CHICAGO—More than 1,000 male high school juniors and seniors will gather at Chicago State University on October 16 to mark the 3rd annual Males 2 Men Empowerment Seminar & Benefit.
The announcement was made by Enoch Muhammad, co-founder of the public health organization Hip Hop DetoxX (HHD) and organizer of the Males 2 Men Seminar, during a live-streamed press conference/fundraiser where plans for the historic day were detailed.
Community activists, educators, hip hop artists, clergy and HHD alumni gave reflections at the Aug. 22 press conference and appealed for volunteers and financial support.
“There’s a sacred covenant that we have that allows us to do the work we do,” said Enoch Muhammad. “Some people call it being mission-oriented. I’m committed to this.”
Citing issues that plague the Black community, Enoch Muhammad said, “We define Hip Hop as truth without boundaries and the DetoxX is to remove the poisons. We have to teach young people how to take the poisons they may have grown up with and turn them into antidotes.”
The free event will feature workshops on life skills, career pathways such as artificial intelligence, skilled trades, entrepreneurship, and health and wellness. There will be keynote addresses, panel discussions and a free lunch.
A major goal will be to enlist 300 adult men to commit to mentoring 1,000 youth over 12 months, Enoch Muhammad said.
The theme for the Males 2 Men Seminar is “Rise Up, Follow Up, Follow Through,” Enoch Muhammad said, adding, “We don’t do one-day events that’s not connected to a long-term goal.” The celebration will conclude with an evening Hip Hop DetoxX LIVE benefit performance.
Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church issued a “call to action,” demanding resources for the communities “that are in trauma.”
“Black men are in crisis,” he said. “They are filled with potential and possibilities that are not being realized.”
Chicago State President Zaldwaynaka Scott welcomed the group and called for the community to support their fundraising goals.
“Hip Hop DetoxX is a family, it’s not just an organization,” said HHD alumni DaQuan Grayson, 21, commenting on how the group impacted him. “My biggest takeaways were discipline, respect and punctuality.” He also enjoyed the self-defense training, t-shirt designing and the art of agriculture, he said.
Alumni Devin Bilbro, an aspiring actor/singer who opened the press conference with the song “A Change is Gonna Come,” said he initially didn’t take Bro. Enoch seriously when he visited his school, but he had a method to grab attention.
“Bro. Enoch has a good balance of discipline and fun,” he said. “He and my grandfather helped me to become the man I am.”
Giving a testimonial via audio recording, Tineka Hawkins, parent of a HHD alum, was near tears as she thanked the organization for helping to get her and her son through a very tough time in their lives.
“They (HHD) helped lift us at a time we thought we were drowning,” Ms. Hawkins said haltingly. “Thanks to Hip Hop DetoxX, I learned things about my son and about myself. To us you are family because that’s what you gave us.”
Other participants included Revin Fellows, a former high school basketball stand-out and co-founder of non-profit Books over Balls organization, Barney Muhammad, a long-time follower of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, hip hop poet Toni Monoflow, and social media influencer “The Real O.G. (Original Gentleman) Mr. Rick.”
Adrian Mercado, assistant director of CSU’s African American Male Resource Center and a member of TEMBO (Teaching & Educating Men of Black Origin), reflected on the excitement of attending the Million Man March and shaking the hand of Minister Farrakhan there.
Enoch Muhammad referred to the 1995 Million Man March and its theme of atonement, reconciliation, and responsibility.
He said Hip-Hop DetoxX’s Males 2 Men will channel the spirit of the Million Man March into action for the 1,000-plus young men and 300 adult mentors free of charge to participants.
Chicago educator Abdul Muhammad, whose role was to help raise funds through the live stream appeal, told The Final Call, “Just to feed the 1,000 young people and 300 mentors will take a significant effort.
But we’re up to the task because this is more than a mission, it’s a commitment. We want the community to help us to help our young men.”
For more information or to support this effort, please contact [email protected], visit www.hiphopdetoxx.org, or call 773-563-4315.