The Concerned Christian Men seeks to inspire and guide young African American males living on the south side of Chicago to become successful leaders and contributors to society. We empower them to rebuild and better their communities and challenge them to become men of integrity, establish academic and career goals, and give back to those around them. Our primary goal has always been to provide strong “Black Male” guidance and leadership to boys in grades 4th-8th. Our goal is to help shape them into positive, contributing members of society, keeping them focused on school and off the streets.
Since our founding in 1996, over 42,000 boys and young men have participated in our flagship event, the monthly Man-Boy Breakfast. This event features a hot breakfast, breakout sessions, sports and athletic activities, as well keynote speakers, which have included some of the most notable political, business, and civic leaders of the Chicago area, such as:
- Barack Obama, IL State Senator
- Don Thompson, President and CEO of McDonald’s
- Steven Rogers, Professor at Kellogg School of Business
- Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears Head Coach
- Otis Moss III, Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ
Concerned Christian Men has designed and implemented more than 12 after school programs for 4th-8th graders living in urban areas of Chicago. We have worked with more than 500 boys in our annual oratory contest, training them to improve their presentation skills while exposing them to some of the most influential historical speeches. Our programs, which are all free of charge, include:
- Monthly Man-Boy Breakfast
- John E. Everett Awards Luncheon
- Thompkins – Stimley Summer Camp in Allegan, MI
- Man-Boy Leadership Institute afterschool program
- Vocational Saturday
- Hightower Oratory Contest
- Sabbath Day Bible Study and Student Seminars
- Stock Market Challenge
- Pay-for-A’s
- Excursions to museums, sporting events, science fairs.