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100 History |
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The overall concept of the 100 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. This
meeting was held during the annual weekend meeting of the Congressional Black
Caucus.
Representative of St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, the San Francisco/Oakland Bay
Area, Nassau/Suffolk and Sacramento met for a second time in Las Vegas, May
11-13, 1984, at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. The men engaged in extensive
discussions about the most effective structure to support the growth and
governance of 100 Black Men chapters.
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. It was also voted that a National Steering Committee would
include the Presidents of each chapter, along with two members from each
chapter.
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."
The following individuals were elected as officers:
Dr. William Hayling (Los Angeles) President Moses Gray (Indianapolis) Secretary
Oliver Lofton, Esq. (New Jersey) Vice-President Jesse C. Swanigan (St. Louis)
Treasurer On May 27, 1987, in Atlanta, Georgia, this newly formed organization
introduced itself to the nation during its first national conference. Noted
speakers included the late Alex P. Haley and the late Honorable Maynard H.
Jackson.
In 1989, Nathaniel R. Goldston III became the organization's second National
President and grew the organization to 43 chapters. Mr. Goldston used his
business acumen and resources to expand the number of chapters and enhancing
the organization's infrastructure. Under Mr. Goldston, the organization
acquired its first national office and its first Executive Director. Along with
Mr. Goldston, Warren Valdrey (Vice President), T.B. Boyd III (Treasurer) and
Moses Gray (Secretary) served as elected officers.
In 1994, Thomas W. Dortch Jr. was elected the third National President. That
year, he spearheaded an aggressive plan entitled Four For The Future™. Since
that time, the organization has strategically channeled its resources toward
programs that support these important areas: Mentoring, Education, Health &
Wellness, and Economic Development. The 100 has identified these areas as being
critical to the future of African Americans.
Along with Mr. Dortch, LeRoy G. Walker, Jr. (Vice President), William L.
Wimberly (Vice President), Hon. Roosevelt F. Dorn (Vice President), Lonnie J.
Carr (Treasurer), and Albert E. Dotson, Jr. (Secretary). In 1997, under Mr.
Dortch's leadership the organization expanded internationally with the
chartering of the Birmingham, England chapter. Additional international
chapters and interest groups followed including: Nassau Bahamas, Goree Island,
Senegal, Kingston, Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands, and London, England. It was
also in 1997 that the organization purchased its World Headquarters building on
historic Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Also, during Mr. Dortch's tenure,
the Collegiate 100 was formed to focus the next generation on mentoring.
In 2004, Albert E. Dotson, Jr., Esq. was elected the fourth President/Chairman
of the Board and during his inaugural address he recognized the contributions
of his predecessors. Dr. Hayling was acknowledged for bringing the various 100
Black Men organizations under the single banner of 100 Black Men of America.
Mr. Goldston was recognized for his personal investment of talent and resources
that grew the number of chapters focused on the 100’s mission. Mr. Dortch was
acknowledged for expanding the organization's resources and building capacity
for the 100 to carry out its mission. Chairman Dotson referred to their
contributions as the Hayling Harvest, the Goldston Gain and the Dortch
Dividend.
The other newly elected officers in 2004 were Curley M. Dossman, Jr. (Vice
Chair Operations), Frank Hayes (Vice Chair Finance), Dr. Joshua W. Murfree, Jr.
(Vice Chair Programs), John S. Kendall (Vice Chair of Operations) and Anthony
B. O'Neill (Secretary). Since 2004, Chairman Dotson has focused the
organization on leadership and delivering impactful and innovative programs in
each of the Four For The Future areas.
During Dotson’s tenure the 100 launched the Leadership Development Institute
(LDI) to provide a vehicle through which members of the 100 could fine tune and
enhance their leadership skills. The 100 also created their Community
Empowerment Project (CEP) which ensures that the city where the 100 convenes
its Annual conference receives a social and societal impact that is sustainable
by the community.
From 2006 to 2009, the 100 helped launch the National Cares Mentoring Movement
(formerly Essence Cares) to mobilize millions of able African Americans to take
the lead in fulfilling our society's spiritual and social responsibility to our
children. The 100 expanded its focus on advocacy for responsible public policy,
including sponsoring the Internationally broadcasted debate on urban issues
among Presidential candidates Senator Barack H. Obama, Senator Hillary R.
Clinton and Senator John Edwards. The 100 has consistently increased its
resources to deliver relevant new programs and enhance signature programs. The
organization is moving their mission and strategic direction forward as it
implements Mentoring the 100 Way Across a Lifetime
sm.
Today the organization has grown to over 116 chapters with more than 10,000
members who continue to strive to improve the quality of life in our
communities and enhance the educational and economic opportunities for African
Americans. 100 Black Men of America, Inc. has more than 100,000 youth
participants annually in its mentoring and youth development programs. With a
mission to improve the quality of life and enhance educational opportunities
for African Americans, members of the 100 continue to serve as a strong force
in the world by overcoming the cultural and financial obstacles that have
limited the achievements of some African Americans, particularly young African
American males. Members of the 100 have made outstanding progress, proving that
Blacks can, and do, excel as corporate leaders, community leaders and as
independent business owners.
Annual Conference Locations
Atlanta (1987), Los Angeles (1988), Indianapolis (1989), Newark, New Jersey
(1990), St. Louis (1991), San Francisco (1992), Atlanta (1993), Nashville
(1994), Jackson, Mississippi (1995), Miami (1996), Atlanta (1997), New Orleans
(1998), Detroit (1999), Newark, New Jersey (2000), Atlanta (2001), Orlando
(2002), Las Vegas (2003), Miami (2004), New Orleans (2005), Atlanta (2006), Las
Vegas (2007), Orlando (2008), New York (2009), Ft. Lauderdale (2010), San
Francisco - The Bay Area (2011), and Atlanta (2012).
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