The Founding Chapter of One Hundred Black Men (OHBM) will induct a historic class off 33 new members today in New York City.
OHBM Founder, David N. Dinkins 106th Mayor of New York City and Charles B. Rangel will be on hand to welcome the 33 new members. Justice Robert Reed will swear in the new class.
The ceremony will be at MIST Harlem located at 46 West 116th Street, NY, NY 10027 at 6:00pm.
The 33 new members, selected from among the hundreds of men who annually seek entrance into one of the premier men’s organizations in the country include: Bill Thompson, Chairman of the CUNY Board of Trustees; Andy King, City Councilman; Lenny Greene, Popular WBLS Radio Personality, and Voza Rivers; Founder of the Academy and Grammy Award winning youth organization IMPACT Repertory Theater.
“This is an amazing and historic day because we are inducting one of the largest classes in the history of the One Hundred Black Men of New York,” said Courtney A. Bennett, executive director of the One Hundred Black Men of New York. “It is a clear message that resourceful and unselfish men are ready to take a stand for social justice, quality education, mentoring for youth and fairness and equality in business at every level.”
Michael J. Garner, President of the One Hundred Black Men of New York added: “If we don’t take responsibility for developing our future Leaders, who will?”
Garner, the board and members of the One Hundred Black Men take responsibility by annually awarding $100,000 in college scholarships; conducting gun buyback programs that have removed 160 guns from our streets; championing the efforts of the governor and mayor to award 30% of contracts to MWBEs throughout New York State; and mentoring over 200 hundred students from throughout New York City including the Eagle Academies, which the One Hundred Black Men of New York founded in 2004.
Founded in 1963 by Judge Robert Mangum, Dinkins, Jackie Robinson and other prominent men of the civil rights era, One Hundred Black Men has grown to have over 100 chapters throughout the United States.
