."
When approached by excited students after workshops, Mathis said he recognized the effectiveness of his efforts.
"The reason why I continue with this project was that a lot of kids really enjoyed learning about their history," Mathis said. "A lot of kids enjoyed these conversations about how to stay focused."
He therefore plans to continue holding workshops and hopes to fundraise as well as find additional donors to support his organization.
Other long-term goals include organizing bigger events in New York City, as well as creating T-shirts and bags to further spread the important message of empowerment among African-American youth, Mathis said.
"I think what he is doing is really great and I am glad he is reaching out to the community and trying to give back," Dixon said.
