The Man-Making Blog is a practical and inspirational resource
for people interested in supporting our young males
on their journey to manhood.

May 24, 2019

Man-Making Heroes - Bringing Love to School

He's going to any lengths to keep kids safe.

In the clip below, listen to one of my heroes, Akbar Cook, the principal of West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey. He says, "Let's put some loving people in the building...." If he is right, and this is, "...the new norm for education...," we all have a place in his vision and some work to do.


If this clip doesn't show up use this link.

Oh yeah, as it turns out, the famous Oprah heard about the Lights on Program and donated a half-million dollars to Newark's West Side High School!

"Let's put some loving people in the building..."

We all can't be Oprah, but what small thing can you do to support "our" kids?

Thanks to another of my heroes, Joe Sigurdson of the Boys to Men Mentoring Network in San Diego for his example and this inspiration.



CONTACT EARL: Send Earl a message. I'm very interested in your thoughts on any man-making post or topic. I'm also available to help you bring man-making initiatives to your community or organization.

FACEBOOK SHARE: If you enjoy this blog, please click the Facebook "Share" button below to support the Man-Making Facebook page! (The button is only on the MM Blog, and not in subscription posts delivered by email.)


TWEET: Send this post along to your friends or follow me on Twitter!

SUBSCRIBE: If you're not yet a subscriber to the Man-Making Blog, and you'd like to receive these posts by email a few times a month, use this link for a free subscription.

© Copyright 2005-2019 Earl Hipp. All Rights Reserved.
Sharing with attribution allowed. All other use require permission.

March 7, 2019

Learning to Take a Stand for Others

I've posted here previously about Father Greg Boyle, because without knowing him, I love him. He is simply one of my heroes in the work of standing for others who need and deserve our attention and support. I love his message describing his incredible work with gang members through his organization, Homeboy Industries. His message of compassion and acceptance is always able to touch my heart, and inspires me to action.

See what this short clip taken from his talk at a Pepperdine University commencement event does for and to you?



If this clip doesn't show up use this link for the full version.




CONTACT EARL: Send Earl a message. I'm very interested in your thoughts on any man-making post or topic. I'm also available to help you bring man-making initiatives to your community or organization.

FACEBOOK SHARE: If you enjoy this blog, please click the Facebook "Share" button below to support the Man-Making Facebook page! (The button is only on the MM Blog, and not in subscription posts delivered by email.)


TWEET: Send this post along to your friends or follow me on Twitter!

SUBSCRIBE: If you're not yet a subscriber to the Man-Making Blog, and you'd like to receive these posts by email a few times a month, use this link for a free subscription.

© Copyright 2005-2019 Earl Hipp. All Rights Reserved.
Sharing with attribution allowed. All other use require permission.

March 3, 2019

Teaching Boys about Toxic Masculinity

On the CNN website, Inside Africa, there is an article with a wonderful description of how some good men in South Africa are supporting and inviting young males to look at the collection of men's issues being called toxic masculinity.


The article describes men meeting with boys in Pankop, a small town in eastern South Africa. They call their not-for-profit organization the Young Men's Movement, and their work is to create safe spaces for conversations about manhood in schools, local churches, and even gardens in their town.

. . . the men are hoping to build
a "different generation of men."

Kabelo Chabalala, a group leader says ". . . teaching men to "respect women" is a crucial part of the group's aim." In a country where the rate of femicide is three times the global norm, and rape culture "ever-present," by stepping into action the men are hoping to build a "different generation of men."

Check out the CNN article and learn more about what these courageous men are doing for boys, men, women, and their community.



CONTACT EARL: Send Earl a message. I'm very interested in your thoughts on any man-making post or topic. I'm also available to help you bring man-making initiatives to your community or organization.

FACEBOOK SHARE: If you enjoy this blog, please click the Facebook "Share" button below to support the Man-Making Facebook page! (The button is only on the MM Blog, and not in subscription posts delivered by email.)


TWEET: Send this post along to your friends or follow me on Twitter!

SUBSCRIBE: If you're not yet a subscriber to the Man-Making Blog, and you'd like to receive these posts by email a few times a month, use this link for a free subscription.

© Copyright 2005-2018 Earl Hipp. All Rights Reserved.
Sharing with attribution allowed. All other use require permission.

January 3, 2019

Fishin' with a Mission


Sometimes the efforts of one extremely motivated man can do so much good for kids in his community. This is the case with my brother in mission, Mustafa Mahdi. I've watched this man be relentless over the years in finding ways he and a few other men can be a positive force in the lives of young men around them. Nothing fancy, no big budget, just little by little, he keeps showing up. And guess what happens? The boys come, hungry for the blessings of male attention and the fun.

Mustafa's tools are a chess board and a fishing pole. He serves youth and families in metro Atlanta, as well as Fulton and Clayton counties. He calls his two programs, "The SMART MOVES Chess Club," and "Fishin' with a Mission to Save Our Sons." Here's a link to a Man-Making Blog post on the chess club that I did in 2009! There is zero cost to the young people involved in any of Mustafa's programs. Everything, including Mustafa's time, is either donated or paid for out of Mustafa's pocket.

"Someone should do something
about those kids!"

Baba Mustafa is one of my heroes in the work of man-making, and he's been at it a long time. To be sure, he's a great role model for the kids he supports. He's also a powerful role model those of us who, after watching yet another tragic boy story on the evening news, have said to themselves, "Someone should do something about those kids!"


Mustafa Selfie at Chess Club

To learn more about this good man and his work, check out this Facebook page. It's where he's holding a little fundraiser to try to collect $2000 for snacks, chess boards and pieces, fishing rods, reels, and bait. While you're there, honor him for his commitment and efforts. You may also want to slip him a $5 or a $20. I did because Mustafa and men like him so deserves our support.

Thank you, Baba Mustafa! 

You are a gift to your community and the world.




CONTACT EARL: Send Earl a message. I'm very interested in your thoughts on any man-making post or topic. I'm also available to help you bring man-making initiatives to your community or organization.

FACEBOOK SHARE: If you enjoy this blog, please click the Facebook "Share" button below to support the Man-Making Facebook page! (The button is only on the MM Blog, and not in subscription posts delivered by email.)


TWEET: Send this post along to your friends or follow me on Twitter!

SUBSCRIBE: If you're not yet a subscriber to the Man-Making Blog, and you'd like to receive these posts by email a few times a month, use this link for a free subscription.

© Copyright 2005-2018 Earl Hipp. All Rights Reserved.
Sharing with attribution allowed. All other use require permission.

December 19, 2018

Man-Making Stories from Around the World - 2

This is a continuation of my collection of Man-Making stories from around the U.S. and the world. The stories are about the challenges of building strong young men and the men who have stepped into the work to support them.



“A program teaching emotional intelligence
and preventative mental health to boys...”

Australia: The Man Cave initiative, started by Hunter Johnson, was created to help remedy mental health issues and increasing suicide rates in young Australian men. The Man Cave provides in-school mentoring to thousands of boys across the country, as they struggle with their identity in a so-called 'boys culture'. A great video talking about the issue of suicide for boys under 25, and men helping boys to develop support and their emotional tools, is at this link.



C.H.A.M.P.S. Male Mentoring program in Chicago: Vondale Singleton started the C.H.A.M.P.S program to help black and Latino boys excel in the classroom. He knew firsthand that mentoring matters because it changed his life. You can watch an impressive video about the program at this link. For more information about the C.H.A.M.P.S. Male Mentoring program, visit their website.



South Carolina - Annual "Men's Day: Imagine 100 men and young guys, in pairs, walking into the Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church sanctuary. What a powerful way to show the congregation the importance of good men in young men's lives. This annual "Men's Day" service draws men from distant South Carolina faith communities who are demonstrating to the world what it looks like when men accept their responsibility as man-makers in boys' lives. Read the article at this link.



“If we’re going to change outcomes for women,
we’ve got to look at how we’re socializing our boys.”

Vashon Island, Washington - Journeymen: Nicky Wilks is the executive director of the Vashon Island-based nonprofit organization, Journeymen. Among their activities is an initiatory experience for boys and young men. Nicky says, “We have a deep process to work around refining and reclaiming statements about identity, so that when young people come back from this experience and are asked, ‘who are you,’ they have a very secure sense of self.” He says, “When someone has a strong sense of self, that becomes an anchor point for the rest of what they do in the world.” To learn more about the Journeymen organization, their history and work, read his article.




If this clip doesn't show up use this link
.
Orange County, California - Boys 2 Men mentoring program and Salt of Heaven (for girls) are improving the lives of dozens of children in Orange County. "We felt that it was our duty, our job to step in to help raise these boys who may be fatherless and have not encountered consistency ever in life, We are consistent. We're there, supporting in the school, supporting at home, whatever way possible. We try to be there for these boy to help keep them out of trouble." Check out the article here.



CONTACT EARL: Send Earl a message. I'm very interested in your thoughts on any man-making post or topic. I'm also available to help you bring man-making initiatives to your community or organization.

FACEBOOK SHARE: If you enjoy this blog, please click the Facebook "Share" button below to support the Man-Making Facebook page! (The button is only on the MM Blog, and not in subscription posts delivered by email.)


TWEET: Send this post along to your friends or follow me on Twitter!

SUBSCRIBE: If you're not yet a subscriber to the Man-Making Blog, and you'd like to receive these posts by email a few times a month, use this link for a free subscription.

© Copyright 2005-2018 Earl Hipp. All Rights Reserved.
Sharing with attribution allowed. All other use require permission.