Mirror Image Leadership Academy immerses youth scholars in West African culture

Special to The Sun
·2 min read

Mirror Image Leadership Academy, a Gainesville-based nonprofit designed to help young Black boys build confidence in all walks of life, recently completed its first international exposure trip.

The Mirror Image Leadership Academy, or MILA, is a three-year leadership program that focuses on self-image, purpose, faith, character and work ethic.

The organization took eight of its scholars to Ghana, West Africa, July 23-30.

The trip’s itinerary included a Family Day, where scholars participated in a traditional naming ceremony and received what would have been their native Ga names. They also visited the Last Slave Bath and the Cape Coast Castle to learn about their ancestors and experience first-hand the remnants of the slave trade. The scholars spent time with students from Accra Academy and had the opportunity to bond with peer Ghanaian students.

Scholars with the Mirror Image Leadership Academy taking part in a traditional naming ceremony during a recent trip to Ghana, West Africa.
Scholars with the Mirror Image Leadership Academy taking part in a traditional naming ceremony during a recent trip to Ghana, West Africa.

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“The highlight of the trip was the scholar’s enrichment, education and exposure," said James H. Miller, MILA's executive director, in a news release. "One scholar said he now understands that, 'Being enslaved, doesn’t just mean physically but mentally enslaved too.'"

The progressive exposure to local, national, and international opportunities over the three-year leadership program is the centerpiece of MILA's learning approach. The organization accepts rising 7th-grade boys and works to expand their horizons by exposing them to different people, places and ideas.

Since its inception in 2021, MILA has grown from 12 to 51 scholars. To date, 100% of MILA's funding has come from private donors.

“This incredible experience for our scholars was only made possible by the generous donations of our supporters," said MILA founder Greg Bradley.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Mirror Image Leadership Academy of Gainesville completes trip to Ghana