Concerned Black Men of Richmond Conducted ‘What To Do When Stopped by the Police’ Activity with Youth

March 30, 2020

Greetings,

The Concerned Black Men of Richmond conducted an activity we called “What To Do When Stopped by the Police”.  This event was organized by William Friday, Deputy Chief of Business Services and CBMRVA mentor. It was held at the Richmond Police Academy on March 7^th on the campus of Virginia Union University.

The activity started with a check-in and a brief history of the facility. The group was then shown a wall of portraits of all police officers that were killed in the line of duty.

We then proceeded to a classroom where the officers elaborated on the police’s role in protecting the citizens while enforcing state laws.  Officer El Amin explained how he became a policeman and told of his experiences getting through the academy. He turned on his radio and explained how they handle calls and shared a few anecdotal stories from his past experiences. 

Captain Hall and Officer El Amin shared some interesting statistics regarding police interactions with citizens and how they differ from the public’s perception.

They showed many of the tools that they use in the field and discussed how they deal with various situations that present themselves during daily patrols.

Next, it was time for role play.  Several mentees were presented with a situation where they were pulled over as suspects with a gun in the car. The officers explained how they approach the vehicle and the proper reaction that the passengers should exhibit.

This was a great exercise for the youth to be a part of and they all took some priceless life instruction from it. 

They also got an opportunity to put on a bullet proof vest and try their hand at being a police officer.  The officers loaded the simulator and armed them with pepper spray and a Taser to approach different perpetrators in a couple of scenarios. 

The mentees got an inside look into the work that our policemen do daily to protect our lives, their lives and to preserve order in today’s society.

This activity is exactly the type of information that the Concerned Black Men of RVA is attempting to arm our young men with so they may be better able to navigate the many pitfalls that today’s society will present.

I would like to thank William Friday, Captain John Hall and Officer Farrhard El Amin for putting together such an impactful event!

Thanks to each of you for your support of the Concerned Black Men of RVA!  We are looking forward to continuing our work with the youth as soon as the concern over the pandemic subsides.  It is truly making a difference in their development.

Be safe!

 

Sincerely,
Tim Mallory,
President CBM-RVA

Click Here to learn more about The Concerned Black Men of Richmond, Inc.
Click Here to learn more about becoming a Mentor.
Click Here to see how you can support our efforts to continue to care for our youth.

 

Concerned Black Men of Richmond Kicks Off 2020 with Career Options Activity at Franklin Military Academy

January 29, 2020

Greetings all!

The Concerned Black Men of Richmond kicked off 2020 with a Career Options activity.  It was conducted on January 11^th at Franklin Military Academy and was well attended. 

This year we concentrated on IT, Engineering and Armed Services as options.  Oliver Norrell, a current CBM mentor started off by discussing the requirements and benefits of entering the military.  He explained how he was able to go to college and obtained a law degree from the University of Richmond through the military.

Oliver also talked about the different types of lawyers in the military as well as in civilian society.

Winford Hill, a former CBM mentor has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and currently works with US Department of Defense. 

He explained the different types of engineering and the path that he took to achieve his career goals. Winford currently specializes in guidance systems and elaborated on how a career in engineering has afforded him the opportunity to work in other countries as well.

 

Next, Dondre Green and Charles Hill spoke about a career in the Information Technology field.  They both work as IT Logistic Analysts for a government contractor supporting the Army’s logistic software and users.  They both have served in the armed forces and explained the pros and cons of certifications as opposed to formal college education. 

 

We concluded the program with Kevin Carter, a current CBM mentor and former presenter for the Career Options event.  He is an engineer with Dominion Energy and has a degree in accounting.  Kevin elaborated on how an internship program got him in the door with Dominion Energy and that led him to an engineering position.

 

The Concerned Black Men of Richmond diligently seek out ways to motivate and inspire our boys.  There are several young men who have expressed interest in these fields, so we found some great examples for them to rub shoulders with and ask any questions that may assist them on their journey. 

Thank you to each of you who have supported us as we endeavor to provide our youth with programs that promote positive role models for them to emulate. It means the world to us and the youth that we serve.

Sincerely,
Tim Mallory,
President CBM-RVA

Click Here to learn more about The Concerned Black Men of Richmond, Inc.
Click Here to learn more about becoming a Mentor.
Click Here to see how you can support our efforts to continue to care for our youth.

Concerned Black Men of Richmond Attends 31st Annual 2nd Street Festival & Holds Music Activity with Youth & Grammy Award Winning Composer Lamont Fleming

November 10, 2019

Greetings all!

Last month the Concerned Black Men of Richmond began the month at the 2^nd Street Festival on October 5^th & 6^th in historic Jackson Ward. This is a celebration of African American Art & Culture that has taken place for 31 years.  We manned our table on community row and met with politicians, former mentors and the community at large to tell how we are continuing to impact the youth in the Richmond area.

Senator Jennifer McClellan with CBM

 

This is always a great opportunity for the Concerned Black Men of Richmond to recruit new mentors and mentees for our organization!

Next, we had our first youth activity, “Music – Inside Look” on Saturday October 12^th. The event was conducted by Lamont Fleming, a Grammy Award winning composer who has worked with artists such as Chris Brown and Destiny’s Child.

Lamont and Markel Bealle prerecorded a music track and worked with the youth on developing a hook and other facets of song composition for them to put together. 

 

 

They had a great time putting the song together and actually completed the first verse (a rap) and the hook!  Lamont did a great job encouraging the boys to pursue their dreams and to strive for excellence in all their endeavors. 

The Concerned Black Men of Richmond really appreciates the time and effort that Lamont and Markel put into putting on this event. We hope that we can get together again to possibly finish the song. It warms our hearts to see men of that stature give their time and share their talents with other young men!

Thank each of you for your interest and support of the Concerned Black Men of Richmond.  You are making a difference in the lives of the youth that we serve and the community.

Sincerely,
Tim Mallory, President CBM-RVA

Click Here to learn more about The Concerned Black Men of Richmond, Inc.
Click Here to learn more about becoming a Mentor.
Click Here to see how you can support our efforts to continue to care for our youth.

« Previous Page — Next Page »