The Vision |Passing the torch: mentorship in black leadership
In his senior year, Rasool Berry, co-founder of UMOJA, wrote a senior thesis entitled, “The Black Student Experience At Penn: What Every Black Student Should Know.” When writing his thesis, Berry examined the legacy and stories of several black leaders who have been key to founding some of the most impactful organizations in our community. He also pinpointed the advice and lessons from their stories that could be imparted into the new generation of black leadership. In reflecting on what black leadership meant to him, Berry wrote, “The process of struggle has gradually directed the students, especially student leaders, to redefine themselves in the racial context they have inherited, as well as shift their primary focus in life from self-centered to community-centered in many outstanding cases.”