Sylvester Jones, Jr., author of Can I Really Do This, Even Without a Daddy?, is a bold advocate for individual and communal well-being and self-care. He acknowledges that conceptualizing self-care was an arduous task for him because, as a product of a low-income, single-parent home, he was trained to serve others, exclusively.
Sylvester is a program officer for the Kalamazoo-based Fetzer Institute whose mission is, “helping to build the spiritual foundation for a loving world.” He is also the founder of ReCreate Flint, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to teach transferrable life skills through high-quality sports, recreation, and other youth development opportunities.
Prior to joining the Fetzer Institute community, Sylvester worked for the State of Michigan, City of Flint, and he has more than 30 years of nonprofit and leadership experience. He is a member of Word of Life Christian Church (associate minister) and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Flint Alumni Chapter. Sylvester holds degrees from Delta College, Saginaw Valley State University, and Central Michigan University.