by Abigail Ramirez
Daily Lobo
Rather than making donations to raise money for charity, the student group Black Men in Motion donates time and provides role models for underprivileged youth in the community.
"We want them to know that they can build themselves up and have the confidence to be in a competitive world," said Jason Goodman, president of the group. "The stigma is to be in music or to be an athlete, and that's not true. A lot of young students have gifts but are not being supported to harness those gifts."
The group mentors children and teaches them English grammar Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at Thomas Bell Community Center at University and Gibson boulevards.
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Student R.J. Albritton volunteers at the center as part of the group's community outreach goal.
"I know some of these kids don't have mothers or fathers," he said. "This gives them a role model to look up to and gives them somebody to aspire to be like when they get older."
Marquez Simmons, an employee at the center, helped the group start volunteering.
"It gives the students an opportunity to be a leader - an example - and be accountable to their community," he said.
The organization's main focus is to keep a diligent eye on the children and inspire them to be productive. Other goals
include: to be socially aware of the African-American community in Albuquerque; to keep African-American students in school; and to perform community service,
he said.
Members benefit from those goals, he said.
"We want them to exercise community work and school work," he said. "We want them to be a reflection of distinguished gentlemen."
Albritton said he gets as much out of his time volunteering at the center as the children do.
"I came here to help people who don't have many opportunities like I had in life," he said. "Just to see them smile when you come, and hear them laugh when you do stuff with them, makes me feel a whole lot better."
The group will clean up trash at The Pit after Tuesday's basketball game to raise money for uniforms, Goodman said.
"All of our members believe in being in uniforms to reflect our sense of accomplishments and pride," he said.
Members will wear the uniforms during group events and around campus to build recognition, he said.
The group is working on an inaugural party, a Madden NFL video game tournament and a spring dance to raise money.
It will use the money to send one of its members to barber school and another member to real
estate school.
It will also bring an FBI agent to UNM to talk to group members interested in law enforcement.
The organization has eight members and will have 16 members by the spring, Goodman said.
Goodman wants there to be a sense of brotherhood between the members, he said.
He said he started the organization because there is not enough sense of community among African-Americans at UNM.
"Here I am with my hammer and nails trying to build it," he said, "and those that were keen on building it are here with me today."
Black Men in Motion
Meetings are held Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the African-American Student Services Office.
For further information, contact African-American Student Services or log onto MySpace.com/unmblackmen.
