Boston grants $500,000 in support of Black men, boys

In an effort to invest directly in Boston’s Black men and boys, Mayor Michelle Wu on Tuesday announced $500,000 in grants for dozens of community organizations.

The city’s Office of Black Male Advancement selected 63 awardees for the 2024 Community Empowerment Grants, according to a city news release. The goal is to help bolster the organizations’ work directly with Black men and boys.

“We’re committed to supporting community organizations that are focused on empowering and improving outcomes for Black men and boys in Boston,” said Wu in the release. “These grants will support critical organizations in scaling up their programming and deepening the impact across all of Boston’s neighborhoods.”

The city considered seven categories in the grant selection process: mentoring and out-of-school time; youth and young adult pathways; housing mobility; economic inclusion and wealth building; workforce training and development; mental health and wellness; and fatherhood engagement.

The groups that offer mentorship or out-of-school programs include the Center for Teen Empowerment in Roxbury; Panthers Legends Academic Youth in Mattapan; Follow Suit in Dorchester; and Young Man with a Plan in Hyde Park.

“Funding supports Young Man with a Plan with holistic mentoring growth as we expand enrollment, staff, space, and programming, including new wellness programming,” said Jaykyri Simpson, executive director of Young Man with a Plan.

Those providing educational and career opportunities include Future Chefs in Dorchester; Next Leadership Development Corporation in Jamaica Plain; and Charlestown Community Cares in Charlestown.

Blue Collar Academy in Roxbury and Kings Amongst Kings in Mattapan were among those helping with financial empowerment. Resilient Coders in Cambridge and The Teachers’ Lounge Inc., in Roslindale are two of the selected organizations that offer workforce development.

Beat the Odds in Dorchester and Include Innovation Inc. in Roxbury are among the mental health and wellness organizations chosen to receive grants.

And, among the fatherhood engagement organizations is the Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts in Dorchester. “While we do the work for men directly, we also want to impact their children and their children’s children,” said LaWaun Curry, the center’s fathers nurturing program specialist.