Their slogan is "real men giving real time" and this is one organization that practices what it preaches. 100 Black Men of the Bay Area is a group of men (actually 111 men) who have dedicated their time and effort into improving the lives of all African Americans, and in particular our youth.

Who They Are

In 1963 a group of successful businessmen from a variety of social, educational and economic sectors came together for the common purpose of making a difference in African American communities by making a difference in the lives of African American youth.  From this concept the first meeting of the 100 Black Men of America was held in New York City, and one of the most influential national organizations for African Americans was born.

Founded in 1988 as the fifth National Chapter, and currently led by their President Mark, Alexander, PhD, 100 Black Men of the Bay Area has spent the last two decades executing against the national vision through the implementation of their "Four for the Future" signature program:

Mentoring - to serve as role models and mentors for our youth

Education - to provide scholarships assistance for our youth

Economic Development - to promote economic development in our community

Health & Wellness - to promote health & wellness and non-violence

What They Do

There are many programs that the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area have created, sponsor or are involved in, and they have partnered with organizations like the American Red Cross, Oakland Unified School District, UC Berkeley and multiple local schools, all in the furtherance of their programs.  Signature programs include:

Young Black Scholar Program which includes providing scholarships, awards and financial assistance to students throughout the Bay Area as well as holding the annual June Scholarship Luncheon and the December Christmas Kwanzaa Awards Gala to celebrate student achievement.

MOVE for Health a signature annual project that features fitness and nutrition programs for people of all ages.

Youth Movement- a health and wellness initiative whose mission is to improve the overall health and well being of marginalized children through structured physical fitness training, wholesome food choices, character development, and mentoring.

The program includes year-round track and field clinics and track meets where participants are physically conditioned,and athletically trained under the mentorship of highly qualified coaches, world class athletes and Olympians.

Junior 100 Program where members work with African American male high school students grades 9-12; focusing on mentoring, life skills coaching, life academic achievement, college preparation and career skills training.

Collegiate 100 Program at the University of California, Berkeley where members work to enhance the educational experience of African American students at the university, by acting as a support group and offering peer counseling to fellow students.

Although they don't do their work for community accolades 100 Black Men or the Bay Area certainly has received many to include being recognized as the "Civic Organization of the Year" in 1993 by the San Francisco Business and Professional Women , and in the same year having the Governor of  California proclaim December 18 "100 Black Men Day".

“100 Schools”

One of the latest and most ambitious undertakings by the group is the creation of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Community School (100 BMBACS). 

The mission of 100 BMBACS is to prepare young men with the skills needed to be leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and to instill confidence and a sense of responsibility for leading social change.  

The school will serve students K-12 and is intended to serve as a replicable model for educating young African American boys and helping them become high achieving young black men (for more on “100 Schools” click here).

We are proud to feature 100 Black Men of the Bay Area in "People Doing Good" and wish them much continued success in all their community endeavors.  When it comes to leadership by example these strong Black men have been doing it for over 20 years and show no signs of slowing down.

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