It was fitting that the venue was a former church, because The Ferguson Event Space felt like sacred ground on Saturday afternoon. It was alive with the hum of generations who have passed through the Saturday Boys Academy over the past forty-plus years – and those just beginning their journey. It was the kind of gathering where alumni hugged mentors like uncles, parents beamed like it was graduation day, and the young men stood a little taller, knowing they were part of something bigger than themselves. After 40 years of showing up for Black boys in St. Louis, the Academy marked its anniversary the same way it has marked every Saturday since the mid‑1980s: with intention, with community, and with the quiet power of consistency.
Founded by the late Dr. William J. Harrison and a small circle of men who believed deeply in the potential of Black boys, the Saturday Boys Academy began with eight young men and a vision. Over the decades, that vision has grown into a ministry of mentorship, cultural grounding, academic support, and leadership development that has touched thousands of boys. Its annual college tour—now approaching its 37th year—has taken young men across the country to see themselves on campuses where they might one day lead. And through it all, the heartbeat of the program has remained the same: show up, pour in, and prepare them for the world.
That spirit was front and center as sophomore Kobe Johnson of Parkway Central presented Dr. Ajuma Muhammad with the Manhood Award. Muhammad—an educator, scholar, and global traveler who has visited more than 60 countries and is currently working to launch a school in Ghana—stood before the boys not with a traditional speech, but with a gift. He brought a poster titled “Ten‑Point Strategy for Black Boys,” and instead of reading it to the adults, he read it to the young men in the room, pausing after each point as if planting seeds.
“Black boys should maintain a healthy relationship with their creator,” he began. “We cannot wait until they are 14 or 15 to introduce a higher power in their lives. By that time, TikTok has them.”
He moved through the list with the cadence of a teacher who knows his audience: honor your parents; embody greatness in everything you do; study your history because “our history is a mystery” to too many; love yourself deeply; travel internationally to understand your place in the world; and, finally, empower your community through leadership and service.
“Once we achieve whatever level of success God blesses us with, we come back and help others,” Muhammad said. “That is what it is all about.”
He reminded the boys that manhood is not a destination but a practice—one rooted in service, self‑knowledge, and faith.
The celebration continued with the presentation of the Dr. William J. Harrison Leadership Award to The Honorable George W. Draper III, introduced by Ritenour sophomore Akai Walker. Walker described leadership as “a quiet, steady flame,” and Draper’s life story embodied that flame in motion.
Draper began his career as a law clerk, learning the craft of justice from the inside. He became a prosecutor in St. Louis, committed to extending fairness to the community that raised him. His path carried him to the Missouri Court of Appeals, where he made history as its first African American Chief Judge. And then, in a moment that still reverberates, he became the first African American Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court.
But Draper didn’t present his journey as a straight line. He told the boys about wanting to be a 6’3” professional basketball player—and not making the varsity team. He told them about joining the football team instead, about considering the Army, about being accepted into Morehouse College, about choosing psychology, and then—after the sudden passing of his father—choosing law because he needed a path that would allow him to support himself.
“I didn’t want to be a judge,” he admitted. “I thought that was the last thing I would ever be.”
What he did want was to be prepared. And that preparation opened doors he never expected.
“You are going to succeed in something,” Draper told the boys. “The question is: what? Success is when preparation meets opportunity. And being part of this program is the early stages of preparation.”
He urged the audience to read The St. Louis American’s coverage of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., calling it homework. “Understand the struggle we’ve been through,” he said. “Understand the work that still needs to be done.”
And then he offered the kind of wisdom that only comes from a life lived with intention: “No matter where you are, you can get to success from where you are. Success found me. And success will find you if you keep your eyes open and prepare yourself for that success.”
The final honoree, Dawn R. Price, founder of The Sophia Project, was introduced by McCluer North senior Cameran Mahand, who praised her for turning inspiration into real change for young women. Price’s connection to the Saturday Boys Academy runs deep—her father has been part of the ministry since its earliest days.
“My dad said, ‘I was 38 when this ministry started. I’m 70 today,’” she shared. “Saturday Boys Academy has been his longstanding commitment.”
She spoke of watching Dr. Harrison’s vision take root, of watching Dr. Muhammad and Keith Antoine and Jay Rhodes “do the work in the garden,” planting seeds every Saturday for more than 40 years. She spoke of transformation—not just of young people, but of families and communities across generations.
“It’s how we make a difference from generation to generation,” Price said. “I just want to encourage everybody to do the work—do your part and continue to show up.”
Master of Ceremonies Rene Knott echoed that sentiment, reminding the room that showing up is leadership. And Executive Director Jay Rhodes closed the program by thanking the parents—“the backbone of our organization”—and the alumni and mentees who continue to breathe life into the mission.
“Forty-plus years ago, eight of us gathered to start our Saturday Boys Academy mission,” Rhodes said. “To build young men to the best of their ability, to be the best that they can be.”
On Saturday, that mission felt as alive as ever. The boys in the room—some in their first year, others who have grown into men preparing for the 37th annual college tour—stood as living proof of what happens when a community commits to its sons. And as the celebration ended, the message that lingered was the same one that has guided the Academy for four decades: prepare them, love them, teach them who they are and they will lead.