For almost 30 years, Brother Shelton Smith has been a dedicated servant of the city of Chicago through his unwavering mentorship of generations of the city’s youth.
Nicknamed the Dream Maker, Smith has worked with several youth- oriented organizations, including Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago and the Bronzeville Children’s Museum. As longtime program director for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity’s youth affiliate program, Sigma Beta Club, Smith guides the national initiative program that is structured into four critical parts: Academics, Community Service, Economic Empowerment, and Health & Wellness. In addition to his extensive work as a mentor with Sigma Beta Club, Smith also serves as Vice Chair of the BIBO (Beauty In, Beauty Out) Foundation and managing director for the BESIMBOLIC Foundation, providing scholarships to deserving youth.
Outside of his mentoring work, Brother Smith is a long-time professional radio and television host and correspondent who currently serves as Producer and co-host of the Real Talk Podcast at Intellectual Radio, correspondent with the BeSpire TV network, and co-host with the B ZONEradio show on station JAM98.
N’DIGO recently caught up with the dedicated youth mentor and media professional to learn more about his career path and what motivates him to pour so much into our youth.
N’DIGO: In your own words, who is Brother Shelton Smith?
Brother Sheldon Smith: Brother Shelton Smith is a leader, changemaker, and advocate for Chicago’s next generation of inspired leaders.
What are three words family and friends would use to describe you?
Ambitious. Edifier. Exuberant.
How did you begin your journey toward your current path of mentoring our youth?
My journey as a mentor began in 1997, post-college. I served as a mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago. My inaugural experience with mentoring began when I mentored eleven-year-old Nathaniel Thornton. It pleases me to share that after twenty-nine years of maintaining a healthy mentor-mentee relationship with Nate, our bond is still solid. I also mentored youth in the faith- based community of Trinity United Church of Christ, where I have served as a deacon for twenty-five years. In 2005, I was asked to serve as the coordinator for the Sigma Beta Club youth affiliate group with Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. As a result of my influential leadership and empowerment, the Sigma Beta Club gained notable recognition throughout Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.
Please tell us about the Sigma Beta Club youth group and the work you do with the organization.
The Sigma Beta Club is the youth affiliate group with Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated that was started in 1950. The ambitious group of Sigma Beta Club leaders I currently have the pleasure of mentoring serves with the Epsilon Chi Sigma chapter in Chicago. In addition to myself as the coordinator, the club is supported by eight skilled advisors who serve as personal mentors to the students enrolled in the program.
The club’s programming is structured within four programmatic components:
1. Academic Performance College Readiness
2. Social Action Community Service
3. Bigger Better; Better Business Economic Empowerment/Financial Literacy
4. Health & Wellness – Child Obesity Prevention.
The Sigma Beta Club elevated its bond with our rites of passage ceremony. We also recently partnered with the Share Your Soles foundation, donating hundreds of pairs of shoes to people living in South Africa, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Haiti as part of its global humanitarian initiative.
The month of June also kicks off Sigma Beta Club’s initiative to begin serving lunch to the residents at the Pacific Garden Mission homeless shelter monthly. We are also looking forward to our inclusion in the upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration of the Epsilon Chi Sigma Chapter, as an extension of the Phi Beta Sigma organization and the Epsilon Chi Sigma chapter’s success.
How did you earn the title Chicago Dream Maker?
I received the Dream Maker title in 2015 from the Bronzeville Children’s Museum as a result of my unwavering commitment to helping our youth excel and because of my successful track record of maintaining a 97% high school graduation rate amongst students matriculating into higher education. I even received an acknowledgement from former First Lady Michelle Obama because of the title.
What is a misconception about our youth that you run into over and over again?
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear about our youth today is that they are lazy. The reality is that today’s youth are born into a world of modern technology. STEM education is currently the academic focus of our youth. Therefore, worldly new age inventions such as AI, ChatGPT,and other forms of technology are overshadowing our former traditions.
Unfortunately, societal ills and the many unsavory conditions of the world have caused parents to become reluctant to allow their children opportunities to explore different forms of independence. The climate and conditions of the modern-day world are completely different than the world of yesterday in which we grew up. Although youth experience a substantial amount of idle time, many of our youngsters spend quality time enhancing their skills and knowledge of technology, equipping themselves with the tools necessary to develop their purpose. Our young people are creating innovative ideas for their future, while advancing their knowledge and ways to perfect STEM. As a generational comparison, we built snowmen; today’s youth are building robots.
Can you tell us a little about your BIBO foundation and some of your duties as Vice President?
The mission of the BIBO Foundation is to create opportunities for women and girls in underserved communities. BIBO is defined as ‘Beauty In, Beauty Out‘. During the past ten years, the foundation has served, recognized, and honored exceptional women in various fields and industries for their excellence and commitment to giving back to others. Our 2026 awards gala is on October 10th.
We are looking forward to award-winning Broadcast Journalist Art Norman serving as our Master of Ceremonies. As Vice Chair, I am responsible for securing sponsorships, ads, ticket sales, the nomination process, and filling the room with distinguished guests. During 2025, I secured proclamations from each of our Illinois Governor leaders, Governor JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.
Best advice you were given as a young man?
My dad, Darnell Smith Jr., taught me that anything in life worth having is worth working for.
Best advice you can give to the youth?
Apply the golden rule of life to your daily living: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Everyone should be conscious of intentionally treating other people the same way they expect to be treated.
Favorite quote or affirmation?
“Nothing in this world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”. – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
What’s next for Brother Shelton Smith and the Sigma Beta Club youth group?
Looking forward to our continuing efforts in striving to change the false narratives associated with African American men and boys in Chicago and beyond. The men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated will honor our commitment by mentoring the next generation of leaders. We will equip our leaders with tools to reach their full potential in life. We are looking forward to extending enrollment opportunities in the coming months at the end of 2026. This will create new opportunities for rescuing and saving the lives of youth, while safeguarding black boys and families from unsavory lifestyles and hardships.
For more information on Brother Shelton Smith and the Sigma Beta Club, please visit sigmabetaclub.org, and for more information on the BIBO Foundation, please visit www.thebibofoundation.org
