As a nonprofit CEO with a mission rooted in community impact (where youth development is one of several key focus areas) and as a proud mom of a recent graduate with a daughter preparing for her own collegiate journey, I find myself reflecting more deeply than ever on what it means to guide without pressuring, to support without smothering, and to love while letting go.
That balance is at the heart of so many conversations today, and it’s poignantly explored in “Forever,” the newly streaming Netflix series by Mara Brock Akil. With her signature brilliance, Akil delivers a layered story that resonates not only as art but as a mirror for countless families navigating what it means to raise Black children in a world full of expectations—our own, and those of society.
“Forever” captures something deeply true: that the pressure our children feel to be great doesn’t always come from outsiders. It often comes from us—parents who want to protect them, guide them, and ensure they have every opportunity to succeed.
And it also comes from within, from young people who are bombarded with comparisons, filtered successes, and the myth that they must have it all figured out by 18. The show offers a refreshingly honest portrayal of self-determination, the struggles of identity, and the importance of giving young people room to define success on their own terms.
Watching this series, I was struck not just by its nuanced storytelling and how seamlessly it weaves the Black experience into universal coming-of-age themes, but by its deeper call to action around community. Akil reminds us that no one gets to greatness alone—and our children shouldn’t have to navigate their next steps in isolation.
In my professional world, this message is more than a philosophy, it’s a mission. At the Urban League, we’ve built programs that ensure students know they are seen, supported, and surrounded by a community that believes in their potential, whether their next step is college, the military, or a skilled trade. Just this month, we celebrated one of our favorite traditions: Decision Day. Nearly 40 of our high school seniors stood before their peers, mentors, and families to proudly announce their post-secondary plans. The joy in that room—the pride, the relief, the sense of possibility—was electric. And behind each student stood a village of educators, counselors, volunteers, and family members who helped get them to that moment.
As a mother, I know the sleepless nights and hard conversations that come with raising children on the cusp of adulthood. As a CEO, I see firsthand the transformative power of what can happen when we pair love with opportunity, structure with flexibility, and pressure with grace. Forever reminds us what we already know deep down: the future belongs to our children, but it takes a community to help them shape it.
The Baughtom Line: As parents, mentors, educators, and neighbors, our job isn’t to chart the course, it’s to walk alongside young people as they discover it for themselves. And that journey, in all its complexity, is a beautiful one.
