Concerned Memphis Community Member:

On behalf of the Youth in Metropolitan Memphis thank you for your attendance and support of the Community Capacity Building Workshop: The Minds of Marginalized of Black Men.  This correspondence is to summarize the presentation, panel discussion and community conversation held on Monday November 8 at the Greater Memphis Community Foundation.  There were about 60 participants who attended the 2 hour workshop. The goals of the workshop were:

1.       To use the marginalization framework proposed by Dr. Alford Young to raise awareness of the vulnerability of Black males in the community and the relative inattention to address their life outcomes.

2.       To provide a forum for community input into a variety of solutions to challenges confronting Black males.

3.       To motivate community participation in developing and implementing comprehensive strategies to improve the life outcomes of African American males in Memphis and Shelby County.

Dr. Alford Young, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Sociology and in the Center for Afro american and African Studies at the University of Michigan was the invited speaker.  Dr. Young provided excerpts from his book: The Minds of Marginalized Black Men based on his interviews with hundreds of low income Black men.  Although there were many more, I captured the following themes from Dr. Young’s presentation:

·         Be mindful that there is a level of sense making in the behavior of low income African Americans males that they employ as they try to figure out the world and their place in it.

·         Asking questions about access and notions of how things happen to them and for them is important data in addition to empirical data.

·         Marginalized men make mental maps of reality.  These mental maps are important to explore with young men you work with.

If there were others that you want to share please post them on CAYD’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Memphis-TN/Center-for-The-Advancement-of-Youth-Development/385495967628

Following Dr. Young’s presentation there was a panel discussion with the following local community leaders: Dr. Eugene Gipson (Ollivet Missionary Baptist Church), Dr. Gregory Washington (Ujima Family Wellness Center and University of Memphis), and Uncle Joe Hunter (G.A.N.G.S.).  The panel provided their reflections and solutions to address the challenges of African American boys.  The following provides my summary of the panel discussion (again there were several themes and I invite you to visit the website to post your themes).

·         Accept that mentoring is a lifestyle and that our young men need consistency in good and bad times.  Give mentoring relationships time for trust and building relationships.

·         We need to do a better job reaching single mothers to provide them support in raising boys.

·         A pyramid mentoring approach was suggested as a method of making sure all men in the community at different stages of life are supported and giving back to the next generation.

·         There is a need for mentors to have mentors and mentor training to equip mentors with the perspective and skills necessary to help young men and decrease their frustration by increasing their empathy.

·         There is a need for more consistent, strategic, and comprehensive faith based outreach to Black boys.     

·         Even though we might not agree respect their lifestyles and provide transparency about your lifestyle. Share your evolution and personal testimony.  We have a tendency to present ourselves as finished complete products without owning our development.

·         There is a need to create “Safe Listening Spaces” for Black boys and men.  There are very few if no places were Black boys can go to be safely vulnerable.

 I provided a summary of indicators of health, education, criminal justice, and economic participation as a lead in to asking the question of where is the collective conversation or coalition to address the needs of this very vulnerable population in community.  There was recognition that although several coalitions and community plans have been formed to address such other important issues as infant mortality, maternal health and crime there has been no concerted effort to address the specific needs of vulnerable Black boys in this community.

Several community members committed to forming a coalition that will address the challenges confronting African American boys and men.  You are being invited to attend a planning meeting that will be held on December 2, at 3:00 – 5:00 PM that will be held at Center for the Advancement of Youth Development East Annex, Rhodes College.  A healthy light snack will be provided. 

Thanks to our sponsors The JustCare Family Network, The Urban Studies Program at Rhodes College, and the Greater Community Foundation of Memphis.

We look forward to planning for the future of our young men.