Charlotte mentor initiative helps boys make transition to men

THE MALES PLACE

The Males Place, founded in 1993, helps boys make the transition to adulthood through mentorship and projects that connect them to culture, travel and food security.

The Males Place is still preparing boys for adulthood. 

The mentorship program founded in 1993 offers weekly manhood training involving social justice and community service, agriculture, food justice work, farming, and travel on international, regional, and local levels. 
Participants, called warriors, answer to their elders, mentors, parents, known as Mshauris. After high school, emphasis shifts to initiation projects like financial literacy, healthy relationships, post-secondary careers and civics. 

The Males Place is the brainchild of Reggie Singleton, who was inspired by the 1970s television miniseries “Roots” as Kunte Kinte went through what was called Feats of Strength that allowed him to endure enslavement. Singleton was a corrections officer who wanted to solve juvenile delinquency before young men ended up in jail.  

“They benefit from learning in the now,” Singleton said. “It will benefit you in the future.  You respect your neighbor, you are kind, don’t steal or rob.”

The boys traveled to South Africa in June for service projects and learned about their own history and food systems while visiting museums, Table Mountain and learning about apartheid’s impact. In the town of Soweto, home of Nelson and Winnie Mandela, the boys interacted with local youth as they exchanged cultural experiences. Trips to Cape Town and Johannesburg were also part of the itinerary. 

The goal of the trip was to learn identity, to be responsible adults, to appreciate what they have, and to broaden their horizons. The basis of the trip comes from an African proverb: “When a boy is not initiated into the village, he will burn the village to the ground merely to feel its warmth. He will do it to feel warmth and humanity.”

Food sustainability is at the heart of The Males Place’s work. How to grow, produce, consume, and use regenerative sustainable practices for the gardening schedule starts with the Blessing of the Harvest in the fall through the last frost.

“People who can benefit from what they grow are free from who controls you,” Singleton said. “Black farmers profit from love of okra, collard greens, and sweet potatoes. We eat but we should be profiting from it ourselves.”

Through time honored, African-centered approaches to life young men become responsible husbands and fathers and contributors to communities. Sixteen of the most recent group of Males Place graduates had grade point averages of 3.0 or better.

Meetings on Wednesdays may include a talk on world history, followed by career exploration with various speakers and job shadowing.  The third Wednesday is for whatever participants want to discuss – from Covid to dating.  The fourth is a mandatory meeting for families, birthday or academic celebrations. If there is a fifth Wednesday, refinement such as how to tie neckwear, interview etiquette, and ballroom dancing are taught.

Singleton wants The Males Place to be a model across the country, and relevant for decades to come. “I would love to franchise," he said.

To support the group, you can buy produce at 1909 McAllister Drive Saturdays 9-11 a.m., except for inclement weather.  

On the Net:

themalesplace.org

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