My Unsung Hero for Black History Month is Torrence Brannon Reese founding director of FAMLI (Foundation for Arts, Mentoring, Leadership and Innovation), a non-profit after school mentoring program at Audubon Middle School in Los Angeles, CA. His two gender specific programs are “See A Man, Be A Man” and “Princess to Queen” for underserved boys and girls.

In 2008, the program lost its entire funding due to the city’s budget crisis. Instead of shutting down the program, Mr. Reese assembled an all-volunteer staff in order to continue providing services to the youth. Day in and day out he continues to come out o his own pocket for the much needed services for the youth. He provides meals, field trips, arts, and cultural and other activities for the kids in his program. He also performs in the Doo Wop group, Renaissance to raise funds for the kids.

In addition to mentoring the children, he meets with their teachers, counselors, principal, foster parents and/or social worker to assist them academically as well as in their personal lives. For all that he does to improve the lives of these vulnerable boys and girls in the community with out hesitation or complaint makes him my unsung hero.