Brother 2 Brother

PURPOSE:

***To Cultivate A New Harvest Of Young Black Men Under The Mentorship Of Postive Adult Black Men.

***To Develop Prescriptions And Actions Necessary To Create Permanent Safeguards For Black Youth And Communities.

***To Share Life Experiences, Challenges, And Solutions.

WHEN & WHERE:

***Brother 2 Brother meets every 2nd Saturday of the month at this site:

Community Empowerment Association Cultural Center

7143 Fleury Way (rear of the old Rite Aid building in Homewood)

Pittsburgh, PA 15208

Breakfast starts at 9:30am

Discussion starts at 10:00am

THE SITUATION

Black males are under attack from all quarters in this society.

“At the end of 2001, 16.5 percent of the Black male population had been to prison compared to 7.7% of Hispanic and 2.7% of white men.” State of Black America- National Urban League New Pittsburgh Courier- April18-24, 2007

“Black males between 15 and 34 are nine times more likely to be killed by firearms and nearly eight times as likely to suffer from AIDS. State of Black America- National Urban League report 2007

“There were 95 homicides total in 2006—75 took the lives of Black people, 70 of those were Black men” Under Attack by Us! New Pittsburgh Courier- April 4-10, 2007

The unemployment for black men was 9.5 percent, compared to 4 percent for white men,” “Black men earned less than 75 percent of what white men did $34,443 vs. $46,807.” State of Black America- National Urban League report 2007

“Black males 14 to 24 years old: were implicated in a quarter of the nation's homicides and accounted for 15 percent of the homicide victims in 2002, although they were just 1.2 percent of the population.” Bureau of Justice Statistics-

“All of us must commit to be more than spectators to the political and social upheavals taking place around us. Thought-provoking voices must challenge the policies and practices of the old, tired stewards.” Editorial New Pittsburgh Courier May 2-6, 2007

THE CALL

It is time for all Black men to “man up” and move collectively to confront the ills that plague our families and communities. It is time for all Black men to embrace the ‘Brother to Brother Movement’ (B2BM) for mental liberation, self-determination and building a collective consensus. This is the purpose of the call for a Black Male Solidarity Day (BMSD)

We are appealing to all Black males, in western Pennsylvania, to gather in the spirit of the Million Man March,

at the City-County Building on Grant Street (downtown Pittsburgh) on Saturday June 23rd at 10 AM sharp.From that point we will march to Freedom Corner, (Centre and Crawford, above the Civic Arena - Hill District) for a rally at 11:30 AM.The general goals of the Black Male Solidarity Day are;

1. Peace in the ‘Hood- Stop the Violence!2. Unity and solidarity among Black men to bring about positive change. 3. Take a stand and use the power of unity to address the issues facing our communities. 4. Complete economic and social development of our communities.The assembled men will be challenged to become part of the Brother to Brother (B2BM) Movement to join existing organizations or start organizations that will address how to counteract destructive behavior, strengthen Black male networks, increase public and neighborhood safety, build Black institutions, promote Black self development and investment, inter denominational religious collaboration and demand independent Black political leadership.

Specifically the men who gather June 23rd will be challenged to stand-up!

Participants in the BMSD will be given very specific practical ideas that Black men can individually and collectively do to improve the quality of life for their families and communities. These action items will form the nuclei of a Black Agenda for the Spiritual, Political, Social and Economic development of our people.

Central to the Black Male Day of Solidarity is the revival of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Poor Peoples’ Campaign that called for a Marshal Plan like "economic bill of rights, an anti-poverty package that included a commitment to full employment, a guaranteed annual income measure, increased construction of low-income housing, quality education for all Americans, decent medical and dental plans and abolition of discrimination against any group in the criminal justice system.”

The BMSD Black Agenda will form the basis for a collective assault on destructive Black male behavior and the public and private sectors that have failed to address the critical and very real needs of Black males and the entire Black community.

In August the Brother to Brother Movement (B2BM) will join with the entire Black family to have a mass Black Family gathering in August. At the gathering in August the B2BM will report on its progress to date and invite the entire community to join in a united movement for positive change.

Contact 412.371.3689 or [email protected] if you or your organizations wish to join the Movement! Participating organizations are encouraged to bring their organizational banner and march as a delegation.

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