Due to Travis County going to Stage 4 COVID restrictions, the 100 Black Men of Austin made a $2,000 donation to the Central Texas Food Bank in lieu of volunteering for the holidays. Central Texas Food Bank partnered with PIMCO to triple donations during the holidays. Because of their generous match, the 100 BMOA donation will provide 24,000 meals.
The 100 Black Men of Austin partnered with Knot Standard to introduce 9 high school seniors to dress etiquette. John Ballay (CEO) of Knot Standard and his team of experts shared their experiences in the clothing world as well as networking opportunities. Sessions included tying a tie, knowing what color suit to wear for every occasion, understanding the ABC model (Attention to detail, Be yourself, Confidence), and testimonials from the Knot Standard team. At the end of the sessions, Matthew Mueller (Founder & President) of Knot Standard surprised the students by awarding them a custom suit and shirt.
Special thanks to Allison Hand, Dion Lattimore, Fabrizio Lauri, Marvin Gilmore (pictured), Brooke Semenza, Texas Empowerment Academy, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Ladders for Leaders.
To members and stakeholders of the 100 Black Men of Austin, we pray all is well with you and your families. We also extend our condolences to any and all who have lost a loved one during these trying times.
Although times have been tough, the 100 has not stopped its mission to improve the greater Austin community. Due to the fact that we are all so spread out and spread thin, we thought it would be a good idea to recap where we have been and where we are going for the year 2020.
As of October 11th, 2020 the 100 has accomplished the following:
Pre-Covid
13 members became (VDRs) Voter Deputy Registrars
Texas Empowerment Community Forum (Donated 10k)
During Covid
1. Raised $5,000 to help purchase 40 computers for Texas Empowerment students.
2. Volunteered and donated $2,000 to the Manor TX Covid-19 Task Force.
3. Participated in the American Heart Association Cycle Nation virtual event.
4. Members took part in the African American History curriculum being implemented in Texas High Schools.
5. 100 president spoke at the Manor Juneteenth event.
6. Donated $2,500 to the Colony Park Neighborhood Back to School Bash.
7. Purchased 20+ African American books to the Tippitt Middle School Library.
8. Started our Vote is Your Voice Campaign. 61,000 direct-mail voter registration forms across Texas to get people registered to vote. As of today, including the VDRs registering people, we’re at 5,025 Texans registered to vote! Voter PSA ran on FOX 53 times, our social media platform was a huge success, and the team is currently working on a Vote PSA that will run through November 3rd.
9. Implemented a police task force that will start once Covid-19 subsides.
10. BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL sponsored the 100 by hosting a 5k and donating $1,500 to the organization.
11. Members volunteered with Women in Business to deliver food to the elderly.
12. VP of Economic Development and Treasurer raised over $25,000 over the past 6 months to offset the expenses above.
13. Donated $1,100 to the Spectrum Theatre Company.
14. Sponsored 8 rising 100 members to participate in the I Live Here I Give Here Internship Program.
15. Internal accomplishment – New membership application and orientation process.
16. Partnered with The Children’s Haven Association to launch the Family Pot Project at Texas Empowerment Academy.
Upcoming Events
1. Texas Empowerment Academy – TXEA has started a podcast interviewing professionals to air during their virtual classes.
2. American Heart Association – Virtual Heart Walk October 24, 2020.
3. Knot Standard Dress for Success Initiative – 5 – 10 High School seniors will take part in 2 virtual sessions and a private socially distant event at their studio before the holidays.
4. 2021 New Member application. The membership coordinator will introduce the 2021 new member application in October for the class of 2021. Please reach out if you are interested in referring a person for membership or joining yourself.
5. 100 Get out and Early Vote – We are organizing a day where all of us get out and early vote. Please see the VOTE PSA below that will run until November 3.
6. Membership List – Members should update their information by October 30th on the list.
The Black is Beautiful Virtual 5k is created to support the Weathered Souls Brewery, Black is Beautiful campaign. This is a time to come together and bridge the gap for equality. The Black is Beautiful campaign is a collaborative effort to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.
Breweries from across the globe are supporting and participating in this campaign to stand together. They are using a beer recipe created by Weathered Souls. More than 1100 breweries, all 50 states and 20 countries are participating in this movement. The virtual 5k is hosted by Beer Garden Run. September 5, 2020, Army veteran Marvis Dixon celebrated his 35th birthday by hosting a 5k run/walk. All of the proceeds were donated to the 100 Black Men of Austin, Inc.
Special Thanks to Weathered Souls Brewery, Holdout Brewery, Central District Brewing, Richards Rainwater, Bill Mullarky, and all of those who supported Marvis by donating and participating in the run/walk.
sponsoring the 100 Black Men of Austin, Inc.