Joseph Mondesire, born in Philadelphia PA, is a graduate of Julia R. Masterman High School. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA where he concentrated in accounting. Out of all the experiences he has had over the years, he has always found his way back to his hometown. For the last four years, he has been working at JT Goldstein, an accounting and business advisory firm based in Philadelphia that prioritizes employing graduates of HBCUs.

He is also the co-publisher and CFO of the Philadelphia Sunday Sun, a weekly newspaper founded by his father, the late Jerome Whyatt Mondesire, in 1992. He has an unwavering affinity for Philadelphia, and is dedicated to helping its disenfranchised occupants reach their fullest potential.

Mondesire is certainly one alumni that understands his position in society holds a lot of water for the future of Black America. He said that for him, the acronym has another poignant meaning to him, Helping Blacks Create Unity”. He wants to help other young Black people build the confidence that he molded throughout his time at Morehouse. Mondesire discussed how other institutions fail to provide an environment so that we can reach our full potential.

He postulates on this need to embrace HBCUs, “Too many of our people spend too many years at institutions which execute an agenda that prevents us from achieving our full potential; we are witnessing those chosen to teach our youth continuously fail to fulfill their duty to ensure all our children are productive citizens of the world.

Every graduate from an HBCU solidifies their place in society as a stakeholder in our community from both economic and educational standpoints, which is to be honored and should become protocol in our community.”

Mondesire feels that HBCUs should work on redefining themselves as communities of supportive people whose main goal is to “instill a moral obligation to continue to fight for their respective places in history."