100 Black Men of New Jersey, Inc.

Mentoring the 100 Way — “What they see is what they’ll be!”

The 100 Black Men of New Jersey, Inc. has adopted as one of its core functions, a commitment to the positive development of Black boys, their families and communities.  Mentoring the 100 Way is one of the signature national programs of the 100 Black Men. This holistic program addresses the social, emotional and cultural needs of children ages 8-18. Members of the 100 are trained and certified to become mentors, advocates, and role models for the youth within their communities. The 100 Black Men of New Jersey participates in one-on-one and group mentoring efforts, where our members forge long-term relationships that positively impact our greatest resource—our youth. The program focuses on building essential skills needed to become productive, contributing citizens.

Programmatic themes include:

·      Positive Self Identity and Personal Vision

·      Life Skills & Leadership Development

·      Intellectual, Emotional and Social Development

·      Character Development and Relationship Building

·      Learning Across the Life-Span

Major Programmatic Initiatives:

·      100 BMNJ Black Male Development & Leadership Academies

·      Mentoring the 100 Way

·   State-wide Mentoring Partnership Programs

Education — “Equipping youth with the tools, skills and confidence they need to succeed!”

The 100 Black Men of New Jersey, Inc. is engaged in programmatic and policy initiatives designed to address the troubling performance gaps between many African-American students at the lower end of the performance scale and their non-Hispanic white peers, and the similar academic disparities between students from low-income and affluent families.  These “gaps” show up in grades, standardized-test scores, course availability and selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates.  While New Jersey boasts one of the highest graduation rates in the nation, minority students in its poorest urban districts continue to under-perform and dropout at rates well above the national average.  Our education initiatives provide a holistic approach to enhancing and augmenting the educational experiences of youth and are integrated into the Four for the Future initiatives throughout New Jersey.

Programmatic Objectives:

·   Motivate young men and boys to achieve success in education

·   Utilize academic supports, enrichment programs and tutoring as strategies to improve academic outcomes and enhance learning across multiple contexts (i.e., school,  home, community)

·   Linkages to “Mentoring the 100 Way” to smooth transition at critical developmental/educational points (K-3^rd; middle school to high school; adolescence into young  adulthood and beyond)

·   Increase the linkages and involvement of parents and communities in schools

·   Increase high school completion rates and transitions to college, post-secondary training and employment

Major Programmatic Initiatives:

·      100 LEGACY Academy Charter Schoolsä

·      100 BMNJ Black History Competition

·      100 BMNJ Scholarship Awards

·   100 Regional Issues Summit

Health and Wellness — “Stating the Case”

·      In 2005, African American men were 1.3 times as likely to have new cases of lung and prostate cancer, and 2.4 times more likely to die from prostate cancer as compared to non-Hispanic white men.

·      African American adults are twice as likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.

·      In 2005, African Americans were 2.2 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.

·      In 2005, African American men were 30% more likely to die from heart disease, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.

·      African Americans are 1.5 times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have high blood pressure.

·      Although African Americans make up only 13% of the total U.S. population, they accounted for 49% of HIV/AIDS cases in 2007.

·      African American males had more than 7 times the AIDS rate of non-Hispanic white males.

·      African American adults are 1.7 times as likely than their White adult counterparts to have a stroke.

·      African American males are 60% more likely to die from a stroke than their White adult counterparts.

 (US Department of Health & Human Services)

These statistics reflect the continuing disparities in the burden of illness and death experienced by African Americans, as compared to the U.S. population as a whole.  Statistical reviews of the disproportionate toll of certain diseases on African American men highlights the need for prevention, treatment and resources toward reducing the loss of life. The 100 Black Men of New Jersey, Inc. is concerned about the well being of the whole community and the whole person: physical, emotional/psychological, and spiritual.  The 100 Black Men of New Jersey, Inc. teams up with strategic partners (governmental, corporate, non-profit, community and faith-based organizations) to promote preventative health strategies, deliver screenings and provide education on prevalent diseases.

Our Health and Wellness Initiatives are aligned with three objectives:

·   Increasing public awareness regarding health issues which disproportionately impact the black community

·   Increase awareness and expanding knowledge among black people regarding current research, therapies and practices which have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of illnesses that disproportionately affect black people

·      Shaping and influencing policy and environmental change regarding the local, state, and national health policies and practices impacting the black community

Major Programmatic Initiatives:

·  100 BMNJ Village Family Gatherings — Regional Health Fairs, Screenings and Seminars

·  100 Regional Issues Summit

Economic Development — "We must own where we live and work for our communities to thrive and prosper."

Employment, income, and the accumulation of wealth are critical for quality of life.  According to Dalila J. Paul in May 2009, unemployment rates in New Jersey were 18% for Black men versus 9.7% for white men.  Based on data taken from the US Census 2008, Black’s comprise 14.5% of the population of New Jersey, yet own only 5.1% of the businesses.  Additionally, data taken from the 2007 Census data illustrate that 47.2% of Black households nationwide own their homes as compared to 75.2% for White households.  Substantial racial disparities in key economic indicators and predictors of life quality continue to be a serious problem in New Jersey and the nation. Our programmatic initiatives promote economic self-sufficiency through financial literacy, family wealth building and entrepreneurship. 

Major Programmatic Initiatives:

·      100 BMNJ Small Business Consortium

·      100 BMNJ Family Wealth Building, Preservation & Transfer Program

·      Access to Capital and Technical Assistance Seminars

·      Financial Literacy & Services

·      Peer Coaching/Mentoring

·      100 Regional Issues Summit