ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
The 100 Black Men of Jacksonville carries out its mission with focus and energy driven by the phenomenal level of member participation and community involvement in the organization's activities and events. This is further fueled by the success of our young Black males. Although each year is filled with different activities and events, earmarked to meet the year's key goals, the following are some of the ongoing and continuing programs.
MENTORING PROGRAM
All activities of the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville have mentoring components, and each member is assigned a Mentee. However, specific program activities have been designed to involve a larger number of youth.
SATURDAY ACADEMY
The Saturday Academy is a group interaction session for the 100 Black Men and the youth. The 100 Black Men participate in leadership building activities with the youth and interact with the parents of the young men. Workshops and seminars are presented on various subjects including peer pressure, drugs, violence, teen pregnancy and sexual activity.
ANNUAL RECOGNITION BANQUET
The annual recognition banquet has become one of the most popular events in Jacksonville, Florida. It is an occasion during which the 100 Black Men recognize Community Leaders and present our President's Award to outstanding individuals that have made outstanding contributions to promote positive change in the community. The banquet features a nationally acclaimed guest speaker, youth entertainment, social interaction and good dining for all attendees. This event is open to the public.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
On April 4, 1997, the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, inc., signed an agreement with the Jacksonville Community Foundation to create a Scholarship Endowment Fund for youth who participate in the 100's programs for at least two consecutive years.
The agreement between two organizations was signed by the President of the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc., Marion G. Graham and L. Andrew Bell III, President of the Jacksonville Community Foundation. Also representing the 100 were Kenneth M. Pinnix, Education Chair, Levi H. McIntosh, Jr., Immediate Past President, and Bernard V. Gregory Endowment Fund Chair. All net proceeds for the 100's Annual "Scholarship Fund Event" goes into the Scholarship Endowment Fund. The scholarship program fund was renamed Bernard V. Gregory Scholarship Endowment Fund in the honor of Mr. Bernard V. Gregory (deceased). Through his efforts, the J100 will provide scholarship assistance to deserving students.
Wimberley Project
The mission of the Wimberly Initiative is to identify and put forth solutions for the longstanding problem of disproportionality in special education, which has had, and continues to have a devastating impact on African American students.
In 1999, 100 Black Men of America, Inc., took action in cooperation with the Policy Makers Partnership Project of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.
With the leadership of President Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., The 100 Black Men of America decided to work with the Policymakers Partnership on the over-representation issue. Joint planning led by the late Mr. William Wimberly, Vice President for the 100's National Programs, and Dr. Leroy Ervin, Chair of The 100's Education Policy Committee, resulted in the Wimberly Initiative whereby five chapters are designing and carrying out school-based projects to reduce referrals to special education and to support feasible exits from special education and subsequent success in the academic mainstream.
The 100 Black Men of America National Scholarship
The national scholarship program is one of several national initiatives dedicated to the promotion and recognition of academic excellence and the pursuit of higher education. Through the support of corporate sponsors, the 100 Black Men of America is able to provide scholarships to hundreds of deserving students on an equal opportunity basis regardless of race, sex, creed, or religious preference. Students from throughout the world have access to this scholarship opportunity.
To the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville:
Thank you again for your support in financing my college education. I had a very successful semester; I finished with a 4.0 GPA overall. My college experience has been a worthwhile journey, thus far. I had the opportunity to meet Rebecca Walker and attend several lectures surrounding UCF's common theme: "Brown v. Board of Education" I am also active in the African American Student Union. Next month, we'll be sponsoring various activities to celebrate Black History Month. I look forward to participating in many more events this semester. I will stay in touch in the future to let you know how things are going. Thank you again.
Renesha Moore
(Student from University of Central Florida)