100 Black Men of Syracuse, Inc.'s Honors Banquet

Abut 400 people was in attendance at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Liverpool on Friday, December 4th for the 100 Black Men of Syracuse Inc.'s second annual honors banquet.

The night's theme was "Unlocking the Future through Education" and included special recognition to Syracuse University, Le Moyne College and Onondaga Community College for their work in expanding local educational opportunities.

The evening's keynote address was given by Vincent Golphin, a journalist, author and assistant professor of English at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His talk focused on education and the preparation of our children to function in the new global economy.

"The evening was about providing opportunities and resources for our young people," Said the organization's Executive Director, Vincent Love. "Our primary mission is to improve the quality of life in this community and that begins with the building up and preservation of our most treasured resource, our children."

"We are pleased with the community support of the organization shown through the number of people who attended the event" Love explained. "This was a solid start toward meeting our goals of providing scholarships money for our children but we still have more to do."

Love says that the organization is endeavoring to change the image of black men which has been damaged by negative media portrayal and stereotypes. "In particular, our mission is about African American men who want to step up and start taking care of our kids and our community and build the true image that black men should have."

Founded in 2007, the 100 Black Men of Syracuse's primary focus is on mentoring local African-American males. They have programs at Fowler High School, Blodgett Middle School and Percy Hughes Magnet School.

For more information about the 100 Black Men of Syracuse visit their website at www.100blackmensyr.org