Every African American male deserves an opportunity to attend college to pursue a degree in higher education. Please join A²MEND in our mission of fostering African American male success in California’s community college system. Your generous contribution will make a difference in the lives of these young men and their promising futures. Become an A²MEND contributor by donating here.

A²MEND’s Student Charter Program offers a student support structure that in an affirming environment where African American male students and other men of color are able to thrive. A²MEND’s student charters provide educational, cultural, social and intellectual programs that promote positivity and brotherhood among its members. The aim of A²MEND’s student charters is to improve academic success and to develop culturally competent servant student leaders.

There are more than 20 A²MEND student charters at community colleges across California. To find a A²MEND student charter at a California community college, please visit here.

A²MEND is now accepting applications from colleges that are interested in establishing an A²MEND Student Charter on their campus. For more information, please email Dr. Antonio Banks at a2mendcharter@gmail.com.

A²MEND has invited educators and thought leaders to the University of Cape Coast, Ghana to join them at the All African Diaspora Education Summit held September 19 to 24. This first-ever summit will create a dynamic, unprecedented space and opportunity for educators to freely and unapologetically reimagine how they teach and serve Black students.

A²MEND joined the Obokese Foundation and other partners in co-sponsoring this inaugural summit. These partners organized the summit due to the vital importance of African American educators redefining their value system and bringing back to their college campuses the African way of life that is embedded in excellence as exhibited for the many generations of Ghanian culture.

“The All African Diaspora Education Summit aligns with A²MEND’s work of nurturing Black men to succeed in higher education by helping them feel a sense of brotherhood and connection with their ancestral heritage,” said Dr. Amanuel Gebru, President of A²MEND. “We hope our summit serves as a transformational experience that will help educators make an even greater impact on the lives of Black male college students.”

About 600 educators are expected to attend the summit, which will feature globally renowned African centered, liberatory practitioners and scholars. Internationally recognized keynote speakers and facilitators will enable attendees to network and engage in liberatory practices that will ensure deep reflection and create reinvigorated action. Through the summit, the event organizers seek to honor the platform of the government of Ghana’s policy initiative of “Beyond the Return.” This policy initiative calls for the global African family to return to Africa to participate in the rebuilding process of connecting to their African-centric ancestry, thus restoring their cultural identity – as heritage awareness has proven to support a Black student’s educational success.

Over the last several years, A²MEND student mentee James Butera has come a long way in his life – literally. Raised in Uganda, Butera managed to graduate from high school and community college before transferring to UC Riverside – just five years after arriving in the U.S. with his parents and siblings to start a new life. Today, Butera feels like he’s on his way to realizing his career dream in the finance industry, as he’s currently on track to earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics.

Butera believes that A²MEND has been an integral part of his journey to succeeding in college. He learned about the mentoring program through a professor while attending San José City College. He soon joined and eventually became a member of A²MEND’s Student Leadership Academy. The camaraderie and support that he felt within the organization helped guide him on his trajectory of attending a four-year university. “We’d get mentored in the financing career field,” he said. “My grades got a boost.” In March, Butera attended A²MEND’s annual conference in Los Angeles to accept a scholarship for his academic performance.

As a new student at UC Riverside, Butera already has set his sights on the next stage of his education. “I want to go to grad school to get an MBA so I can work in finance management,” he said. “And I want to do something for the community.”

For student mentees interested in A²MEND’s Student Leadership Academy, feel free to submit an application here.