Why LFW?
Leaders of the Free World (LFW) is committed to changing the narrative for young Black men by providing them with the tools, experiences, and networks necessary to succeed on a global scale. As an international experience and leadership development program, LFW's mission is to cultivate dynamic leaders who are not only globally-minded but also deeply self-aware and driven by a commitment to service.
Our Vision
At the core of LFW's efforts is the vision to diversify the global leadership pipeline—a space where Black representation is critically lacking. In a world where leadership roles on the global stage are overwhelmingly dominated by non-Black individuals, LFW seeks to challenge and change this status quo by empowering young Black men with the skills, opportunities, and connections they need to break into international leadership positions.
LFW's Work and Impact
Through a blend of international travel, leadership workshops, mentorship, and career development programs, LFW equips participants with the experiences and perspectives necessary to thrive in a globalized world. The program's unique approach combines cultural immersion with leadership training, fostering a deep sense of self-awareness, cultural competency, and a commitment to social justice among its fellows.
Our Vision
At the core of LFW's efforts is the vision to diversify the global leadership pipeline—a space where Black representation is critically lacking. In a world where leadership roles on the global stage are overwhelmingly dominated by non-Black individuals, LFW seeks to challenge and change this status quo by empowering young Black men with the skills, opportunities, and connections they need to break into international leadership positions.
LFW's Work and Impact
Through a blend of international travel, leadership workshops, mentorship, and career development programs, LFW equips participants with the experiences and perspectives necessary to thrive in a globalized world. The program's unique approach combines cultural immersion with leadership training, fostering a deep sense of self-awareness, cultural competency, and a commitment to social justice among its fellows.
- Global Exposure: LFW offers its fellows the opportunity to travel abroad, where they engage in cultural exchange, community service, and leadership activities. These experiences broaden their understanding of the world and prepare them to navigate and lead in diverse environments.
- Leadership Development: Through a series of workshops and mentorship programs, LFW fellows develop key leadership skills such as strategic thinking, effective communication, and ethical decision-making. These skills are crucial for success in both domestic and international arenas.
- Career Readiness: LFW also focuses on career development, providing fellows with access to professional networks, internships, and job opportunities that align with their global leadership goals. This includes exposure to careers in international organizations, global businesses, and leadership roles that require a nuanced understanding of different cultures and markets
Why We Do What We Do
Leaders of the Free World was created in response to the glaring underrepresentation of Black men in global leadership positions. According to recent data, Black professionals hold only a small fraction of executive or senior leadership roles, particularly on the international stage. LFW exists to bridge this gap by creating pathways for young Black men to access and succeed in global leadership positions.
By investing in the next generation of Black leaders, LFW is not only working to diversify the leadership pipeline but also to ensure that the voices and perspectives of Black men are represented in the decisions that shape our world. Our work is driven by the belief that leadership should be as diverse as the communities and cultures it seeks to serve, and we are committed to making that vision a reality.
The Black Male Global Leadership Summit
One of LFW's flagship initiatives is the Black Male Global Leadership Summit, a one-day event that serves as a platform to inspire and equip young Black men to pursue leadership opportunities on a global scale. The summit features a range of sessions, including keynote addresses, panel discussions, and a "student voices" segment where attendees hear from peers who have successfully navigated global leadership pathways.
This event aligns with LFW's broader mission by providing attendees with the knowledge, networks, and inspiration they need to break into international leadership roles. It also serves as a crucial space for discussing the barriers Black men face in accessing these opportunities and how they can be overcome.
Leaders of the Free World was created in response to the glaring underrepresentation of Black men in global leadership positions. According to recent data, Black professionals hold only a small fraction of executive or senior leadership roles, particularly on the international stage. LFW exists to bridge this gap by creating pathways for young Black men to access and succeed in global leadership positions.
By investing in the next generation of Black leaders, LFW is not only working to diversify the leadership pipeline but also to ensure that the voices and perspectives of Black men are represented in the decisions that shape our world. Our work is driven by the belief that leadership should be as diverse as the communities and cultures it seeks to serve, and we are committed to making that vision a reality.
The Black Male Global Leadership Summit
One of LFW's flagship initiatives is the Black Male Global Leadership Summit, a one-day event that serves as a platform to inspire and equip young Black men to pursue leadership opportunities on a global scale. The summit features a range of sessions, including keynote addresses, panel discussions, and a "student voices" segment where attendees hear from peers who have successfully navigated global leadership pathways.
This event aligns with LFW's broader mission by providing attendees with the knowledge, networks, and inspiration they need to break into international leadership roles. It also serves as a crucial space for discussing the barriers Black men face in accessing these opportunities and how they can be overcome.
Why Focus on Young Black Men?
Throughout the United States today, Black Americans still experience disparities in education, economic mobility, and social and physical well-being. According to Pew Research Center, “Black men were more than six times as likely as white men in 2010 to be incarcerated” (2013, p. 5), and recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment rate for Black men is more than three percentage points greater than that for white men (2022, April 1). Black communities that were subjected to redlining have lower life expectancies, higher rates of chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and pulmonary disease, and are more vulnerable to natural disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic (Godoy, 2020, November 19). As reported by CNN, "Black professionals in 2018 held just 3.3% of all executive or senior leadership roles," and "Among Fortune 500 companies, less than 1% of CEOs are Black" (Sahadi, 2020, June 2).
These inequalities persist in higher education as well. Every year, a large percentage of Black men enrolled in U.S. colleges leave without achieving their intended degree; in 2016, fewer than 4 in 10 Black students completed a college degree or certificate program within 6 years of enrolling (Shapiro et al., 2017, p. 9). Black men also lag behind Black women in educational attainment; the same study found that male students had lower completion rates across the board, but “Black men, overall, had the lowest completion rate (33.5 percent)” (Shapiro et al., 2017, p. 9).
LFW aims to join initiatives like the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper and the Corporation for Black Male Achievement (formerly the Campaign for Black Male Achievement) in highlighting and addressing inequality. By focusing on young Black men enrolled in college, we hope to change these statistics and help create a more equitable future.
These inequalities persist in higher education as well. Every year, a large percentage of Black men enrolled in U.S. colleges leave without achieving their intended degree; in 2016, fewer than 4 in 10 Black students completed a college degree or certificate program within 6 years of enrolling (Shapiro et al., 2017, p. 9). Black men also lag behind Black women in educational attainment; the same study found that male students had lower completion rates across the board, but “Black men, overall, had the lowest completion rate (33.5 percent)” (Shapiro et al., 2017, p. 9).
LFW aims to join initiatives like the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper and the Corporation for Black Male Achievement (formerly the Campaign for Black Male Achievement) in highlighting and addressing inequality. By focusing on young Black men enrolled in college, we hope to change these statistics and help create a more equitable future.
Why International Experiential Learning?
International experience provides a student with opportunities for intentional self-reflection and deepening their understanding of global and cultural issues, as well as cultivating a sense of responsibility as local and global citizen (Bringle and Hatcher, 2011). For young Black men, international travel also offers a reprieve from the U.S. historical context of Black racial identity, and “diasporic travel” has been found to serve as a catalyst for academic achievement, motivation, and positive career outcomes (Kronholz & Osborn, 2016). LFW strives to provide our Fellows with structured international experiential learning in order to help them develop new frames of reference and deeper levels of engagement and cross-cultural dialogue.
The Importance of Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s capability to successfully achieve set goals (Bandura, 1993), and helps individuals deal with challenges that arise when they pursue those goals. Students’ self-efficacy can be positively influenced by mastering new challenges, seeing positive role models master similar challenges, and receiving encouragement from people around them. LFW believes self-efficacy and leadership skills go hand-in-hand and our Fellowship program is designed to bolster self-efficacy and as an integral part of personal development, creating more confident and successful leaders of tomorrow.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, April 1). E-16. Unemployment rates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpsee_e16.htm
Godoy, M. (2020, November 19). In U.S. cities, the health effects of past housing discrimination are plain to see. NPR, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/19/911909187/in-u-s-cities-the-health-effects-of-past-housing-discrimination-are-plain-to-see
Pew Research Center. (2013). King’s dream remains an elusive goal; Many Americans see racial disparities. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/08/final_full_report_racial_disparities.pdf
Sahadi, J. (2020, June 2). After years of talking about diversity, the number of black leaders at US companies is still dismal. CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/success/diversity-and-black-leadership-in-corporate-america/index.html
Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Huie, F., Wakhungu, P., Yuan, X., Nathan, A & Hwang, Y., A. (2017, April). A national view of student attainment rates by race and ethnicity – Fall 2010 cohort (Signature report no. 12b). National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Signature12-RaceEthnicity.pdf
Godoy, M. (2020, November 19). In U.S. cities, the health effects of past housing discrimination are plain to see. NPR, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/19/911909187/in-u-s-cities-the-health-effects-of-past-housing-discrimination-are-plain-to-see
Pew Research Center. (2013). King’s dream remains an elusive goal; Many Americans see racial disparities. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/08/final_full_report_racial_disparities.pdf
Sahadi, J. (2020, June 2). After years of talking about diversity, the number of black leaders at US companies is still dismal. CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/success/diversity-and-black-leadership-in-corporate-america/index.html
Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Huie, F., Wakhungu, P., Yuan, X., Nathan, A & Hwang, Y., A. (2017, April). A national view of student attainment rates by race and ethnicity – Fall 2010 cohort (Signature report no. 12b). National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Signature12-RaceEthnicity.pdf
NKWA Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor for our organization. Their EIN# is 46-5558879. All donations are tax-exempt under their 501(c)(3) tax status. Checks for Leaders of the Free World should be made out to "NKWA Foundation" (with "Leaders of the Free World" or "LFW" in the memo line) and mailed to: Leaders of the Free World, P.O. Box 353, Chicopee MA 01021