Oral history interview of 2019 YMCA Hall of Fame Inductee: Harold Mezile
Description:
This is an oral history interview of 2019 YMCA Hall of Fame Inductee, Harold Mezile Erin Friedman (not on camera) was the interviewer. The interview is about 24 and a half minutes long. Harold Mezile, Staff, (1944- ) To say that Harold Mezile is a go-getter and motivated to lead by example would be understatements. In a 40-year career with the YMCA, he was known for his social justice work and transformational leadership style. He created initiatives that impacted the urban landscape. He is described as a cause-driven equity leader and innovator. He inspired people to collaborate in a collective way to make differences in the communities they serve. Among his accomplishments, Mezile pioneered the Beacons Adaptation Partnership, an after-school network starting in 1996 during his tenure as president and CEO of the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, the third largest YMCA in the U.S. Beacons provided enriching out-of-school time services for more than 5,000 youth daily from low-income urban communities with an estimate of over 60,000 youth served since the inception of the program. He also is credited with starting a number of national Y initiatives, including Search Institute Partnership, Minority Achievers, Multicultural Executive Leadership Program, Diversity and Inclusion, Strong Community Agenda, and the Employee Resource Networks. Files are born digital files. Ref file is 240p and master is 360p. Originally the resolution was listed in title. The resolution was removed in the final file name;
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
