Helping Boys Express Masculinity Without Masks
Ashanti Branch has spent 20 years helping boys get real with their emotions - here's what he's learned
Hi Readers! As you may know, I’ve been co-writing a book called “Talk To Your Boys” this year. As part of my research, I’ve been talking to lots of smart, dedicated people who are doing transformational work around masculinity. One of those people is Ashanti Branch, who started The Ever Forward Club in 2004. In todays’s newsletter, learn how the club got its start, what they do now, and how you can bring their lessons to your own community. You’ll also see an invitation to join the group’s 20th Anniversary event this weekend, which I highly recommend!
— Christopher
What Do Boys Really Need?
In 2004, Ashanti Branch was a new teacher, and he noticed something was off in his 9th grade math classes:
”In my first year teaching, I was noticing that there were African American males failing my class. They weren't even trying. I was really confused by that. So I invited some of them to a meeting.
I told them: I'll buy you lunch once a week. In exchange, you're going to teach me how to be a better teacher.”
Week after week, the newly-named Ever Forward Club kept meeting, and slowly developed into a real support group for boys who were feeling disconnected from school and needing some positive encouragement.
Branch thought that by providing these students with mental health support, mentorship, and a safe space to meet, he might help them stay on track and graduate from high school.
The approach worked. Since the club’s founding, every member of the club has graduated from high school, and 93% of them have gone on to attend college.
In the 20 years since that first lunch meeting, The Ever Forward Club has become an official non-profit organization, and running it is now Branch’s full time job. Unlike programs focused mostly on tutoring or academic support, the Ever Forward Club puts a big emphasis on “heart work” - providing emotional tools to help boys feel safe, seen, and heard.
In recognition of these successes, Branch received the 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s Medallion for Health. This award is the highest honor that the Surgeon General can present to a civilian who represents outstanding “acts of compassion, innovative mental health efforts, and exceptional leadership in advancing the well-being of their communities.”
“As I look back on it, I realize I was building what I wish I had when I was growing up,” Branch says. “I wish I had a place to go to talk about stuff, to explore what I was going through, and to realize that other young people around me were going through similar things.“
Spreading The Word
Many people learned about the The Ever Forward Club when its work was featured in a documentary from The Representation Project called "The Mask You Live In," which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. It’s a powerful film that’s has a lot of influence. Jonathan Reed, the Director of Programs at the Canadian nonprofit Next Gen Men, cites it as an inspiration:
“A few years before I started working with Next Gen Men, Jennifer Siebel Newsom created “The Mask You Live In,” and that was a really impactful film for me. I remember seeing Ashanti Branch, the facilitator of Ever Forward Club, doing the work that he was doing with boys and young men, and I was like, that's it—that's what I want to do.”
You can now stream the film on Kanopy.
Branch has also shared lessons from the club in TED Talks and on his Taking Off The Mask podcast.
At the Wisdom 2.0 Summit, Branch and youth from The Ever Forward Club spoke about growing up as young men today.
Make Your Own Mask
In workshops, the club uses a simple mask making activity to bring participants together and change how they see one another.
Here’s how it works: Everyone gets a plain piece of paper (or a paper with a mask outlined on both sides of the paper), and these prompts:
On the front of mask:
What are the qualities and characteristics that you gladly let others see? Add at least one drawing and six words.
On the back of the mask:
What are the qualities and characteristics that you don’t let others see? Add at least six words.
Once everyone people are done, they are asked to share their masks in small groups, and then process the experience using questions like this:
How did it feel to share your mask?
How did it feel to listen to someone else’s mask?
Did you notice any similarities between your mask and the rest of the group?
How did this activity change the way you think about the other people in the room?
What do we get by only showing our masks? What does it cost us?
What is the importance of friendships where you can just be yourself?
Is there anything you are thinking about doing differently as a result of this experience?
By encouraging vulnerability and sharing, this activity helps young people and communities gain a deeper understanding of how much they have in common. The Ever Forward Club shares this activity publicly as part of what they call the “Million Mask Movement,” where they also keep a gallery of masks people have made from around the world.
Help Celebrate 20 Years Of The Ever Forward Club
Want to support the Ever Forward Club and celebrate its first 20 years? Check out this event:
Walk, Run, Hike, Bike or Skate 5K (3.11 miles) to support the #MillionMaskMovement and The Ever Forward Club in creating safe spaces for emotional expression!
If you're in the Bay Area, you can join the event live at Oakland High School, 1023 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94610 on Sat. May 25th, from 10am - 2pm, or you can participate virtually from anywhere in the world!
Thanks for reading! And extra special thanks to those of you supporting Teen Health Today through a paid subscription to this Substack. The only reason that I’m able to devote so much time to this project is because of your generosity.
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