Collaboration is pivotal to advancing the cause of African-American males. The Scholars Network recognizes the importance of its connections within its own interdisciplinary alliance as well as those linkages that fortify the larger field of work charged with improving life outcomes of African-American men. The above diagram serves as an analogy of a three-legged stool composed of major actors—Academia/Research, Nonprofits/Philanthropies, and Government. It depicts the structure of the field as well as the special opportunity that lies before the Scholars Network and like-minded academics to enlighten the host of advocacy efforts, public policies, and social programs impacting the lives of Black males.
Below is a list, organized by the three above mentioned field areas, of important players with a short description of their work
ACADEMIC SECTOR
KIRWAN INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF RACE AND ETHNICITY
A research-focused organization based at Ohio State University that partners with people, communities, and institutions worldwide to think about, talk about, and engage issues of race and ethnicity in ways that create and expand opportunity for all.
DELLUMS COMMISSION (HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE OF THE JOINT CENTER FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES)
A 25-member panel designed to “analyze policies that affect the physical, emotional, and social health of young men of color and their communities.” While it is no longer active, the Commission released 11 vital reports covering topics such as the child welfare system, the juvenile justice system, media images and messages, and the health needs of youth.
UCLA BLACK MALES INSTITUTE
A organization within the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, the Black Males Institute (BMI) fosters research and hosts programs focused on equity in education for black males. BMI hosts annual Think Tanks, and has workshops at UCLA for middle and high school students to assist in college preparation.
YOUNG BLACK MEN PROJECT
The YBMen Project is a research center, as well as an educational and social support program for young Black men. The project examines strategies that influence and shape young Black men’s ideas and experiences with mental health.
CENTER FOR MEN’S HEALTH EQUITY
The Center for Men’s Health Equity leads state, regional, national and global research, policy, and practice to pursue men’s health equity, well-being, and social justice. The Center team develops and evaluates community-based and technology-based strategies to reduce Black men’s cancer, diabetes, and heart disease risk, morbidity, and mortality.
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS: RACE AND OPPORTUNITY LAB
The Race and Opportunity lab, found at Washington University in St. Louis, examines race, opportunity, and social mobility with an emphasis on informing policies, interventions, and intra-professional practice
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: BLACK MALE ACHIEVERS ACADEMY
Brothers for Excellence (B4E) is a yearlong mentorship program designed for first-year undergraduate and transfer students that identify as Mxn* of Color. The program assists Mxn of Color in creating a foundation on Loyola’s campus through: opportunities for leadership and personal identity development, connecting students to university-wide resources and people, creating unity among participants, and ultimately supporting the educational and personal success of Mxn of Color.
MINNESOTA PRIVATE COLLEGE COUNCIL: BLACK MEN FOR SUCCESS INITIATIVE
The Black Men’s Success Initiative offers unique support for groups of Black men attending private colleges through a unique leadership program that combines scholarships with a set of leadership and personal development opportunities focused on helping them graduate ready to launch their post-baccalaureate careers.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE INSTITUTE
The University System of Georgia’s (USG) African-American Male Initiative is a system-wide initiative designed to increase the number of students who complete their postsecondary education from any USG institution. Its mission is to provide an integrated program model of academic, leadership and life skills that supports any participating student to successfully complete each academic level and graduate.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS: BLACK MALE INITIATIVE (BMI)
The Black Male Initiative assists in retaining collegiate black males in achieving their academic, social and personal goals on their journey to graduating with their chosen academic degree. The goal of BMI is retention and ultimately graduation.
CUNY BLACK MALE INITIATIVE
The CUNY Black Male Initiative is a university-wide student development initiative that focuses on increasing matriculation, retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students, particularly men of color. CUNY BMI’s mission is to increase, encourage, and support the inclusion and educational success of students from groups that are severely underrepresented in higher education, in particular African, African American/Black, Caribbean and Latino/Hispanic males.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: BLACK MALE INITIATIVE
The Luther Porter Jackson Black Male Initiative (BMI) was created for the expressed purpose of increasing the academic and social success of Black male students through increasing interaction and dialogue between Black male students, faculty, staff and alumni. The BMI focuses on the academic and life issues of Black males ranging from retention to economic empowerment.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT MILWAUKEE: AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE INITIATIVE
UWM AAMI increases the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of African American males attending UWM through strategic interventions. The UWM AAMI focuses its efforts on removing the obstacles and providing the essential resources to enhance the educational outcomes for these young men.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD: BLACK MALE INITIATIVE
The Black Male Initiative intends to increase, encourage, and support the inclusion and educational success on male identifiying students of color, particularly African American Males (AAM). The program assists students in both, their academic and professional endeavors, promotes and advocates for an improved educational experience and quality of life at the University of Illinois Springfield.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI: MIZZOU BLACK MEN’S INITIATIVE
The Mizzou Black Men’s Initiative (MBMI) is a one-year leadership & identity development undergraduate program. The program aims to foster a sense of belonging, promote engagement in the curricular and co-curricular life at the university, and encourage self-responsibility while focusing on the retention and persistence of students to articulate the benefits of higher education and expectations and values of the university.
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE: BLACK MEN’S INITIATIVE
The Black Male Initiative at the University of Louisville seeks to increase the retention, graduation, engagement and overall success of those individuals historically underrepresented at the University, including Black males, by addressing various scholastic and social challenges, through academic engagement, mentoring, peer connection, and student involvement.
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE: BLACK MEN’S RESEARCH INSTITUTE
By amplifying collaborative thought leadership and social justice scholarship, BMRI strives to counter conflicting narratives, distrust, and ambiguity with a clear, authoritative voice on the experiences of Black men. BMRI will also strengthen the intellectual discovery, discourse, and scholarship at Morehouse in areas related to LGBTQ history, culture, and social challenges, as well as sexism, patriarchy, and misogyny.
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY: TODD A. BELL NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE
The Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male examines and addresses critical issues in society that impact the quality of life for African American males throughout the lifespan. The Center plans to achieve these goals by conducting robust research studies and evaluations that inform social policy and theory on African American males and developing research-based programs, models, and initiatives that could be replicated at other institutions.
BLACK FEMALE FATHERHOOD SCHOLARS NETWORK
Black Female Fatherhood Scholars Network is a network of black female scholars who are committed to uplifting the black community through the study of black fatherhood and black families.
THE ALLIANCE FOR BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR
The Alliance for Boys and Men of Color is a national network of hundreds of community and advocacy organizations who come together to advance race and gender justice by transforming policies that are failing boys and men of color and their families and building communities full of opportunity.
GOVERNMENT
AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE NATIONAL COUNCIL
An affiliate of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, this 11-member council seeks to act as a catalyst group to afford opportunities for Black male commissions working at the state level.
Member commissions:
- Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males
- South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs
- California Commission on the Social Status of Black Males
- Governor’s Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities in Wisconsin’s Criminal Justice System
- Connecticut African-American Affairs Commission
- Iowa Commission on the Status of African Americans
- Kansas African-American Affairs Commission
- Ohio Commission on African-American Males
- Washington Commission on African-American Affairs
- Florida Council for the Social Status of Black Men and Boys
- Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on African American Affairs
CITY OF BOSTON: OFFICE OF BLACK MALE ADVANCEMENT
Boston’s Office of Black Male Advancement works to empower Black men and boys. The office ensure that Black men have have equitable access to opportunities in the City through policies, programs, resources, and local and national partnerships.
TENNESSEE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION: BLACK MALE SUCCESS INITIATIVE
The Black Male Success Initiative is committed to increasing the postsecondary attainment rates of black males in the state of Tennessee. Members of the inaugural Black Male Success Taskforce are dedicated to creating statewide strategies and sharing best practices for higher education partners to assist in eliminating these gaps in Tennessee.
NON-PROFIT/PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY
ECMC Foundation Men of Color Initiative
By establishing the Men of Color Initiative, ECMC Foundation intends to bring focus to colleges and universities adopting data-informed and equity-centered programs and practices to better serve college students who are men of color. The nearly $20 million in grants and investments deployed as part of the Men of Color Initiative will seek to remove barriers to postsecondary completion, build the capacity of systems, institutions and organizations, and, ultimately, transform the postsecondary ecosystem.
1OO BLACK MEN OF AMERICA, INC.
The Network of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. have been formed to assist in delivering the education and empowerment needed to change the course of these children’s lives. This is done through the 100’s Four For The Future focus areas; Mentoring, Education, Health & Wellness, and Economic Empowerment.
FORWARD PROMISE
Forward Promise is an initiative of The Moriah Group that affirms the full humanity of people of color and rallies against the narratives, policies, and practices that dehumanize them. Our work asserts that young people heal, grow, and thrive in healthy villages; therefore, we advance individual and structural solutions rooted in culture that strengthen whole communities.