BME: Good news about black males

THIS SUMMER, while some Philadelphia youths were wreaking havoc on city streets, Tyree Dumas and the kids he works with were holding dance parties.

Dumas, 22, is executive director of DollarBoyz, a group that aims to keep youth out of trouble by involving them in afterschool and weekend programs such as dance teams and rap contests.

"It's about showing them that there's different things in life, that they have things to live for," said Dumas, of North Philadelphia. "One of the kids, he's 16, he reminds me every day he's not going to live past 21. Just to have that kind of mind-set . . . "

Dumas is one of more than 750 city men whose efforts are being acknowledged as part of the BME (Black Male Engagement) Challenge - pronounced "Be me" - which is collecting the stories of African-American men who are taking the lead in making a positive difference in their communities.

The program is being supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Open Society Foundation's Campaign for Black Male Achievement.

The goal is to reach 1,000 nominees by today. Those nominated have the opportunity to apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 to further their missions.

One of the program's goals, according to Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Knight's Philadelphia program director, is to "flip the switch" and change the perception that many people have of African-American males.

"We thought, what if we show these men who are involved and get them to share their stories?" said Frisby-Greenwood. "These are all stories about making their communities better."

The BME Challenge also aims to inspire others.

"People who aren't engaged get engaged when they hear stories of everyday people doing something extraordinary," she said.

There are nominees like Anthony Martin, 47, who for 14 years has run a program that introduces youths to the motor-sports industry in which they learn to work with engines and develop better math and science skills.

"High school dropout rates, murder rates, incarceration rates, it's all dominated by African-American males," said Martin, of Northeast Philadelphia. "My goal is to turn this tide."

Some of the men are taking small, but significant, steps. One is the self-designated cleaner of alleys in his neighborhood. Another works with local barbers, teaching them how to talk to their clients about HIV/AIDS. And there's a man who volunteers at a local domestic-abuse shelter in honor of his daughter, who died at the hands of her abuser.