The Determination Black Men's Group is a healing, social justice, and manhood development circle for young Black men (ages 16-25). Some themes include: history & knowledge of self, Black achievement, the role of the Crack Epidemic and Mass Incarceration on the current crisis in urban communities, the idea of ‘street intellectualism’, healing and wellness, social justice and organizing, etc. Additi
onally, there are two sub-committees, the Social Justice Organizing Committee and the Media Production Cohort, which meet separately at other times during the week. The group has been involved in policy and community organizing work. The Social Justice Organizing Committee is the group’s link to ongoing policy and community organizing work at both the state and local levels aimed at improving the lives of young men of color in California. The goal of the circle is to give participants access to transformative ways of being and tools for resiliency to allow them to take new actions in their lives and to provide a space for them that is Black Male-centered and focused on healing and mutual support. The group receives media arts training through United Roots. They are also charged with working on media and messaging campaigns focused on the health and achievement of young men of color in California in partnership with the California Endowment's Sons and Brothers Campaign. The DetermiNation program model was created and developed by Markese Bryant and is especially tailored to support young men who are struggling to advance in their own life goals (such as employment, career, educational, or other personal goals) and who have been formerly involved in or are currently in close proximity to the “street life” or systems impacted. As part of the program youth participants develop their media production skills and produce projects like short films, music and graphic designs to share their personal stories and/or present a vision of what is possible for young men of color in our communities. DetermiNation is available for collaboration with other agencies doing Boys & Men of Color programs and projects. DetermiNation is organized Urban Peace Movement and United Roots and is co-facilitated by Adimu Madyun and Dr. Prince White. For more information please email: [email protected] or [email protected]
For more information about DetermiNation please go to:
www.DetermiNationBMG.org
www.unitedrootsoakland.org
www.urbanpeacemovement.org
For more information about the the California Endowment's Sons and Brothers work:
http://www.calendow.org/sonsandbrothers.aspx
