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Welcome Back, G-Tribe

Issue #124 – March 3, 2026

Welcome Back, G-Tribe

And a special welcome to everyone joining us for the first time.

If you're new here, G.R.O.W. stands for Guidance Redefines Our Way. Every Tuesday at 10 AM EST, we deliver practical guidance rooted in character, leadership, and community — for boys, young men, parents, mentors, and everyone invested in raising the next generation.

You landed here at the right time. March is a big month.

We're stepping into a new theme inside AFGM's 9-month S.H.I.E.L.D.S. program: Development. This is Month 6 of our program year, and the focus is on intentional growth — building the skills, habits, and discipline that turn potential into impact.

March is also Women's History Month. This month, we honor the women who developed themselves fully and, in doing so, changed the world around them. Their stories aren't just history. They're instructions.

Let's GO!

Growth Spotlight: Development Is a Decision

Development doesn't happen to you. You choose it.

That's what separates the people who grow from the people who stay stuck. Not talent. Not resources. Not timing. The decision to keep building — even when no one is watching, no one is clapping, and the results aren't showing yet.

Women's History Month gives us some of the clearest examples of what that decision looks like in practice.

Madam C.J. Walker was born in 1867 to formerly enslaved parents. She had no formal education, no capital, and no roadmap. She developed herself anyway — studying the hair care industry, learning business, testing products, and building a sales system from scratch. By 1910, she had become the first self-made female millionaire in America. She didn't wait for conditions to be right. She developed herself until she was ready for the conditions she created.

Dr. Mae Jemison grew up in Chicago, became a physician, and then decided that wasn't enough. She applied to NASA. She was rejected. She applied again. In 1992, she became the first Black woman to travel to space. Development, for her, meant refusing to let one door tell the story of every door.

Shirley Chisholm ran for President of the United States in 1972 — not because she thought she'd win, but because she believed the act of running would develop what was possible for everyone who came after her. She was right.

Here's the question those women ask us: What are you developing right now that could change what's possible for someone else later?

That's the frame for this month. Development is not just personal. It's generational.

At AFGM, we teach young men that the skills they build today — discipline, communication, critical thinking, self-awareness — are not just for them. They're for the families they'll lead, the communities they'll serve, and the mentors they'll one day become.

You can't give what you haven't built.

Michael’s Hot Take: The Version of You That Someone Needs

Here's what I want you to hear this week.

There is a version of you that someone in your life needs. A son. A mentee. A student. A younger sibling. Someone is waiting for you to develop the thing you keep putting off.

I spent 36 years in federal service, including 15 years as a lead training instructor. The pattern I saw consistently — in colleagues, in trainees, in leaders at every level — is that the people who made the biggest impact were not the most naturally gifted. They were the most committed to development.

They read more. They practiced longer. They asked better questions. They took feedback without falling apart. They stayed in the room when it was uncomfortable and showed up to the next session better.

I just finished reading Kamala Harris's book 107 Days. What struck me most wasn't the politics. It was the discipline. The decision to keep developing, keep preparing, and keep showing up — even when the outcome was uncertain. That's a lesson that belongs in every mentor's toolkit and every young man's library.

That's the model I brought to A Few Good MENtors. Every S.H.I.E.L.D.S. session, every mentor training, every newsletter is built on one belief: development is available to anyone willing to pursue it consistently.

Women's History Month reinforces this. The women who changed history didn't wait for permission or perfect conditions. They developed what they had until it became what the world needed.

Your mentee is watching how you handle your own growth. Whether you keep your commitments. Whether you stay in the learning process when it's slow. Whether you admit what you don't know and go find the answer.

That's mentorship. That's development in action.

Start this week. Name the skill. Make the commitment. Get to work.

Parent Insight of the Week

This week, sit with your son or daughter and ask:

"What's one thing you want to get better at this month, and what's one thing you're willing to give up to make time for it?"

Let them answer without jumping in. Then share your own answer.

Development modeled at home differs from development taught in a classroom. When he sees you choosing growth, he learns that growth is a choice not something that only happens to other people.

Try This With Your Mentee

Ask your mentee:

"Name one woman in history who developed herself in a way that changed things for other people. What did she give up to do it?"

If he struggles to answer, that's the starting point — not the stopping point. Look it up together. Let the conversation lead somewhere real.

Then ask: "What are you developing right now that could matter for someone else later?"

Help him connect his personal growth to something bigger than himself. That connection is what turns discipline into purpose.

Watch & Learn

This video is short, practical, and designed to spark real conversations. Watch together and ask:

• What skill did she develop first?

• What obstacle almost stopped her?

• How did her development change what was possible for other people?

Upcoming Events

Join us for the Super Bowl

Now that the teams have been set, come on out and watch the big game with us.

MUSIC BINGO NIGHT IS HERE!!

Pull up for a night of good vibes, great music, and an even better cause 

Join A Few Good MENtors for Music Bingo Night, where great music, nostalgia, and friendly competition meet, and the community comes together!

Saturday, March 14, 2026
6:00–10:00 PM (21+)
Mulligan’s Pub on the Green | Fairfax, VA

AFGM Engagement Hour | 6:00–7:00 PM
Arrive early. No pressure. Just good conversation, light apps, and a chance to connect.

Tickets are available now.
Can’t attend? Donations & sponsorships welcome!

AFGM Signature Events for 2026

These events mark our year of movement and momentum.

• AFGM/Word Alive Church International Financial Workshop— April 11, 2026

• AFGM 5K Run/Walk — June 27, 2026

• AFGM Brotherhood Awards Luncheon — November 7, 2026

Sponsorship Opportunity

We are seeking sponsors and partners for all 2026 signature events.
If you know a business or organization that invests in boys, families, and mentorship, connect them with us.

Email: [email protected]

That’s it for this week.

This is the Year of Movement and Momentum.
Every step matters.
Thanks for moving with us. Please share this newsletter with friends and family.