Building leaders.
Strengthening community.
Creating lasting impact.
our mission
The MISSION of 100 Black Men of Long Beach, Inc. is to improve the quality of life within our local communities through education, health and wellness, economic opportunities, and the provision of leadership and mentoring.
our vision
The VISION of 100 Black Men of Long Beach, Inc. is to be the premier community organization that serves as a catalyst to improve the quality of life for African Americans and provide the tools to become productive and community minded citizens.
NATIONAL history
100 Black Men of America, inc. began in New York in 1963 when a group of concerned African American men began to meet to explore ways of improving conditions in their community.
The group eventually adopted the name, “100 Black Men, Inc.” as a sign of solidarity. These men envisioned an organization that would implement programs designed to improve the quality of life for African Americans and other minorities. They also wished to ensure the future of their communities by aiming an intense number of resources toward youth development. These members were successful Black men from various walks of life. These visionaries were business and industry leaders such as David Dinkins, Robert Mangum, Dr. William Hayling, Nathaniel Goldston III, Livingston Wingate, Andrew Hatcher, and Jackie Robinson.
Dr. William Hayling, a member of the NY organization, had relocated to Newark, NJ and sought to replicate the 100’s impact in that area. In 1976, Dr. Hayling formed the 100 Black Men of New Jersey. A movement had been born. Men across the country began to form 100 Black Men organizations to leverage their collective talents and resources. Chapters were formed in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area, Nassau/Suffolk, Alton, and Sacramento.
On September 21, 1983, a three-hour meeting was held at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., among representatives from the Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, and St. Louis chapters. This meeting was to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a National Organization for 100 Black Men. The third meeting was held May 16-18, 1986 at the Flamingo Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. At this meeting it was agreed that the best model for a newly-formed national organization was a federation governance model. This model leveraged human and financial resources, and supported chapter growth while preserving chapter autonomy.
A final meeting was held on October 2, 1986 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington. Chapters represented were: Los Angeles, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Atlanta and New Jersey. The chapters decided that the name of the organization would be: “100 Black Men of America, Inc.”
Learn more about the national organization and the history, values, and mission that guide our work. Watch the videos below to explore the legacy and impact that continue to shape chapters across the country.
chapter history
Before you can grasp the fullness of our history, you must also download and internalize the path of our trajectory and the richness of our story.
In 2007, several prominent and concerned African-American men met on board the Queen Mary in the City of Long Beach to discuss ways to empower the African American community, especially African-American young males. After several meetings, Jesse B. Johnson, Jr., Founder and inaugural president, encouraged the core of the group to form a 100 Black Men of Long Beach Interest Group. These men agreed in solidarity and unanimously, they conferred with other chapters on the West Coast about the process of chartering, they pursued, and in December of 2008, a charter was granted by 100 Black Men of America, Inc. empowering these men with the brand, teaching and modeling the decorum, and joining others, who do it the 100 Way©.
As a result, 100 Black Men of Long Beach, Inc. programs mirror that of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. which are ("Four for the Future") Mentoring, Health & Wellness, Education and Economic Empowerment. Our Mentoring Program follows the (GRIT) model (Growth, Resilience, Integrity/Instinct, Tenacity), representing the perseverance, passion, and determination needed for long-term success.
Monthly mentoring meetings are held at California State University, Long Beach on every 3rd Saturday focusing and training young men as early as five years of age, commencing during their formative years and culminating as Seniors during their secondary years, ages 17-18. This Mentoring Action Committee has grown and glows as one of our longest standing and most consistent programs.
Joining and aligning with the grows and glows of the Mentoring Committee is Health & Wellness offering Preventative Care, Interventive Care, as well as, Counseling and Therapy. This Health & Wellness Action Committee is led by Second Vice-President, Eric Burroughs, while the Membership Action Committee has increased from 12 chartered members to nearly 90+ summing 692% growth.
This history focus on our humble beginning with 12 men with a plan to empower young men using the required and vetted model of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and later securing partnership and the same success with partners in Long Beach, (i.e. CSU, Long Beach), who provided real estate, so members of our chapter, more specifically, members of the Mentoring Action Committee would have an opportunity to create a college going culture and develop more masterful young men, who may commence this program where performative is normative, but as they continue, they become transformative.
This is a story where “Real Men” continue to operate in selflessness and give real time. We capture these young men in their “Formative Years” and we send them to college in their Transformative Years! Because they witness authenticity and reliability, they grow incredibly. With continued dedication and steadfastness, 100 Black Men of Long Beach, Inc. looks forward to a brighter future.
