CB Mentoring, a charity founded in 2020 by Edwin Panford-Quainoo, aims to empower black children by fostering their confidence and educational aspirations. Established in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, which spotlighted systemic inequality, the organization focuses on providing mentorship and support to young students, particularly those who have historically faced barriers to higher education. Using music as a conduit, CB Mentoring is not just keeping kids off the streets; they are inspiring children and showing them what they could be.
The charity uses creative approaches to boost kids’ confidence. Music is an important part of the equation in this strategy. Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock, a Grammy award-winning musician and educator, directs the rehearsals for the group. His engagement illustrates not only his personal passion for equity but a collective institutional determination to set all students up for success no matter their starting point.
Dr. Murdock was recently appointed as a visiting professor at Wolfson College. He’s passionate about doing his part to make sure the educational playing field is level. He stated, “One of my passions is to level the field, to ensure students have the same opportunities as the students in more affluent zip codes.” His work with CB Mentoring is a shining example of this passion, as he uses his knowledge to ignite the creative potential of young minds.
While CB Mentoring is primarily focused on music, it provides one-on-one tutelage for children. Such an arrangement allows students to speak candidly and directly with actual current students at Cambridge. This tailored approach has been successful. In 2020, 152 students were admitted to the highly selective university. Just 108 black British students were admitted last year to its 29 constituent colleges. That’s a huge jump from only 61 students seven years earlier.
The charity is only as strong as its passionate volunteers, who provide critical counseling, mentoring, and teaching services to local children. Among them are masters students such as Abraham Zhiri, George Wanjiru and Ijeoma Uchegbu. Zhiri passionately remarked on his volunteering experience, saying, “What I get out of it is satisfaction. I see them as my own sisters and brothers.” He emphasized the importance of making time for the youth, asserting, “I love seeing kids making good decisions at an early age. So no matter how busy I am, I make time to be here for their sake.”
Wanjiru, said something along the same lines, and talked about being able to relate to the children he mentors. He stated, “They are young kids who look like me, who’ve grown up here but have no connection to the university. I feel it’s my duty to give back to these kids and show them it’s possible to dream big.”
The nonprofit’s purpose is deeply rooted in its founder’s dream. Panford-Quainoo explained his conviction that local, grassroots efforts tend to fall by the wayside. The grassroots for me is always the one that’s forgotten. The local backyard. And that’s where we come in,” he said. He further elaborated on the organization’s purpose: “To hold the hands of the people left behind and bring them along.”
In his comments, Panford-Quainoo acknowledged the progress that has been made in increasing diversity in the admissions process at universities. He emphasized that there is much more progress to be done. “Things are changing. It’s never enough,” he stated. He thinks the early emphasis was all about access. It was meant to give children the power to take back educational spaces that were otherwise unavailable to them.
Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, a volunteer, a 35-year-old master’s student, explained how important representation is. She said, “It’s a matter of making sure the kids that wouldn’t typically walk through the doors of a college get through the doors of a college. They can see themselves living here and then figure out, oh yeah, I can go to school here.” Her perspective underscores the charity’s ultimate mission. They shift the model from just increasing access for students to helping them feel a sense of belonging and community.
