One of the nation’s top African-American-led mentoring organizations is 100 Black Men of America.
The concept began in 1963 in New York City when a group of concerned African American men, including Andrew Hatcher and Jackie Robinson, wanted to explore ways of improving conditions in their community.
Similarly, a group was interested in doing that for the Erie region and established a local chapter in 2022.
“It really came down to taking back our communities economically, mentoring our young men, replicating ourselves as African American male professionals in particular. It is not the only demographic that we focus on but is it our core demographic,” said Marcus Atkinson, co-founder and president of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. Erie chapter.
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Atkinson explained that one of the beautiful things about the organization is that note-worthy members such as Shaquille O’Neal are actively making a dynamic legacy.