Part of a year-long series, presented by The American and the Brown School at Washington University, on changing the narratives and outcomes of young black males in St. Louis.
Upon arrival in the United States, my parents had their funding as missionaries discontinued because they chose to be with their children away from a war-torn country. This meant that our food came from food banks and clothing from co-ops, which ended up providing us with the necessary resources to survive.
Survival also was based on many other aspects. Most impactful were my parents’ conception of who I was, the education I received, and employment and housing opportunities. These factors eventually helped shape me into someone who strives to enhance communities.
I will never forget my parents always echoing to me that I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard. My other childhood mentors included my brothers, young adults in my community, teachers, business professionals, and working-class people. They were all leaders in their own right. As a young child, I started noting that leadership is one skill that could help uplift an impoverished community.
As an individual who received these tools, it was most effective when the agencies or individuals providing these tools understood the dynamic of the neighborhood as an embodiment of their culture. This culture that was part of my life moved me to attain a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Political Science and a master’s degree in Legal Studies. Then I wanted to give back to the community that shaped me.
Communities should be revived in a holistic manner. One organization or several individuals coming together cannot bring the change that is needed within underserved communities. We need numerous agencies to collaborate for the better good, with their caring expertise to bring forth the change that the community itself is requesting and not what we the experts desire.
African Americans who apply for conventional mortgage loans are 2.5 times more likely to be denied than non-Hispanic whites, according to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data analyzed by the Center for Investigative Reporting. Also in 2017, we saw that the steepest homeownership decline occurred in black communities, where the percentage of homeowners dropped to 42.2 percent.
Based on this data, Caring Ministries in St. Louis developed a model that empowers individuals within the community to have the necessary tools needed to purchase a customized home with immediate equity. Owning your home is not only fulfilling to the individual but also allows for wealth accumulation and economic growth in a city. Our main goal as we develop these communities is to stabilize them, working with agencies and individuals who understand the dynamic of the neighborhood from a cultural context. These forgotten communities can be revived.
Cyril D. Loum is the executive director of Caring Ministries, Inc., which helps to stabilize communities by providing affordable homeownership for the underserved communities, and an adjunct professor at Saint Louis University’s School of Business.
“Homegrown Black Males” is a partnership between HomeGrown STL at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and The St. Louis American, edited by Sean Joe, Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor and associate dean at the Brown School, and Chris King, managing editor of The American, in memory of Michael Brown.
