11/16/22
Today, our guest speaker was Carl Tutt, President - 100 Black Men of Chicago (100BMC).
The Chicago chapter of 100 Black Men of America was established in 1994 with the goal of providing youth with educational and mentoring opportunities, with particular emphasis on young African American males. 100BMC is a 100% volunteer group of men who share a common desire to improve the chances of success for young people. A key objective of their outreach is closing the achievement gap between African American youth and their peers academically, health
wise, and with wealth accumulation.
Their programs address four fundamental topics: Mentoring, Education, Health and Wellness, and Economic Empowerment.
Mentoring: 100BMC is comprised of African-American men who were able to successfully navigate the path from adolescence to adulthood to become educated, successful, professional men of color. They have both a unique insight into the challenges faced by young African-American males and a desire to make a difference in their community. Using mentor teams, 100BMC exposes the mentees to the diverse group of men, opinions, and points of view. The mentoring calendar loosely follows the school year, from September to May, meeting weekly, at multiple locations around the Chicagoland area.
Education: 100BMC has invested considerable effort towards closing the achievement gap in academics between African American youth and their peers in other ethnic groups. Their college prep initiatives address the quality and quantity of information, resources, and tools available to youth. They provide free ACT/SAT practice exams, reduced priced exam prep courses, college campus visitation, workshops on preparing for, and funding a college education.
Health & Wellness: To promote wellness within the African-American community, 100BMC provides access to information and medical services, by collaborating with health professionals, medical institutions, associations, and State of Illinois Department of Health.
For additional information, visit their website at https://100bmc.org/