Educating, Developing, Organizing, and Empowering Young Men of Color Since 2009!
Mission:
Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard work, Inc. is a member-based social development organization that seeks to educate, empower, and develop males to improve their graduation and retention rates. SMOOTH seeks to establish an intercontinental network of young males who use ethics, collective action, and social entrepreneurship as tools.
Vision:
Our long term vision is a community where pathways exist for young men and marginalized youth of color to matriculate between primary school and college despite institutional barriers such as poverty and financial hardship, educational obstacles, or juvenile delinquency status.
Objectives:
Foster the development of adolescent males and young men of color in educational institutions
Collaborate with members of the public, private, nonprofit, and international sectors to educate, develop, organize and empower young males of color
Improve the character and reputation of young males and marginalized youth of color via quality tutelage
Provide a constructive environment via educational, cultural, civic, and social programs
Improve the economic, social, and political conditions of marginalized youth and young men of color by building their capacity to lead their own small and medium enterprises.
SMOOTH's Story
SMOOTH was founded on October 28, 2009, at Morgan State University. After organizing young men who were diverse, equally motivated, and unique, the organization started a peer mentor program which encouraged accountability partners, group learning, self-development, and empowering other male students. More importantly, the organization sought to offer counseling to underclass males and to promote camaraderie among all males despite social, political, and economic status.
SMOOTH Thinking
The young men pooled their resources and provided professional contacts and leadership for males in the organization, as well as males at Morgan State. In addition to developing and organizing Morgan men, the members began to enter their surrounding community to support, mentor, and tutor inner city high school and middle school males.
Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard-work is a catalyst for the growth and success of its members. As a premiere male organization at multiple universities, SMOOTH acts as a liaison between the diverse college student, university administrators and staff, and greater community. Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard-work has developed academic, social, cultural, and community service-based events and promotes a school of thought focused on educating, organizing, developing, and empowering male youth and future leaders, despite status.
SMOOTH Today
In October 2019, Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard-work, Inc. celebrated its ten year anniversary. The organization currently has three college sections located at Morgan State University and Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD, and Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.
SMOOTH Inc. consists of an alumni network located throughout the United States and international community. The organization provides social and professional development, mentoring, life skills, leadership and entrepreneurial training, as well as community service opportunities for young men of color.
SMOOTH's programming includes:
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- Service-Based Leadership Development
- Jr. SMOOTH Program (for middle and high school-aged youth)
- Restoring Uplift Leadership Education and Success (R.U.L.E.S) for Black Men Symposium
- SMOOTH Week
- Entrepreneurial Skill Development
- Political Engagement
- Financial Literacy and Economic Empowerment
- Educational, Socioemotional, and Spirtual Improvement
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Morgan State University
Temple University
COppin State University
Interested in SMOOTH?
Let's Work Together!
Let DaQuan know how Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard-work can help!
SMOOTH is always interested in connecting with people around the world interested in what we do.
