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Joshua Mercer

Swish Dreams Sports & Educational Foundation

Find out how Joshua's dedication to his people led him to a career that helps to enrich the youth within his community.

Joshua, describe Swish Dream's mission or goal: Swish Dreams seeks to provide academic, social, and physical enrichment to Chicago's youth by integrating the disciplines of Reading and Math with the game of basketball.

What inspired this particular business endeavor?

While attaining my Master's degree, I was exposed to some alarming statistics regarding the state of African American males in urban communities:

•Black women outnumber black men in college at an 8:1 ratio

•There are more black males in prison than college

•57% of all Black Males dropout of Chicago Public Schools every year

•More African American males receive their GED in prison compared to receiving their diploma in high school

•In 1980, there were less than 100,000 African-American males incarcerated. Just two decades later, the figure swelled to 1.3 million

•Black males make up only 8.6% of public school enrollments; they represent 22% of expulsions and 23% of suspensions.

•75% of all incarcerated males end up back in the prison system

After having noticed the high volumes of my students that highly deficient in the areas of Math and Reading, but loved to compete in Sports, the idea of Swish Dreams was born!

What hardship have you had to overcome in the process? Being understaffed and underfunded.

What motivated you to stick it out? I was able to see firsthand the fruits of my labor.

What were you doing before or during the establishing of your business? I was working in the Financial Services industry. Then I decided to leave and pursue a career in education and soon earned a Master’s in Teaching from National Louis University.

What is your definition of success? Being able to add value to my community. Also, being able to set goals and accomplish them.

Do you think you are the example of that? Why? Yes.

What influenced you or kept you motivated? The students Swish Dreams was serving and everyone that believed in Swish Dreams.

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