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The Male Empowerment Network (M.E.N.)

The Male Empowerment Network (M.E.N.) is the largest African American male organizations at Kent State University, with more them 150 members. Since its founding in 2011 by M.E.N. has participated in community outreach, male social bonding, education initiatives and community service. M.E.N. is a predominately African American male social group designed to be a safe haven for males of all kind, giving them an environment to connect with each other, talk about social issues and give back to the surrounding community .M.E.N. is also an organization that connects its members to professionals through programs such as the Big Brother initiative.

Potential Impact

Some argue groups such as M.E.N. improve African American retention rates substantially. The

Origins

Michael Daniels and Oscar Ramos responded to the decline of African American Male retention rates in higher education. M.E.N. fosters academic success, personal development, social awareness, and professionalism in men of color. On September 15, 2013 the M.E.N. Initiative was proposed to the Kent State University Multicultural Center by Daniels and Ramos. The following month on the 21st, M.E.N. held its first information/ mass body meeting.

Organization

M.E.N. has three goals: ° Increase positive healthy relationships among men of color students ° Facilitate culturally relevant discussion groups among M.E.N. members and members of the campus and local community ° Increase collegiate awareness via collaborations with professional partnerships and community engagement M.E.N.'s motto is I am a Man of Excellence, and so is my Brother.

Programs

°Big Brother initiative- The Big Brother Initiative is a program created by M.E.N. to connect business professionals and Kent State University Males. This program makes efforts to expose M.E.N. members to professional settings, and gives members a positive big brother figure. This program includes monthly meetings between the two groups of men. °Little Brother Initiative- The Little Brother initiative is a program that serves younger men through mentoring. Working with surrounding schools such as Ravenna High school, Stow High School, and Streetsboro High school, M.E.N. members give back to young men through monthly visits. °Campus Clean Up- (1st Monday of every month) In an effort to show thanks and keep Kent State University’s campus beautiful, M.E.N. members participate in a campus wide cleanup.