“Challenging” and “stressful” are the words Kenneth Allen uses to describe being a Black man in America in 2017, where he feels everyday activities — playing, praying, walking — could easily cost him his life.
“I see stories of people doing simple things. Think about Tamir (Rice), who was playing in Cleveland, the Charleston Nine, who were praying at church. Think of Michael Brown, who was walking,” he said.
Allen, a native of Gary, Indiana, grew up in a poor, single-parent household and is now an accomplished entrepreneur passionate about improving the quality of life for African-American males in Indiana. Though the stresses of growing up Black in America played a role in his adolescence, being surrounded by Black male role models who were engaged in the community helped him find success despite difficulties. As a teen, he would travel to Indianapolis each year to attend a conference hosted by the Indiana Commission for the Social Status of Black Males (ICSSBM), and his interest in civic engagement grew.
The ICSSBM was legislatively established in 1993 to study the social conditions of Black men in Indiana and recommend legislative policies that would be in their best interest. Today, Allen is chair of the ICSSBM’s board and is working hard to equip community leaders with strategies to support Black males.
ICSSBM will host its 17th Annual Black Males State Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 10, in the Indiana Government Center South. The theme for this year’s conference will be “Black Males: Dare To Lead,” and for the first time ever, the event will be free to the public.
“This conference is not exclusively for men; it is for those who are in positions of power to make policy, including elected officials, service providers, concerned citizens and agencies with the ability to serve African-American males,” said Allen. “If you are a teacher, we want you there. If you are over a social or civic organization, we want you there. We want to have healthy discussions on how we can work together on both sides of the aisle — whether Democrat, Republican, independent, gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, whatever the case may be — so that we can hopefully change the conditions for African-American males.”
James Garret, the executive director of the ICSSBM, says he wanted to make the event free to ensure that anyone who desires a seat at the table could take part in the much-needed conversation.
“How do you bring about effective change? Is that through protest? Is that through civic engagement, elections, the political process? It’s important to have as many voices at the table as possible to find solutions and resolutions to the things that are going on,” said Garret.
The conference will focus on three topics: creating a trauma-informed community, Black males and poverty, and Black males and civic engagement. Minister Nuri Muhammad with the Muhammad Mosque will be the keynote speaker. Muhammad has traveled across the country and has ventured overseas, but he says no matter where he goes, he finds Black men facing unparalleled challenges.
Minister Nuri Muhammad
“Right now, there are more Black males born than Black females, but by the time the two reach the age of 18 and you factor in homicides, suicides and incarcerations, Black females outnumber Black men,” said Muhammad. “We still are the last hired and the first fired, and we live in a society where the social and political structures are opposed to Black people’s rights in general and Black males’ in specific. We have a hard journey and battle we need to fight as a Black man.”
The minister views the struggles Black men face through divine lenses and says improving the quality of life for Black men should be on the agendas of all people of faith.
“From a spiritual standpoint, both the Bible and Holy Quran tell us that every human is born on purpose for a purpose. The Holy Quran says I, Allah, created you in the womb of your mother. In the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah, God says I knew you before you were in the womb of your mother and I formed you in the womb. So, to be born a Black man in America is a matter of divine selection from a supreme being, and once you understand that concept, whatever challenges that come with being that, you accept it as part of the divine obstacle to make you into a better person.”
Allen hopes the ICSSBM conference will provide both inspiration and information while rejuvenating the public’s passion for the cause.
“Sometimes people who are part of this movement, and part of this struggle, can get worn out, discouraged and can want to give up in fear of things not changing,” said Allen. “I hope people who come take away the opportunity to be inspired, to get engaged.”
For more information on the ICSSBM, visit in.gov/icssbm.
Attendees gather at a previous ICSSBM conference regarding black male youth.
