About The 100 Black Men of Western PA
Constantly making a difference
Instituted in 1987 as a charitable nonprofit 501( c )(3) organization (and United Way Agency Code 885156), 100 Black Men Of Western PA, Inc. (the “100”) is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the African American community and educational opportunities for at-risk African-American youth in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. The specific focus of the 100 Black Men of Western PA, Inc. is mentoring, and in this capacity we have successfully mentored over 850 students in the Greater Pittsburgh Area for more than twenty eight years. 100 Black Men of Western PA, Inc. is an integral part of 100 Black Men of America, Inc., which is a broad based, international organization with over 120 chapters in 30 States, including the District of Columbia, Kingston Jamaica, Birmingham United Kingdom and Gore Island Senegal. The 100 Black Men of America, Inc. attained national recognition when it received the prestigious US President’s Service Award.
OUR HISTORY
The overall concept of ‘The 100” began in the New York in 1963 when a group of concerned African American men began to meet to explore ways of improving conditions in their com-munity. 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 ensure the future of their communities by aiming intense resources to youth development. These members were successful black men from various walks of life who were business and indus-try leaders.
During the 1970’s, a movement began where men across the county formed 100 Black Men organizations to leverage their collective talents and resources. Chapters were formed in Los Angles, Indianapolis, St. Louis , Pittsburgh, Atlanta, San Fran-cisco/Oakland Bay Area, Nassau/Suffolk, Alton and Sacra-mento.
After numerous meetings beginning in 1983, the chapters decided on October 2, 1986 that the name of the organization would be 100 Black Men of America, inc. On May 27, 1987, in Atlanta, Georgia, this newly formed organization introduced itself to the nation during its first national conference.
Today, the organization has grown to over 110 national and international chapters with more than 10,000 members com-mitted to improving the quality of life in our communities. 100 Black Men of America, Inc. has impacted the lives of over 100,000 youth who participate annually in its mentoring and youth development programs.