- Black Men Organizing met in Milwaukee to discuss their accomplishments and hear from national leader Shawn Dove.
- The group aims to address challenges facing African Americans in community building, education, economics, and health.
- Despite progress, Milwaukee’s Black community still faces significant disparities in income, incarceration, and education.
- Shawn Dove encouraged the men to continue their work, emphasizing the need to change systems that negatively impact Black men and boys.
A year and a half ago, Black Men Organizing, led by Pastor Walter Lainer, aimed to address the challenges facing African Americans in Milwaukee across community building, youth and education, Black wealth and economics, and health and wellness.
On Oct. 25, the group met at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society to discuss their accomplishments and to hear from Shawn Dove, who led the Campaign for Black Male Achievement for a decade. This initiative is one of the largest national movements focused on improving the life outcomes of Black men and boys.
The meeting set a positive tone and reinforced to the men that their work is important and impactful.
Dove, who is also the author of the book “I Too Am America: On Loving and Leading Black Men & Boys,” addressed a group of about 100 men, explaining why they must continue fighting and challenge systems that negatively impact Black and Latino communities.
Dove, a product of the bustling streets of New York, has a deep understanding of the complex challenges involved in transforming systems to support Black men and boys rather than harm them. He recognizes the heavy burdens they bear, facing significant hardships and a pervasive sense of neglect from society, which often reduces their lives to mere statistics.
“At one time, I was that young man,” Dove said. “Where would I be if someone had given up on me?”
Dove, who is currently a leadership team member and advisor for New Profit, a venture philanthropy organization that provides financial and strategic support to social entrepreneurs, emphasized to the men present that their efforts are crucial because many Black men and boys are “frozen” by circumstances such as poverty, racism, unemployment, and trauma. They need our help.
In Milwaukee, having an organization like Black Men Organizing is essential because, despite many accomplishments over the past year and a half, the African American community still ranks near the bottom in household income, Black male incarceration rates, home ownership, and the widest reading and math scores between white and Black students in the nation.
While these statistics won’t change overnight, Dove encouraged the men to stay committed to the fight for improvement. “I know it can be frustrating at times, but look at how much you have accomplished in such a short period,” he said.
Organization has accomplished a lot in over a year
Those in the audience who are part of the group range from publicly known figures to everyday community members who want to make a difference. To join, all you have to do is bring your expertise and a commitment to being a change maker.
Since it started, Lanier said the group has done the following:
- Had four successful conflict mediations among brothers and community partners
- Partnered with Running Rebels for monthly intergenerational dialogues
- Hosted two educational-focused webinars advancing policy literacy and advocacy
- Supported Darryl Jackson’s MPS resolution for Black student success
- Hosted financial literacy webinars with CLIMB and Running Rebels
- Advocated for Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development to release funds for housing equity.
- Participated in Matthew Johnson’s 5K Walk/Run, promoting health and community engagement
- Organized mental health and fatherhood dialogues with community partners
- Hosted four get-out-the-vote events
- Built alliances with My Brother’s Keeper and Project IMPACT, just to name a few.
Lainer highlighted that noting accomplishments can help prevent frustration when progress stalls.
I have been fortunate to participate in several events, and I have gained insights into the major challenges of changing established systems. One notable event was a Zoom discussion featuring members and prominent educator Howard Fuller, the founder and head of the Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy.
This conversation not only provided a historical overview of public education but also helped me understand why conditions in Milwaukee Public Schools deteriorated so quickly. Additionally, I attended a financial literacy event where I learned valuable investment strategies and discovered practical ways to save, even at my age.
My only complaint aligns with that of many others in this struggle: we need more people to get involved.
Improving conditions requires a collective effort. As fellow participant Pastor Greg Lewis said, “The cavalry is not coming. We will have to work together to change our conditions.”
Black males are more than statistics
In Dove’s book, he points out that despite numerous reports detailing the state of Black men and boys in America, which often feature a long list of discouraging statistics, this data tends to overlook the everyday challenges and triumphs faced by this community.
Black males in America are so much more than what the data points show. It’s up to us to do a much better job of telling their individual stories, or the crushing narrative that swirls around them won’t budge an inch, he said.
The Campaign for Black Male Achievement was established to change the current narrative by highlighting both the challenges and successes faced by Black males. Its goal is to create more pathways for them to navigate through the difficulties they encounter.
“When you take on the task of reversing 400 years of intentional destruction, you will face many sleepless nights and bouts of crippling self-doubt. However, we have never had any choice but to keep moving forward,” Dove stated in his book.
Dove related his experiences to a game he played growing up in New York City called “hot peas and butter.” In this popular game, one player hides a belt in a wide-open area, while the designated safe area is called the base. One person is chosen as “It” and hides the belt, while the other participants search for it while chanting the magic words, “Hot peas and butter, come and get your supper!”
The player who is “It” guides the searchers by indicating who is “hot”— close to the belt — or “cold”— far away from it. When someone finds the belt, the holder shouts, “Hot peas and butter!” and can chase the other players until they reach the base.
“It was an oppressive game,” Dove noted. He pointed out that some in the group are also facing oppression. He challenged them to consider whether they would be bold enough to search for the belt, knowing someone could be close enough to whip them back to base, or if they would choose to stay close to the base to avoid being beaten down and miss the opportunity.
The metaphor is strong and suggests that just because you possess the belt or the power, it doesn’t mean you have to use it to dominate others. The goal is to be brave enough to seek the prize and do something positive with it.
“My question for you is, who is stalling on your calling that God has given you on behalf of your people? You need to jump in,” Dove urged.
The men felt more empowered to continue their mission and concluded the event by locking arms in a large circle. Lainer encouraged each man to share one word that represented what they gained from the meeting.
Some of the words shared included Unity, Faithful, Inspired, Brotherhood, Empowered, Excellence, Action, Determined, Uplifting, Purpose, and Powerful.
My word was: Inspired.
Reach James E. Causey at jcausey@jrn.com; follow him on X @jecausey.
