NYABJ at the 20th Anniversary of the National CARES Mentoring Movement
- Mar 5
- 2 min read
By Mana Faye photos courtesy: Bill Allen
Credit: Bill Allen Perception Media
On Monday night, the National CARES Mentoring Movement hosted its annual For the Love of Our Children Gala, marking the organization’s 20th anniversary and founder Susan L. Taylor’s 80th birthday at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
Hosted by Emmy Award-winning television host Tamron Hall, hundreds of actors, activists and journalists attended, including activist and Me Too movement founder Tarana Burke, radio host Angela Yee and actor Leon Robinson.
The theme of the evening, The Women Who Made Us, centered on honoring the women who have had the greatest impact on attendees’ lives.
Credit: Bill Allen Perception Media
“My mom, my grandmother, the women around me,” said Yolonda Ross, actress on the The Chi. “There are so many amazing and supportive women in my circle that I am grateful for every day.”
Another attendee reflected on Taylor’s influence, saying: “She actually featured me in Essence magazine, and for someone of Susan L. Taylor’s stature to see someone like me, it meant so much — and it’s motivated me to do even more.”
The gala served as both a tribute and a call to action to expand mentoring programs and mental health support for youth at a time when children nationwide are facing escalating mental health challenges and communities are calling for sustained investment.
Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View, shared with Pulse the best advice she had received from a mentor.
“‘No’ is the first answer on the road to ‘yes,’” she said. “Every decision in your career is made when you’re not in the room, so you need a mentor — a champion — in the room to open those doors for you. That mentor must know the good, the bad and the ugly and still have the power to make a difference for you in that room.”
TV host, author and podcaster Bevy Smith shared the advice she gives her mentees: “You can’t allow hardships to absorb into your soul. If you’re tenacious and resilient, it gets greater later.”
Credit: Bill Allen Perception Media
The evening also featured live performances by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Step Team from the Queens Alumnae Chapter and Grammy Award-winning artists Jill Scott and Ledisi, whose renditions of fan favorites brought the audience to its feet.
As the final event of the National CARES Affiliate Summit, the For the Love of Our Children Gala concluded as a memorable evening filled with inspiration, joy, music and love.
