We Can Either Develop Young Black Boys Into Strong Black Men or Spend a Lot of Time Healing Broken Black Men!

We will use a national network to effectively engage men, and young boys, on every level. We will use all marketing and communications mediums available to us to propagate a message of elevation and empowerment. We will create an environment in which mediocrity will be unacceptable and greatness will be expected!

The Black Men Lead program will address many issues, including:

• Addressing the Identity Crisis that has plagued us for generations
  • Integrating proper racial socialization
  • Confronting Emotional Mental Stressors in Teens and Adult Males (A New National Focus)
  • Developing a desire to lead and protect our women and children
  • Addressing environmental challenges and peer influences
  • Dealing with the fears and anxieties that most are afraid or ashamed to discuss
• Developing and understanding that nothing is greater than purpose & destiny
  • Acknowledge that there are obstacles and challenges, but we are built for them
  • Address fears and concerns
  • Explain and emphasize the dangers of drug use and the destruction it causes
  • Confront the proclivity for violence (Explaining the rise in aggression during adolescence and beyond — revealing that this aggression that is a response to a rise in testosterone levels is actually preparing them to be protectors of their communities — not destroyers.
• Setting High Expectations
  • The standards have been set too low. We will raise the demands and the expectations for our male youth.
  • Teaching them that they can not only prosper in this hostile environment but that they can thrive in it, win in it, dominate in it…
  • Instill the proper attitude and mindset as it pertains to money and the building of generational wealth
  • Emphasizing the importance of developing the ability to effectively communicate, and how it will open doors for them
  • Highlighting the power of an intelligent mind
• Clarifying the Possession of Power
  • Teaching them that they are always in control of their destiny because they control their decisions
  • Focusing on the importance of developing the capacity to control their emotions and passions, and not allowing these forces to control them
  • That women are the greatest test of their manhood, in more ways than one, and they must be up to the test
  • How to maintain control over sexual compulsions that could place them in unfavorable positions
• Teaching Them That They are In Charge of Their Lives
  • Stop looking outside of themselves for validation and acceptance
  • The principles of internal and external authority
  • Leaving the quitter behind
• Recognizing the Enemy
  • How to understand the environment and surroundings they are operating in — being diligent to examine all who they encounter
  • Defining the parameters of friend and foe — stop judging based on emotion and feelings
  • Understand and respect differences in cultures, while always honoring and protecting your own
• The Foundation of Faith
  • Developing a strong moral and ethical code
  • Understanding that change is inevitable and they are built to adapt and dominate, despite the vicissitudes and changes that are sure to come
  • Die on “E”

The Core Principles Taught at the Black Men Lead rite of passage initiative. “The Black man is exceptional beyond measure, but he must be willing to see beyond his conditions and the opinions of others to discover his potential to be great and to achieve extraordinary feats. He must never accept mediocrity and failure as a part of his destiny, instead choosing to write his own narrative. When he becomes committed to fulfilling his greatness, there is absolutely nothing that can stop him.” 

A Black man…

1. Never harms, mistreats, or disrespects a Black woman (including females of all ages)
2. Takes care of his progeny (offspring)
3. Always has control of his emotions
4. Works so that he can provide for his family
5. Strives to build wealth for his family and offspring
6. Understands the importance of ownership of businesses and property
7. Is always in a state of learning and growing
8. Takes responsibility for his own actions
9. Seeks wisdom and knowledge from men in great situations and conditions
10. Abides by a standard of excellence — never settling
11. Never makes excuses for his failures — making the necessary adjustments to overcome them

Mental Health in Manhood

Dr. Wallace and the Black Men Lead rite of passage program has always incorporated the element of mental into its principles and protocols. However, the recent uptick in Black male suicides among men under the age of 30 has led to us creating a new component to the program that focuses on creating a space for Black men to seek help when they are struggling mentally and emotionally. Mental Health in Manhood is a holistic mechanism designed to offer Black males the tools and resources necessary to remain whole and healthy in an inherently hostile world.