100 Black Men of Kansas City holds fifth annual gala

The goal is to help improve the quality of life for African Americans in the community and Tuesday night, the 100 Black Men of Kansas City hope that is exactly what they did with 25 young adults.

The group held its fifth annual gala at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

The students were comprised of black males ranging from 12 to 18 years old.

To make it to the gala, they had to master one of the group's eight principals including learning that they can overcome anything.

"It’s the power of positive influence. Basically what they see is what they be, give them a way to learn other than what they see on the street or on TV,” said Jeffrey J. Davis, co-Vice President of 100 Black Men.

The gala also recognized several teachers for their achievements in helping the students.

The mission of The 100 Black Men of Greater Kansas City is to improve the quality of life within our communities and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans, with emphasis on our youth.

Our programs and activities are molded in our vision of becoming the model organization for African American men for economic growth, sustaining good health, setting a positive example and mentoring youth in the community.

Our outreach initiatives and programs are based on our four pillars of commitment:

• Mentorship – To provide a means for the 100 to guide youth in life experiences that help the mentee to develop a positive self perception and self-respect, establish and pursue life-long goals, promote healthy personal relationships and encourage excellence in education

• Health and wellness- To raise awareness of health concerns affecting African-American men, their families and their communities, and to identify partnerships that will assist in reducing health disparities in the African American community

• Education - The “100″ is responsible for encouraging and facilitating the development of programmatic initiatives which address the educational needs of our youth and those of the broader community.

• Economic Empowerment- To encourage and empower the African American community to become financially literate and economically self sufficient through the development and facilitation of programmatic initiatives whcih address the educational and technical needs of our youth and those of the broader community.