In a small Cleveland barbershop, something powerful is happening. Amid the buzz of clippers and scent of aftershave, Black men and teen boys gather each month for something deeper than a fade or a lineup. They come for the Brother to Brother (B2B) Conversation series—an honest, affirming space created and led by Melvin White, a Say Yes Family Support Specialist with a mission that stretches far beyond the walls of any classroom. Melvin isn’t just talking about change. He is the change.
As the sole non-academic Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) representative selected to present at this summer’s State of Black Learning Conference in Pennsylvania, Melvin will take the stage with a powerful message. His session, titled “What Is Your Why as a Black Educator in the Current State of America,” is a rallying cry for those who teach and lead while navigating systems not built with them in mind. But his influence doesn’t stop there.
Most Saturday mornings, Melvin can be found sitting in school cafeterias across Cleveland, not as an educator, but as a listener. Through the Black Child Development Institute–Ohio’s Fatherhood Table Talk series, he joins other fathers and father figures for real conversations about parenting, support, and resilience. The sessions are raw, vulnerable, and vital—spaces where fatherhood isn’t romanticized but honored in all its complexities.
Recently, Melvin brought that same energy to the Step Forward Head Start Annual Staff Development Conference, where he served as a Lunch & Learn speaker. He also led a dynamic team-building workshop for their Family Support Specialists, equipping them with tools to connect more deeply with families in need.
If Melvin’s work in schools and community spaces wasn’t enough, he’s also an author – of four books. His memoir, Breaking the Cycles of Abandonment: I Am Not My Father, is a gripping testament to healing generational trauma. And his three children’s books – Why Daddy Braids My Hair,Daddy Takes Desi to Visit Mommy in Timeout, and A New Sister and Mommy for Desi – are bold, tender contributions to the growing canon of Black family narratives written for kids who deserve to see themselves on the page.
In every conversation he leads, every stage he steps on, and every page he writes, Melvin White is uplifting the voices too often left on the margins. He’s not just building bridges between schools, families, and the community – he’s walking across them, hand in hand with the next generation. Because for Melvin, this work isn’t just professional. It’s personal. And it’s powerful.
