EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NATIONAL CARES MENTORING MOVEMENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EMERITUS OF ESSENCE MAGAZINE SUSAN L. TAYLOR AND CHAIRMAN OF 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA, INC.THOMAS W. DORTCH JR. AND MORE

The Heinz Field Club was filled with hope and inspiration by all who attended. With the anticipation of waiting for Susan Taylor to show up, everyone mingled, ate food and communicated with each other. Orlana Darkins of the Darkins Groups, Inc was in attendance as well as radio personality Anji Corley. Pittsburgh's elite came out to get involved and here how they can help become a mentor after this event was over or to keep the mentoring relationships going that are already established.

It was great to see a lot of people come out such as Orlana Darkins of the Darkins Group, Sage Berlin of Berlin International, Donna Baxter of the Soul Pitt and many more. The highlight for me was getting to speak with Thomas Dortch who is the chairman of 100 Black Men of America. It is always a pleasure to see our people come together for something positive and for the community. Here what they all had to say here about the National Cares Mentoring Movement, Susan L. Taylor and mentoring across the country.

SUSAN L. TAYLOR - CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL CARES MENTORING MOVEMENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EMERITUS OF ESSENCE MAGAZINE SUSAN L. TAYLOR: "I'm glad that we are having the event in Pittsburgh and it's good to be here. Instead of having the usual Essence Festival, we wanted to do something different that would have a greater impact on the community. We have to do something different and mentoring our youth is the key to their future. If we don't step in and mentor our youth, there is no telling what is going to happen to them", said Taylor of the National Cares Mentoring Movement.

THOMAS DORTCH - CHAIRMAN OF 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: We don't have a choice but to mentoring our young black boys and girls. This event is bring together community leaders and activist to get them to focus on the fact that we have to mentor our young black boys and girls. We can't leave to some other organization or some other community. We can't blame corporate America either because we have to take care of our own children. When we take care of our children and our own communities, then we take care of our cities and our nations. So coming together here is to highlight the importance of mentoring, but more importantly to sound the alarm that if we don't address this we are going to lose so many our of young black boys, girls, men and women. Our effort to get a million plus to sign up across the nation to be mentors. It's not complicated and it's not a job. It's our pleasure and that's what we're trying to do. 100 Black Men of America was founded in 1963. 100 Black Men Incorporated was the first chapter. The second chapter was in Newark, NJ and then the chapter in LA. In 1986 we formed a national organization to build and mentor hundreds of thousands over the years. It's an effort to get black men to come together to committ to work and help build our communities and to mentor our young people and to be there to help show positive images. It's been around and at almost 24 years old we're still moving to make a difference in our communities.

Susan Taylor and I were on a trip for a national professional network and we were in the Mediterrian working with African American professionals. We came back after having many dialogues. Susan called me up and said instead of doing the Essence Music Festival as usual, let's do something that last for years.

After looking at what happened in New Orleans with Katrina, Susan asked me if I would be willing to get on the phone and call national leaders around the country to get them to essemble the National Cares Movement. We've been working together ever since to get community organizations to come together and partner to highlight the importance of mentoring and educating.

RUSTIN LEWIS - PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL CARES MENTORING MOVEMENT: National Cares Mentoring Movement President I see the value and critical need we have to recruit young adults to transform our communities. We understand many of the issues and challenges our youth are facing. I think the black on black crime is horrific and devastating. It's devastating our communities, families and generations to come. We've got to do something about it and I think the National Cares Mentoring Movement is the answer to that. We are a force that brings together mentors from various communities to engage in existing mentoring organizations. I think that Susan is a living legend and a treasure that our community must recognize. To try to save the next generation is the only way.

ANJI CORLEY - ON-AIR PERSONALITY AND HOST OF THE EVENT: Being here is tremendous, phenomenal and outstanding and I'm glad to be a part of it.

RYAN PATRICK PARKER: Anytime we have an opportunity to get together for our young people I'm going
to be behind it 100%. This goes on with a lot of the work that I'm doing here with the Shyne Awards by
promoting young people whose doing excellent things in their lives.

ORLANA DARKINS OF THE DARKINS GROUPS, INC.: Any event that brings together adults to promote mentoring to our youth is an event that I want to be a part of and that is why the Darkins Group and the Shyne Awards is here to show support for this initiative.

BONITA LEE PENN OF THE SOUL PITT: This is Susan's event to get Pittsburgh on the bandwagon of mentoring because we are losing a lot of children. This is a way to show people who have made a different way to go. We have so many people here that I hope they really get involved. Some people show up to these events, but when it comes down to really getting involved with it, only a few will get involved. Everybody wants to be seen like they're doing something, but only the real dedicated ones will do something.

DONNA BAXTER OF THE SOUL PITT: The youth need us. They need us really bad because they are our future. If we don't reach out a hand to pull them up, nobody else will. When it comes to our black youth, no one cares about them as much as we do. All it takes is to talk to one child. I've mentored a couple of teenagers
and I've seen that I've made a difference in their lives by teaching them things and taking time with them. I also encourage them to volunteer as well. Some are a part of my business as interns.

CANDI CASTLEBERRY-SINGLETON OF UPMC: Lives have changed from positive mentors and exposure to others. When I look back on my life and my career, it's because of the doors that were open for me. I was fortunate to have parents who played a great role in my life. In the work place, the school place and world place you need mentors to open doors for you and to tell you what doors to stay away from. It will enable you to be successful and not experience life by yourself. When you think you're alone, you soon realize that you don't have to be.
This is a great call to action and to do something different. Whenever we have one of these types of events, I always say that this is the beginning of a new day and something big. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever so do something different as a result of coming together. Follow up on the mentoring relationships that are started or become a mentor yourself.