Our National Foster Care Awareness Month blog series on teen males continues with George Fraser.  George Fraser is a successful business man, renowned speaker, and author of three books.  He is the founder of the annual PowerNetworking Conference, the largest gathering of Black professionals, business owners and community leaders.

George Fraser was born in Brooklyn New York into a family of 11 children. George and his siblings were placed in foster care after his mother became mentally ill.  George was four years old at the time.  His father was a cab driver and unable to care for the children alone.

George believes that most foster parents are good people who really want to help kids.  He grew up in a foster home with a mother and a father that instilled basic foundational values including family and education.  The couple loved and cared for him like he was their own.  Today George is a huge proponent of education but admits that he was a mediocre student who was bored by traditional education.  When I asked George what we can do to better support teen males, he responded “be sure they can read, comprehend what they read, and write well.”  He believes that once youth are able to read and write on grade level they are able to think critically, then plan and move forward.