“We’re trying to create a brotherhood that is open to every student on campus where we help each other to succeed,” said senior Shelton Watson, co-founder of Brothers Doing Positive.

Brothers Doing Positive has technically existed at Guilford since 2009 in the form of a committee under Blacks Unifying Society, now Brothers and Sisters in Blackness. BDP since waned due to lack of consistent leadership with main leaders graduating.

Watson and fellow student co-founders senior Lawrence Blake and sophomore Taylor Knox have worked to revitalize and renovate the program as part of their Multicultural Leadership Scholars Program project focusing on minority male retention rates at Guilford.

“We wanted to transform the program into more of a mentorship,” said Blake. “We wanted to give something back to the campus as our legacy. We want the upperclassmen to give back to the newcomers on campus and from there we want to connect with the community through volunteering and working with elementary schools and inner-city youth.”

While the group welcomes any students, BDP aims to help younger male students succeed.

“We really want to get in touch with some of the younger male students here and make sure they’re on the right track, helping with any issues they have, making them aware of the resources they have at Guilford on and off campus, and trying to get them better prepared for the real world,” said Knox.

BDP’s faculty advisor, JaEric Brooks-Shoffner, administrative and research assistant in the Multicultural Education Department, hopes to see BDP take root in the Guilford community this time around.

“My goal is to see this program become a mainstay here on campus, to have recurring programs and events and for the organization to build partnerships, not only with other student organizations but with administration, athletics and alumni as well,” said Brooks-Shoffner.

Barbara Boyette, assistant academic dean for academic support, believes there is a deep need for groups like BDP at Guilford.

“Retention rates in general are a concern at Guilford,” said Boyette. “Minority students’ retention lags behind white students, but recently people are thriving and staying more. The idea of the group for me is (to) get some successful men involved in helping other men be successful on campus. Retention rate among men is worse than it is for women, so we’re trying to focus on a population we can hopefully make a difference with.”

José Oliva, president of Community Senate, also pointed to the absence of such a program as a concern for Guilford.

“I think one of the reasons we’re seeing this retention problem on campus is resources,” said Oliva. “If a person doesn’t have the resources to succeed, then that person is most likely to leave the school. What has happened in the past is that there has not been a solid mentoring program for people of color who can help navigate the culture.

“Being a minority on campus at Guilford is very difficult and looking at the diversity of the staff at Guilford, there are very few people from minority groups working closely with the students.”