Harlem Youth Benefit from Faith-Based Initiative

Some young people growing up in Harlem are better able to resist the pressures of inner-city life as a result of a faith-based mentoring program introduced by leaders of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City.

This conclusion was based on research by Dr. Darrell D. Irwin, assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Dr. Irwin's research interests include the linkage between drug use and gun violence, as well as youth subcultures, drug courts and faith-based programs.

An article about the study, "Alternatives to Delinquency in Harlem: A Study of Faith-Based Community Mentoring," was published in The Justice Professional, Volume 15, Issue 1 Spring 2002 pages 29-36. The article discusses the use of mentoring in a faith-based setting as a tool for the prevention of delinquency and drug use. It can be read in its entirety at http://www.uncwil.edu/news/releases/july02/irwin_article.html

Dr. Irwin will also present his research on faith-based initiatives at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 6th Annual Symposium for Faith and Community Based Organizations Aug. 15 in Washington, D.C. He will speak at a workshop titled, "Youth and Family: Outreach, Services, Support and Resources" from 3:45 -- 5:45 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 15, at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Dr. Irwin's New York City research focused on the design and impact of the Blue Nile Rites of Passage mentoring program on 39 youth aged 11-15 who passed though the program over nine-months in 1996-97.

Utilizing volunteer adults, many who were church members, the program was designed to have a positive impact on family relationships, self-esteem, sexual behaviors, drug use, peer and sibling relationships, and the religious and social values of the youth.

"Many institutions have tried to make positive changes in the economic strife facing the Harlem community, yet few have been as successful as faith-based efforts," said Dr. Irwin. "As our country struggles to find the appropriate place for faith-based initiatives in contemporary public policy, my research shows that it worked for these African-American adolescents."

The Abyssinian Baptist Church utilized the strength of its elders to minister to the needs of their youth through a mentoring program that required at least two contacts by mentors each week and attendance at Saturday afternoon sessions. By helping the youth develop both a positive cultural and religious identity, the young people were better able to counter the pressures of drug use, violence, and sexual activity associated with the urban inner city.

"My research found that these at-risk, inner city youth who were mentored through the Blue Nile Rites of Passage faith initiative were motivated to resist delinquency prevalent in urban neighborhoods," he said. "This is the type of faith-based initiative that certainly is going to attract the attention of policymakers."

Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, which has a long history of community action in New York City, introduced the Blue Nile Rites of Passage program in 1993. Founded in 1808, it is one of the oldest and largest black churches in America. Ever since it was established in Harlem in 1923, the church has been active in social programs under the leadership of Reverend Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and Jr., and 1990 to present under Reverend Calvin Butts III.

The program offered the youth spiritual guidance and emotional support, and challenged them to raise their standards. Stressing the importance of a religious identity, at one Saturday session for boys and girls together, the director focused on 'Young Sisters.'

"¥whenever you're in a relationship with a Young Brother expect to be treated good. Judge him by how you would want your mother, sister or daughter treated." Speaking to the Young Brothers, he said, "God made man first, then made a new and improved version of it. She might be the mother of your children. Respect her."

This pledge introduced to the youth in the Rites of Passage class shows the need for instilling a sense of respect instead of hostility in the lives of these children. For more information about the Abyssinian Baptist Church's program, see its Web site at: http://www.bluenilepassage.org.

"As debate and discussion continue about government's role in helping churches act to reweave the social net that was threadbare and all but missing, I hope policy makers will consider the success at the Abyssinian Baptist Church," said Dr. Irwin.