By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The leaders of three West Michigan nonprofits have joined forced to create a new collaborative initiative that will serve boys and young men of color under a single mission: becoming something they don’t always get the chance to see.

“We Matter Now reflects the importance of seeing positive Black male leadership that will enable boys and young men of color to create positive change in our community” said Cole Williams, of the Delta Project, who is joined by Dondreá Brown of Young Money Finances and Henry Sapp of Better Wiser Stronger. “Boys and young men of color don’t believe they have an opportunity to change their lives because they don’t see enough successful men of color as role models.

“By sharing our lived experienced, We Matter Now strives to provide examples of what boys and young men of color can become.”

With multiyear financial support from Heart of West Michigan United Way, Brown, Sapp, and Williams have joined forces to serve as resource brokers for We Matter Now. The initiative curates its programming from a strengths-based approach, working to empower “at-potential” boys and young men of color and to equip them with the necessary tools to close the gap on education, wellness and financial achievement.

This year, We Matter Now will offer a conference, summer programming, a celebration and ongoing initiatives for approximately 60 at-potential boys and young men of color in grades 9-11. The inaugural We Matter Now conference will be held Friday, April 22 at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids, gathering 60 Black and Brown youth for a day of education, recognition, celebration and connection.

Those interested in joining the first We Matter Now cohort and attending the conference, which is free of charge to participants, can sign up online.

 

“Recognizing the power of words, We Matter Now seeks to serve ‘at-potential’ boys and young men of color, flipping the narrative that too often begins with ‘at-risk’ youth,” Brown said. “Our initiative strives to create a safe space, working to provide Black and Brown high school students with the tools, skills, resources and relationships needed to face challenges within their community.

“Henry, Cole and I appreciate the support from United Way, which has encouraged us to develop programming that will resonate with youth we are already working with in our community. Together, we are creating a road map that will help young men in West Michigan build deeper, stronger relationships and grow into leaders.”

As one of its first steps toward mobilizing the community for change, Heart of West Michigan United Way developed the Transformation Strategy in 2021 to close the economic and achievement gap for people of color in Kent County. Through this strategy, the organization created the Opportunity Initiative to provide local Black, Indigenous and People of Color, or BIPOC-led/founded grassroots organizations –including Young Money Finances, Delta Project and Better Wiser Stronger – financial and educational support through a one-time grant. United Way’s goal was to help build the capacities of small nonprofits and collaboratives that were already successfully addressing systemic change.

“United Way is funding the We Matter Now initiative because we saw how intimately these three organizations work to empower young Black and Brown men who struggle to achieve due to structural racism and other forms of oppression,” said Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact at Heart of West Michigan United Way. “We are so excited to support their work and see the change, growth and impact that this collaborative will have on our young men of color.”

The theme of the first conference, Our Vision, Our Voice, Our Choice, underscores the initiative’s desire to have boys and young men of color be partners in what programming will look like. Sessions will focus on financial education, healthy behaviors and conflict resolution training, equipping attendees with the support to be impactful members of the community.

“We Matter Now will serve as a resource broker, collaborating with curated organizations to connect attendees to the high-impact services, information and support they need,” Sapp said. “Research shows it’s critical for young people to have adults who believe in and support them in order to develop a positive sense of their future.

“Youth who can see a future for themselves are more likely to exhibit positive behaviors, such as good decision-making and goal planning, while avoiding problem behaviors and poor choices.”

Through its three partner organizations, We Matter Now will offer summer programming to those who attend the conference as a way to extend the conversation and share resources. This programming will include:

• Better Wiser Stronger will offer its Blueprint Journal workshop, which is part of its boys-to-men curriculum and designed to provide a blueprint for success.
• The Delta Project will offer its Delta Conversation, which uses storytelling and video editing to tell personal stories in a meaningful and digestible way.
• Young Money Finances will offer three sessions – Young Money Managers, Young Investors and Young Entrepreneurs – enabling teens to sharpen their skills around managing money, investing and starting a business.
  
  

We Matter Now will also hold a celebrationin August before the start of the new school year to celebrate the connections forged during spring and summer, connect families of attendees with one another and promote a successful return to the classroom.