T Q&A

Before Zeke Gebrekidane graduated from the UA, his advisers
encouraged him to get involved in student government. (See “UA Back to
School!” Aug. 21, 2008.) This semester, Gebrekidane returned to the UA
to encourage more students to get involved by creating a bridge between
African-American students and local African-American professionals. It
all starts with Real Men Cook, a barbecue and resource fair for UA and
Pima Community College students on Sunday, Sept. 6, from 2 to 7 p.m. at
Mansfield Park, 2000 N. Fourth Ave. Need more information? Call
Gebrekidane at 822-6113.

What made you come back to volunteer at the UA?

I was really lucky that my parents pushed me to get my education,
and as a result, it opened doors for me. I want to help students get
those same opportunities. For some students, those opportunities don’t
happen, and they just drop out, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If
there’s a strong community network, we can be the first to get there
and guide them. What could be better than that coming from alumni
who’ve been through the ropes? We want everyone to come, but we
especially want to see freshmen and those who’ve just arrived to find
out what Tucson has to offer.

Who is involved?

We have four or five lawyers and MDs. Our keynote speaker is Larry
Stark, who has been here in Tucson forever, and his family has been
here since World War II. There are a lot of people who’ve known each
other over the years. We’re making it like a reunion. A lot of African
Americans leave after school, but there are some who have stayed and
love Tucson.

Why Pima students?

We tend to focus on UA students. The Pima students are forgotten. I
began school at a community college. Those are my roots, and I don’t
want to forget about them.

How did you come up with the idea?

This summer, I was talking to (UA) President (Robert) Shelton’s
executive assistant. She told me about Tyler Olupitan, who arrived at
the UA during summer registration. He was amazing. He asked me, “What
does Tucson have to offer me?” He had already met Judge Ronald Wilson,
a friend of mine who’s the youngest judge on the bench (in the area). I
called Ronald, and I said, “Look, he’s met you, and he’s met me, and
I’m impressed.” Then he told us, “Why don’t you do a cookout for all of
us at school and get to know us?” It seemed like the greatest thing we
could do right now. … Ronald reached out to the people he knew, and I
was the liaison with the UA since I just graduated. All of a sudden, he
started getting these people involved, and we’ve been meeting since
mid-July at the Black Chamber of Commerce. … We want to be mentors
for these young men and women.

What community groups will be there?

We’re going to have all the churches involved. We’re going to have
violence-prevention programs, and health and wellness. The Black Greek
fraternities and sororities will there. All of the organizations will
have a chance to be there and introduce themselves to the students
first.

Will there be service businesses there?

Yes, the hair people, the nail people will be there, and there will
be African-American doctors and lawyers, and other
professionals—lots of opportunities for these African-American
students to meet these people firsthand and network. And with the
recent budget cuts, it’s important for people in the community to come
together. Sometimes, adversity can help.

What more do you see doing in the future?

As we keep meeting, we will plan more events. But I see us being the
kind of group that if it’s Thanksgiving, and you’re a student without a
place go, then you can call us, and we’ll set you up with a place to
go. Everyone who gets involved is going to have someone available to
take them under their wing.

Has there ever been an organization that did anything like this
with African-American students before?

There has never been anything like it. I see this being good for the
university—a bridge between the UA and the community. We just had
our open house at the Martin Luther King Jr. (Student) Center at the UA
and invited everyone. I see this being a plus for (African-American
Student Affairs interim program director) Maria Moore at the center.
Everything is falling on her shoulders right now. They need all the
help they can get.

This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.