100 Black Men of Jackson gala to recognize 35 years of mentorship
JANS – While the 100 Black Men of Jackson Inc. prepares to celebrate 35 years of service at its annual banquet, leaders are already mapping ways to expand their footprint and guide an even larger group of young men across the city.
“We have seen the strength of all sectors working together to achieve both social and academic success for our mentees,” said Leroy Walker Jr., who helped start the local chapter. “Within the next three to five years, our goal is to grow the membership by 50 percent, increase our mentoring to reach 100 more mentees and five additional schools, and raise our financial standing to a self-sufficient level.”
The event, to be held at the Jackson Convention Complex at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18, highlights a mission that continues to guide the chapter’s work with young Black males who attend Jackson Public Schools. Volunteers provide academic, social, and physical support for mentees during school, after hours, and on weekends.
Board-certified in educational leadership, with extensive training in clinical psychology, guest speaker Dr. Joshua Murfree has served as the international mentoring chairman of the 100 Black Men of America and was honored as the architect of “Mentoring the 100 Way Across a Lifetime,” a blueprint for all chapters of the 100 Black Men.
This year’s banquet will feature live music from a local jazz ensemble, a plated dinner, and recognition of outstanding mentees and volunteers whose service has advanced the chapter’s mission. Guests will also hear highlights of new partnerships with local businesses and universities aimed at expanding career pathways for young men.
“This is our year’s work,” said 100 Black Men of Jackson board Vice President Dr. Audwin Fletcher, who also chairs the annual banquet. “We mentor throughout the year, and then this is where the students are highlighted. They are the entire program. It also showcases the best qualities of the 100 Black Men of Jackson, empowering youth through education and example.”
Founded in 1991 during a period of rapid change for Jackson’s public schools, the chapter has become a steady presence for families facing shifting resources and economic challenges. The local organization was organized through the vision of Walker, the first Black McDonald’s franchise owner in Mississippi. He convened 26 distinguished Black men from business, education, government, medicine, and nonprofit management to launch the Jackson affiliate of the 100 Black Men of America. It has become one of the city’s most enduring civic organizations, with a reach that spans multiple generations of Jacksonians.
The chapter adopted the national organization’s five pillars – Mentoring, Education, Health and Wellness, Leadership Development, and Economic Development – with mentoring at the core. Members have mentored thousands of young Black males in Jackson Public Schools and awarded nearly a half-million dollars in scholarships to institutions including Alcorn State University, Hinds Community College, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, the Piney Woods School, Rust College, and Tougaloo College.
Over the years, many of these scholarship recipients have returned to Jackson to give back as educators, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders. Chapter records show that more than 80 percent of mentees who receive four-year support finish their degrees, a success rate well above national averages for first-generation college students. Current 100 Black Men of Jackson board President Dr. Marvel A. Turner said the group will put a stronger focus on recruiting younger members to continue the organization’s mission.
“For our next 35 years and the future, we must recruit members whose life experiences are vastly different and driven by a different set of values and support systems,” he said. “The membership and leadership structure of the organization will have to continue to evolve to be supported by the digital and social media generation.”
The Jackson chapter stands out among the more than 100 affiliates nationwide. It has been named chapter of the year four times, and its members have earned mentor of the year honors four times. Two Collegiate 100 chapters – at Jackson State and Tougaloo – extend the mentoring mission; Jackson State’s group won National Collegiate Chapter of the Year in 2020.
Community members unable to attend can still participate by purchasing a sponsorship or donating directly to the chapter’s scholarship fund, which supports college-bound seniors each year. Organizers say these contributions are essential for sustaining programs that reach students long after the banquet lights dim.
For more information and/or tickets ($125 each; table of 8 for $1000), call 601-366-8301 or visit www.100bmoj.org.
