The Coalition of Black Men (COBM), serving Portlanders for almost 30 years by continually working to improve the quality of life and enhance educational opportunities for all African Americans in our communities, is sponsoring the upcoming mentoring conference “The Power of Presence”, which takes place on Saturday, September 24th from 8:00am-12:30pm, at Legacy Emmanuel Medical Center’s Lorenzen Center. COBM’s goal for the event is to connect with and energize African American men interested in providing wholesome direction to the most at risk group in our communities: African American boys and young men.

COBM became engaged in mentoring because of the incidences of exclusionary discipline and school expulsions for African American boys within Portland Public schools. COBM’s positive mentoring experiences over the last two years, working in collaboration with the principals in two PPS middle schools, Ockley Green and Boise Eliot, leads us to want to increase the participation of African American men in our community in this urgently needed activity. While the COBM mentors have been highly successful reaching African American boys, no student has been excluded from the program.

The conference will feature stories from a panel of youth who have been involved in mentoring relationships; a keynote address by Useni Eugene Perkins, noted youth advocate, writer and playwright; opportunities to connect with organizations in the community who need African American mentors; and time to socialize with men who have been mentors in the COBM’s and other programs. There is no cost for this conference and a continental breakfast will be served.

COBM encourages African American men to attend the Power of Presence mentoring conference and asks that you share information about the event. If any organization wants conference attendees to know more about your work to mentor African American youth, please consider tabling at the event.

For more information about attending or tabling at this event, please contact Cheryl Thompson at: 503-919-6804 or cthompson@cobmportland.org