Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dedrick Sims, CEO of Sims-Fayola Foundation, located in Denver, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Despite the fact that a long history of inequity, the United States education system's treatment of students of color has remained relatively unmoved as repeated protests calling for change continue to be undervalued and overwhelmingly ignored. The United States has long built and reinforced systems of oppression and a hierarchy of privilege that fuels white people's success by severely limiting people of color's ability to live healthy, fulfilling lives and, in many cases, to live at all. These systems influence the lives of people of color from birth to death, creating barriers that limit their capability to exercise even their most basic rights. The challenges facing boys and young men of color are startling and widespread. From their earliest years through college and adulthood, they are disproportionately disadvantaged and at-risk regardless of socioeconomic status. Challenges stem from individual encounters to massive, seemingly insurmountable systemic barriers that place roadblocks in all areas of their lives. Not only are the obstacles systemic and individual, but they are also ingrained in our social norms, attitudes and behaviors, institutions, and policies. For boys and men of color, challenges become increasingly apparent in school systems, where significant disparities exist at various levels. Academically, 86% of Black boys and 82% of Hispanic boys read below proficiency levels by the fourth grade, compared to 58% of white boys. Beyond academics, boys and young men of color are disproportionately impacted by disciplinary action. School policies from preschool to twelfth grade lead young men and boys of color to receive punishment, suspension, and expulsion at much greater rates than their white peers (Curtis, 2014; Gonzalez, 2012; Healy, 2014; Porter, 2015; Skiba, Arredondo, & Williams, 2014).
There is significant consensus among researchers that these rates are directly correlated to the school-to-prison pipeline, which leads students of color to be pushed out of school and into prisons, resulting in the overrepresentation of young men of color, particularly African American males, in juvenile detention centers and the prison system (Casserly et al., 2012 Fowler, 2011 Hatt, 2011 Nicholson-Crotty, Birchmeier, & Valentine, 2009 Raible & Irizarry, 2010 and Shippen, Patterson, Green, & Smitherman, 2012).
The disadvantages boys and young men of color face extend far beyond the school environment. Along with their disproportionate representation in the criminal justice system, young men of color are also startlingly overrepresented among victims of violent crimes. They are six times as likely to be murdered than their white peers and account for almost half of murder victims in the United States each year (American Psychological Association, 2015). When leaving the school system—regardless of their graduation status—these young men are also more likely to be unemployed and struggle with mental health diagnoses. Further compounding these challenges, studies analyzing the influence of communities and networks on young people find that boys and young men of color are less likely to access networks and support structures that provide critical guidance as they come of age. One national study establishes the disconnection rate at 21.6% for Black youth, 30.3% for Native American youth, and 16.3% for Latinx youth, far above the 11.3% rate for white youth (Lewis & Burd-Sharps, 2015). In short, in addition to facing countless obstacles marked by systemic oppression, marginalization, and victimization, young men and boys of color lack adult support systems to guide them along the challenging journey ahead. In conjunction with the dismal achievement numbers for young men and boys of color, this reality represents a clarion call for funding new approaches.
Sims-Fayola Foundation (SFF) believes addressing these challenges requires a strategic, transformative approach that dismantles barriers that systemically marginalize young boys and men of color at multiple levels. A comprehensive, transformative approach is critical to developing institutions that work for young men and boys of color. By engaging multi-level stakeholders, from educational and community leaders to researchers, criminal justice professionals, policymakers, and youth themselves, SFF has risen to this challenge of combatting systemic violence against boys and young men of color.
Tell us about yourself
I started in education as a substitute teacher when I completed my military service as an Army officer. Before my military service, while in college, I tutored upperclassmen in a variety of subjects. Teaching was something that always came naturally to me. I really enjoyed seeing people "get it." After completing my military service, I moved to Mobile, Alabama, to start my graduate program. While in school, I started teaching Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Chemistry at Williamson High School. I served students in the classroom for seven years before taking a one-year hiatus to work for Aventis Pharmaceuticals in some of Alabama's rural parts.
After becoming disgusted with how some of the physicians were taking advantage of the lack of education and access to quality healthcare of people of color in those rural areas, I vowed that I would go back to the education field and work relentlessly to educate young people of color on how they learn, how to access information, and how to think critically and reflectively about socio-political issues in their communities. I eventually moved into roles that carried more responsibility (administrative) and gave me opportunities for a more significant impact on students and their families and my fellow educators. At their request, I started to work with other educators on increasing their capacity to work with students of color, particularly young men and boys of color. So much so that I started my first consulting group, Zen Educational Consulting, to work with other schools and their staff on equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
During this time, I wrote my first two books, Hardwired by Nature: What We as Educators Underestimate About Our Minority Students and The Dedrick Sims Reader. Our Hardwired by Nature: School/Program Design Through an Equity Lens is foundationally based on that book. Over the years, I have expanded the content and created seven comprehensive workshops that focus on equity and inclusion. We currently conduct these workshops around the country. We have impacted thousands of educators and other professionals working with students of color, emphasizing young men and boys of color. Eventually, my frustration with the lack of urgency and sometimes indifferent efforts of traditional education towards the improvement of education access and outcomes for students of color led me to move to Denver and start my own charter school for young men. This work still motivates me every day!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Just as there have been many struggles, I also have many proud moments. The starting of the Sims-Fayola International Academy, helping others to start a school, the writing of three books, the founding and success of the Sims-Fayola Foundation, being able to provide scholarships to young men for the past three years, and continuing to be a "go-to" guide for a multitude of educators and non-educators around the country to name a few. I'd also like to add that I'm super proud of my newest book, "Hey Man, We Just Talkin': Daily Conversations With Young Men," being released on June 15th. This is an AMAZING book written directly to young men. It's like a mentor in a book! HEY MAN, We Just Talkin' is a daily reader written for young men from 10-21 years old. This daily reader
contains 21 passages of encouraging words that are designed to not only
encourage but also challenge their assumptions about their maleness and what being a man is all about. It covers topics such as education, love, money, responsibility, grit, relationships, respect, faith, death, and many other topics from the male perspective.
The passages also include reactions from other men on the topics and how the topic has played out in their lives as men. It's meant to be a quick read that could be used to start the day, be a mid-day encourager, or a way to end the day in reflection and growth. This book can be used by schools, mentors, parents, or groups that focus on young men as a supplement to the work you are already doing. It can also be given as a gift to a young man. This book is not meant to diminish the role of hard-working and self-sacrificing women by any means. It's simply meant to highlight, for young men, the important role they should and eventually play in the lives of their families and their communities as men. However, the proudest kind of moment is always seeing a young man we have engaged with go on to do great things at all levels of his life and contribute some of that success to the impact my organization or I had.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come along with being a business owner is managing and being held accountable to the business. Sometimes this conflicts with the mission of the business. In our case, as a social enterprise, our business is to empower people. However, sometimes the "business" of the business can cause you to release people.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be resilient.
- Network, Network, Network.
- Learn how to tell your business story.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Entrepreneurship is fun and hard! Embrace them both!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sffoundation.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SIMSFAYOLAFOUNDATION/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simsfayolafoundation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/simsfayolafound
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dedricksims/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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