100 Black Men of America, Inc. 26th Annual Conference Attracted Local and National Leaders, Delivered Record Attendance and Raised Funds to Expand Mentoring Programs

Conference Also Delivered Unique Education and Community Empowerment While Celebrating Honorees for Leadership and Excellence 

ATLANTA, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 100 Black Men of America, Inc. (100BMOA) held The 100 As One Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, June 13 – 17, 2012, drawing leaders from across the U.S. that encompassed government, education, health and wellness, civic and entertainment industries. More than 500 youth from the 100's global network and over 2,100 attendees participated in concurrent workshops, while an additional 1,400 were in attendance for free screenings and health education at the 100's Community Empowerment Project. "In addition to our delivering education, community empowerment and group mentoring our annual meeting also provides the opportunities for chapters to share best practices with other youth-based organizations," stated Albert E. Dotson, Jr. Chairman, 100 Black Men of America, Inc. "Once again we used our annual conference for public discourse and advocacy around issues facing youth and their families and the communities in which they live." This year's Issues Summit and Teen Summits focused on two extremely relevant topics: High Performing Schools: Closing the Opportunity Gap for Black Youth and Bullying.   

Many notables, who believe in the work and mission of the 100, supported this marathon, multi-generational event. Some of the 2012 participants included: The Honorable John Lewis, U.S. Congressman, James H. Shelton, III, Assistant Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, Leonard Walker, Atlanta Business Banking Division Manager, Wells Fargo, Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr., Assoc. Dean, The Johns Hopkins U. School of Medicine, David Shapiro, Executive Director, M.E.N.T.O.R., Bill Nigut, Southeast Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League, Donna Richardson-Joyner, President & CEO, Donna Richardson, Inc., Henry Hipps, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Kelvin Manning, Director, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Dr. Lonnie Johnson, President & CEO Johnson Research & Development/Super Soaker Inventor, Michael L. Lomax, President & CEO, UNCF,  Dr. Calvin Mackie, Ph.D. Managing Partner, Channel ZerO Group, LLC, Lamman Rucker, Actor/Co-Creator Forplai, Christopher Massey, Actor/Entrepreneur, Kyle Massey, Actor/Entrepreneur, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Actress/Founder, The DIVA Foundation, Jonathan Slocumb, Actor/Entertainer and many more loyal supporters.

Performing in concert were: Wayne Brady, Boyz II Men, Midnight Star, Mindless Behavior Diggy Simmons, OMG Girlz, Jacob Latimore and VaShawn Mitchell. Also in attendance were: Rev. Barbara King and  Dr. Louis Sullivan. The 100 Black Men proudly paid tribute to outstanding citizens for their leadership, excellence and achievement each day of the conference. On June 13, 2012, the Legacy Award for Community Service was presented toJuanita Abernathy, Xernona Clayton,  LeRoy Gillead,  Martin Luther King, III, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery. Congressman John Lewis, Rev. Dr. C.T.Vivian and Maynard H. Jackson(posthumously). On June 14, 2012, the following awards were given: Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Mentor of the Year,  Thomas Worford, 100 Black Men of Greater Detroit; Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Mentee of the Year, Michael Wesley Booker, II;100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania;Leadership Award in Entrepreneurship,  Christopher Massey and  Kyle Massey; Leadership Award in Post-Secondary Excellence, Dr. Carlton Brownand Dr. Robert Franklin.

On June 15-16, 2012, the 100 presented the following awards: Wimberly Award,  Chris Chatmon; Leonard Knight Leadership Award, John Daniels, Jr., The Honorable James Graves, Professor Charles Ogletree,  Lenny Springsand  Jesse Tyson; Chapter of the Year Awards: Mentoring, 100 Black Men of Huntsville, Health and Wellness, 100 Black Men of St. Louis, Economic Development, 100 Black Men of Valdosta, and Education, 100Black Men of Indianapolis. Also presented was the Dr. James Black Award for Health & Wellness to Dr. Adewale Troutman. Collegiate 100 chapters from around the network competed for Chapter of the Year Awards and the winners were: Collegiate 100 of Armstrong Atlantic State University(1st place); Collegiate 100 of Alabama A&M University(2nd Place) and Collegiate 100 of Hillsborough Community College (3rd Place). This was also the day for the Chairman's Award Luncheon, which is a "must attend" event. Each year awards are presented  across each 100 program area, along with awards to those who consistently display outstanding leadership in their respective fields.  Following are the 2012 Chairman's Award recipients: Health & Wellness, Dr. Levi Watkins Jr.; Education, Allan Golston; Economic Empowerment, Harris RosenandFelker Ward;Mentoring Leadership, Leonard James III, Bob Billingslea, Johnny Furr and Laurel J. Richie. An additional award for Leadership in Journalism was given to Monica Pearson.

This year's 100 Black Tie Gala, Concert & Awards Program included tributes to Albert E. Dotson, Jr. for eight years of dedicated service to the organization. The following awards were presented: Leadership Award for Science and Technology, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson; Trailblazer Award, Mr. LeRoy Gillead and Mr. Cyril deGrasse Tyson, Transformational Leadership, Dr. Lonnie Bunch, III and Mr. Harry E. Johnson and the Albert E. Dotson, Jr. Legacy Award which was presented to Ingrid Saunders Jones. The final Trailblazer Award was bestowed on Dr. Ozell Suttonon June 16, 2012.   

"Many partners, sponsors, business and community leaders participated with great enthusiasm, because they understand these programs are making a positive impact," stated Curley M. Dossman, Chairman of Operations, 100 Black Men of America, Inc. "We thank them for their commitment to our organization and for believing in the youth, families and communities we serve."  Learn more about the programs being delivered by 100 chapters, view The Work of the 100 video now. 

Aetna, Inc. pledged a $100,000 grant to support health & wellness and mentoring programs. The Coca-Cola Company pledged a $150,000 grant for chapters to continue and expand Nutrition and Physical Activity The 100 Way and the 100 Youth Movement programs. UPS donated $225,000 in support of the 100's Future Leaders Scholarship Program, mentoring and impact and expansion.

In response to the new PSA Recommendations from the U.S. Preventative Task Force, the 100 took a leadership role, to educate men at highest risk on how to deal with Prostate Cancer. In recognition of Men's Health Week and Father's Day, the 100 announced their 2012 Prostate Cancer Statement to the public on Saturday, June 16, 2012, at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia.  View the Prostate Cancer Statement now.

The 100 expanded its reach by adding two new chapters to their network: 100 Black Men of SW Florida, Inc. represented by President Vernon Cooke and 100 Black Men of Austin, Inc. represented by President Malcomb Gardner. Three men were inducted as honorary members of 100 Black Men: Actor, Lamman Rucker, Walmart Executive, Tony Waller and Entertainer, Jonathan Slocumb.

The Ecumenical Service provided an inspirational close to an exciting week. The Very Rev. Robert C. Wright delivered a rousing message with a fatherhood theme. On June 2, 2012, Wright was elected to be the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, making him the first black Episcopal Bishop in the state of Georgia.  

Presenting Host Sponsors included: The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Georgia Pacific, UPS, Walmart and Wells Fargo.

The following organizations were the 2012 sponsors and partners: AARP, Aetna, AFLAC, AAALI, Ally Financial, America Cancer Society, American Federation for Children, American Red Cross, Anheuser-Busch Companies, AT&T, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bank of America, Burger King Corporation, Cadillac, Caesars Entertainment, CDC / AAALI, Central Intelligence Agency, Community Education Partners, EMC Corporation, Ernst & Young, ExxonMobil, Fannie Mae, Fulton County Georgia Government, GAME, General Motors, Gourmet Services, Grady Hospital, Hall of Fame, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hewlett Packard, Holsen Inc. Enterprises, Honda, Hue-Man Book Store, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Konica Minolta, Liquid Soul Media, Macy's, MillerCoors, Morris, Manning, & Martin, LLP ,The Nielsen Company, New York Life Insurance Company, Prudential Financial, Radio One, Scholastic, State Farm Insurance Companies, Shell Oil Company, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, University of Phoenix, US Marine Corps, US Navy, The Walt Disney Company, Wendy Schofield Show and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

For more information or to view on-demand video from this year's conference, visit www.100blackmen.org.

SOURCE 100 Black Men of America, Inc.