By Chris O’Grady

Matt Whitley and Gabriel Baawo came to the University of Louisville from drastically different backgrounds, but both had a common desire to improve the black community they saw around them. Sitting inside the athletic offices of the Student Activities Center, the pair described the organization they help to run – the Collegiate 100 – with passion and drive, recounting how the organization had influenced their college experience.

Whitley, a junior finance major, found himself at Georgetown College, searching for an authentic black community that he had never known. Growing up in what he described as suburbia, Whitley found himself unable to relate to other black men, even to his older brothers who had grown up in rougher environments. But, after transferring to U of L, Whitley found a group that supported his desires for authentic.

“At Georgetown I didn’t feel I was accomplishing much outside the classroom,” said Whitley. “I was looking for a different black experience. And this for me, the Collegiate immediately stuck, because I was able to give back to people who had a different road than I did. The ills that plagued them didn’t plague me as a kid.”

Baawo, a senior sport administration major, conversely came from an all-black community, where he was never forced to interact with anyone from other cultural groups. That was, until he received a wake-up call at a science workshop in high school. “I went to this science fair workshop in high school and it was the first time I was forced to interact on a consistent basis with people who were different from me,” said Baawo. “And I realized there that I would have to be with people from different cultures in my life. I mean, think about the corporate world. It’s not just a comfortable black community. And I saw in Collegiate the ability to develop bonds and learn how to work in that environment.”

What they found was a group on campus called the Collegiate 100, an offshoot of the international organization known as 100 Black Men of America. The international group began in New York City in 1963 with a group of young, black professionals concerned about the state of their community. The group expanded out of New York in the 1970s, and by the 1980s formed a national group and created a support structure for fledging member cities.

The Collegiate offshoot came to U of L’s campus in 2004 – at the time one of only four of its kind in the nation. Today there are 15 Collegiate 100s in United States colleges, including new organizations at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University. U of L’s Collegiate group helped create these new branches in its sister cities. But, at its infancy, the group’s catalyst was Marvin Mitchell, U of L’s senior associate athletic director, who continues to serve as the group’s adviser.

“We work with a mission to mentor young black males in the inner city,” said Mitchell. “We saw a need to mobilize males not involved in anything. This school has long had a problem with retention rates, losing African American males. We needed something to get them involved. Somewhere a bond was going to be made.”

Michael Mardis, dean of students, said that the university realizes there is a problem with retention and appreciates the work of the Collegiate 100 in improving these rates.

“Retention for the university is of primary importance,” said Mardis. “The 2020 Plan is aimed directly at improving retention rates. Students who are more involved, connected retain and graduate at higher levels. This organization [helps] especially in reaching out to African American men. And men in general have fallen behind women in achievement. So it’s important to get men, especially African American men, involved and building relationships here.”

In the fall of 2004, Mitchell and 17 students began the process to start the group at U of L. By the spring semester they had reached legitimacy as a student organization. The focus is on one-on-one mentoring and building up community as a grassroots development. The idea is to provide role models for youths. “We want to improve the quality of life in our black communities,” said Baawo. “And we do that through promoting values: family, spirituality, community and responsibility. We’re trying to break a cycle.”

The cycle that the Collegiate 100 says it aims to break is the environment into which many black children are born. Whitley says the Collegiate works to change statistics about the number of black children born into single-parent homes and the high percentage of black males in prisons.

“When you come from a family where your dad is in prison and your mom is poor, you lack that image, that role model,” said Whitley. “And we are rare, as men who have graduated high school and are able to pursue an education. It starts with us.”

Baawo described the Collegiate 100 as an organization that works toward challenging college students to give back, regardless of background. “It’s not like all the members of Collegiate are fatherless, but it’s about seeing prominent individuals who have success that you can pattern your life around,” said Baawo. “And it takes time. We have guys that are searching for family, for manhood. And we want to challenge them to be that role model. Go ahead and do it. One of our mottos is ‘Real men giving real time.’ It’s all about helping someone else get to where you are.”

The president of 100 Black Men of Louisville, Rob Jordan, sees the Collegiate 100 as essential in the overall success of the mission of the Louisville branch.

“One large dimension of our organization is to inspire and instill leadership qualities in young men,” said Jordan. “And Collegiate is a great way for us to do that. It’s very important for them to learn from professionals that are out in the world and to also feel that responsibility to reach back to help high school kids too.”

Members of the Collegiate 100 receive mentoring from adults within the community and the 100 Black Men of Louisville. In turn, the college students mentor those younger than themselves, such as local high school students. Just seeing a group of positive role models is something Baawo said drew him to the organization.

According to Mitchell, in addition to aid from 100 Black Men of Louisville, the group gets assistance from the administration of U of L and prominent professionals in Louisville, such as Michael Cuyjet, an associate dean at U of L, and Dominique Mosley, the human relations chairman at UPS. Mitchell points to these men as important mentors for the group’s members. “Some guys need to see that black men today do more than rap and play basketball,” said Mitchell. “They go to school, they get jobs. I think that’s something important for college guys to see.”

Mitchell believes that one of the organization’s greatest strengths is the men who have been involved at U of L. From O.J. Oleka, last year’s Student Government Association president, to Tone Belt, an All-American track and field athlete, Collegiate members can be found running lots of organizations around campus, according to Whitley and Baawo.

“Our members can see that this ideal of a black man of character is not impossible,” said Whitley. “It’s actually very achievable. A lot of this campus’ black leaders are Collegiate 100 members. If there’s something I want to do, I have a network of guys who can get me connected. From SOS to SGA to Porter Scholars to Residence Life, we have guys in everything.”

Baawo agreed, saying his internship in the athletic department wouldn’t have been possible without the Collegiate. “These guys help develop me academically and professionally,” said Baawo. “My internship with the athletic department, being a resident assistant, none of this would’ve happened without Collegiate. They give me an insight into what I can become.”

Among the original members in 2004 was Amobi Okoye, who played defensive tackle on the U of L football team and now plays in the NFL for the Houston Texans. He entered U of L at the age of 15, after excelling both physically and academically since his move to the United States from Nigeria. At 19, he became the youngest player ever drafted into the NFL. Selected 10th overall in the 2007 draft, he was the second highest drafted player in U of L’s history. “I mean, when you look at a guy like Amobi Okoye, he came here when he was 15, excelled at football and graduated in three years,” said Mitchell. “He was one man who wanted to give back. And that set a precedent for this group and guys that are still here.”

The Collegiate requires members to meet a set number of service hours, but allows flexibility in what those hours are spent doing, so that each member can do something that he is passionate about. Whitley and Baawo were quick to point out that there is no mold for Collegiate members – that every guy is different. What is important, they say, is the desire to better oneself and the foresight to want change.

“Service helps you learn how to help,” said Whitley. “You force yourself to grow. And through those so many hours the 100 Black Men are there to support us and help us learn how to walk and talk and present yourself in a manner that you can be proud of.”

Mardis pointed out the significance of having the Collegiate 100 at the university. He believes that the group helps the student body in a variety of ways.

“Groups like the Collegiate 100 are important for the student population here,” said Mardis. “The things they provide – as far as character building, relationships, retention and mentoring – go a long way.  They have a strong adviser in Marvin Mitchell and are a real asset to this community.”