On July 27th, Black Young Professionals of Metro Detroit and the Detroit Black Affinity Professionals hosted our first annual summer charity social “Give back, Kick Back.” The event was held at 3fifty Terrace in Downtown Detroit with 100% of net proceeds to benefit a selected Detroit-based non-profit charitable organization focused on the community each year. This year’s beneficiary was Building Better Men, a non-profit organization which aims to mentor and empower young men to be leaders in their communities. Building Better Men hosts workshops throughout metropolitan Detroit. Founder, Odis Bellinger has made it his mission to teach young men leadership skills such as taking ownership of themselves and being accountable and conflict resolution — giving them the tools they need to rise above their circumstances and raise to any occasion and perform.
With nine Black professional associations under one roof, or should we say on top of the roof, the evening provided ample opportunity for attendees to network and learn about each association. There was also live music and entertainment. The most entertaining event of the night had to be watching our Giant Jenga players! Much respect is due to each player; their talent and endurance in the face of great adversity (the wind) was truly admirable.
It is always a pleasure to co-host events with all of Detroit’s Black Affinity Professionals associations. It is our hope that everyone enjoyed themselves, made meaningful connections with other Black professionals, and learned about one more community organization that is making an impact on the quality of life for hundreds in Detroit. Last but definitely not least, we want to thank all of our sponsors and all who attended for their support, as well as 3Fifty Terrace for hosting us.
Black Associations represented:
- Wolverine Bar Association (WBA)
- National Black MBA Association Detroit Chapter (NBMBAA)
- National Black Data Processing Associates – Detroit Chapter (BDPA-Detroit)
- National Society of Black Engineers Detroit Professionals (NSBE)
- National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR)
- National Association of Black Accountants (NABA)
- National Association of Minority Consulting Engineers (NAMCE)
- Urban Financial Services Coalition – Detroit Chapter (UFSC Detroit)
Big thank you to Catering Society for the wonderful heavy hors d’oeuvres. And as well, we owe a significant thank you to our photographer, Charles Kennedy!
