Opening Doors: HBCU Tours, Mentorship, and Building the Next Generation of Leaders

This episode explores how community leadership and educational access come together to change young lives, featuring Pastor Kelcey West and Tanya Flanagan discussing the HBCU college tour program held with Commissioner William McCurdy II. Kelcey details how the Doolittle college fair brought together more than 30 schools for on-site admissions, while the sold-out spring tour will take 156 registered students to visit campuses including Texas Southern, Prairie View, Xavier, Dillard, Southern, Grambling, Jackson State, Alcorn State, and Tougaloo, with a second summer tour in the works. Beyond college access, the conversation turns to mentorship, with both guests emphasizing that community leaders must serve as visible role models who directly teach young people professional, financial, and social skills—Kelcey shares the story of a former student whose mentorship led to a Howard University degree and a job at Louis Vuitton. Drawing on personal encounters with figures like John Lewis, Rosa Parks, Spike Lee, and Muhammad Ali, the guests close with a call for listeners to show up for community events, network across differences, and pass on what they know to the next generation, regardless of their financial means.