Through SAAB, Pettway says her students get the opportunity to mentor each other, meet politicians and get guidance on how to navigate the higher education system. She also says the organization helps its members navigate the “system of maneuvering themselves through life, especially in corporate America. That is just something that is foreign to our students.�

Bledsoe says that though SAAB started on college campuses, his strategy has been to connect all levels of education, from grade school to college, as problems with Black male academic achievement take root early.

“One of the neat things about SAAB that’s been very intentional is that it’s a very comprehensive, culturally sensitive, academically focused mentoring program. We’re in the high schools, the two-year and the four-year schools — we’re creating a synergistic model to get those three levels connected,� he says.

Pettway says spirituality is a key component of SAAB, noting the organization’s “brother’s keeper� motto. SAAB aims to spiritually ground young minority men who feel disconnected to and disenfranchised by society, she says.

“That’s something that’s generally not seen at universities or colleges, but it is obvious that Dr. Bledsoe has a deep belief and a faith that is very firm and he gives back because he knows how important that is for students in order for them to achieve,� she says.

“I’m appreciative of that because I think that African-American males need to see that that is very prevalent and it lends itself to success and a sense of being, that we know who we are and through that process we can become even greater.�