Abstract
Changing the trajectory of Black male students may not yet be a national conversation, but it's on the national radar screen. The success of Black males has increasingly become a topic of research, dialogue, debate, and strategic planning. As we engage in the conversation, however, talking with Black male students is a reminder that we're educating kids, not statistics, and that, as one Black student affirms, “The truth doesn't live in numbers. It lives in the person.” The challenges facing Black males throughout the educational pipeline have been discussed by researchers in detail. However, missing from this research are discussions from the perspective of researchers, educators, and community members united on how to better support Black males. This case study examines the field placement partnership between Perimeter College and Project Success: 100 Black Men of Atlanta. The case study documents the goals, plans, and outcomes of the three-year partnership.
TopCase Description
The success of 100 BMA with that first cohort of Project Success was very important to the members of the organization and their initial supporters, because it gave the members confidence in their new mentoring model. Now the leadership could turn to their attention to sustainability and fundraising. The business arena was where the members all had expertise and experience. Businesses began to provide much needed financial contributions to support the new tuition assistance program, as well as resources to buttress the growing administration of the organization. Applications for membership in the organization also grew as existing members were certain needed to consider who would make great members to continue the mission of the young organization. Nathaniel R. Goldston III, the founding president of 100 BMA set the precedent, “One of the requirements we have always looked for when recruiting new members was their ability to help in an area that is beneficial to children in the Project Success.” (ibid, pg. 43) The current membership was actively engaged in providing after school tutoring support, but more importantly much needed emotional support to these students, many of whom had no fathers in the home or involved in their lives at all.
Today 100 Black Men of Atlanta has become a powerful influence in the city of Atlanta. Known as a serious organization committed to improving the lives of at risk African-American students and underserved communities. With over two hundred members, 100 Black Men of Atlanta boosts some of the most influential members in the country. The organization has provided over a million dollars in scholarships to over 300 hundred students from Atlanta Public School system. The organization has expanded its footprint in the Atlanta community by hosting The Atlanta Football Classic (AFC), which featured two popular Historical Black Colleges or University (HBCU) became an enormously successful event. AFC grew to become 100BMA biggest fundraising event and a staple in Atlanta. Through its popularity the 100 Black Men of Atlanta created more opportunities to provide the African-American community that had not happened before. The annual game included a job and college fair, a youth symposium that convened hundreds of African-American males from APS high schools. Partnerships with Georgia Department of Labor, City of Atlanta, several local colleges and universities, local popular radio stations and television networks made the Atlanta Football Classic event a nationally noted event that brought a positive light on the work of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta with at risk students. Various other chapters from within the “100” network wanted to copy their Project Success program and fundraising model.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Saturday Academy: Was implemented in 1989 for Project Success students to help facilitate tutoring, enhance academic skills and develop leadership skills (twelve weeks for each academic semester).
100 Black Men of Atlanta: None profit organization founded in 1986 by African-American business leaders to mentor at-risk youth attending Atlanta Public Schools.
100 Robotics Alliance: The 100 Scholars Robotics Alliance is designed to inspire elementary, middle and high school student interest in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. This program exposes students to in-demand skill sets such as project management, programming and data analysis, and teaches them how to operate within high performing teams.
BEST Academy Charter School: The B.E.S.T. Academy in partnership with 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., is a public all-boys school in Atlanta, Georgia, servicing students from grades 6-12. Its mission is to develop a high-functioning community of learners by promoting excellence in student achievement, culture, climate, and stakeholder involvement. Through the single-gender structure, The B.E.S.T. Academy strives to significantly shape its students into well-rounded young men who are prepared to meet current and future demands in an ever-changing global society. The 100 BMOA helps B.E.S.T. achieve its mission by providing leadership development services, on-site support, mentoring programs and financial assistance to the young men.
100 Resource Learning Center: Academic support learning lab for after school programming open to Atlanta Public School students. 100 BMA members and college students volunteer to mentor, provide academic tutorials, and other social-emotional learning programs.
Project Success: Flagship program of 100 BMA that focuses on mentoring students selected from Atlanta Public Schools. Students are selected to participate in the program as young as 4 th grade and are mentored by the members of the organization through the high school graduation. Project Success students receive scholarships to post-secondary institutions across the United States.