SPOTLIGHT.....THE 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA

100 Black Men Of America is a men's civic organization and service club whose stated goal is to educate and empower African American children and teens. As of 2009 the organization has 110 chapters and over 10,000 members in different cities in the United States and throughout the world. The organizations's mission statement is "to improve the quality of life within our communities and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans. " The organization’s mottos “real men giving real time” and “what they see is what they’ll be” describe the organization's goals of providing positive role models and leaders to guide the next generation of African Americans and other youth. The members are predominantly African American professionals, businessmen, civic leaders and administrators, educators, as well as people from other walks of life.

100 Black Men consists of over 110 local chapters (each named after their respective region, e.g., 100 Black Men of New York, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, etc.) 100 Black Men of America is the overarching organization that provides a national governing structure, charters new chapters, and provides for inter-chapter coordination. 100 Black Men is a non-profit 501 c3 organization and has no political or religious affiliations or ties.

Membership procedures vary by chapter; generally speaking members can apply to a local chapter at specific times of the year. Candidates are screened and then interviewed by a panel to ensure that individuals have the character and standing to serve as community role models and youth mentors. Members generally refer to the organization simply as “The 100.”


100 Black Men has four principal program areas: Mentoring, Education, Health and Wellness, Economic Development. As of 2009, 100 Black Men has roughly 100,000 students enrolled in its mentoring and outreach programs.

Mentoring The organization provides youth mentoring that addresses the emotional and cultural needs of African American children aged 8 – 18. Members are trained to become mentors and advocates for youth who may have few or no other positive role models in their communities. Programs vary from chapter to chapter and range from informal one-on-one mentoring programs to complete youth academies.

Education Seeks to provide support services to schools and educators in the form of volunteerism, “teacher for a day” programs and extracurricular activities. This element also works to influence policy set at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure that all youth have equal access to education.

Health and Wellness The organization has extensive programs which are designed to encourage physical fitness and healthy eating habits among youth as well as increasing public awareness of the specific health issues and risks facing African Americans (e.g. heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell, etc.). 100 Black Men hosts numerous track meets, athletic events, public outreach and health screening events.

Economic Development Seeks to empower African American individuals and enterprises through financial literacy training, small business training and seminars, as well as forums to connect African American businesses with each other and to the larger community as a whole.