Mayor's Office of

Black Male Advancement

December 2024

Issue 2

December Newsletter

As we end 2024, we have officially launched our BMA Newsletter and we're excited to share the second edition. We believe in the importance of sharing what matters most to you, so feel free to reply and let us know what you'd like to see in future editions. If you missed the first issue, you can find the first newsletter, where we recapped the highlights of the past year.

In this edition, we focus on the initiatives and projects our BMA team has been working on the past month.

What to expect in our newsletter

2025 Small Grants Announced

Black Men and Boys Commission Update

E & I Academy

BMA in the Community

November Highlights

2025 Small Grants Applications Now Open!

The Community Empowerment Small Grants are awarded to local community based organizations to scale up their work. This year, a total of $500,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations throughout Boston's various neighborhoods. Through the FY25 Community Empowerment Small Grants, the Office of Black Male Advancement will award grants at several levels, capped at $20,000.

Grant Application | Mayor's Press Release

Timeline & Information Dates:

Application Launch: December 3, 2024
Information Session: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 12pm Missed it? View the slide deck we reviewed at boston.gov/bma
Application Deadline: January 6, 2025
Award Notification: Late January 2025

Black Men and Boys Commission Update

The Commission convened to elect its leadership for the upcoming year, as it will begin the new year by focusing on budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year. Tito Jackson will continue as Chair, as appointed by the Mayor. The Commission elected Devin Morris as Vice Chair and Darien Johnson as Secretary. Members also selected their Committee Leads:

Affordable Housing & Homeownership Pathways: Anthony Richards
Economic Opportunity & Workers Empowerment: Andre Barbour
Education and Youth Advancement: Devin Morris
Health and Wellness & Fatherhood and Families: James Hills
Community Safety & Returning Citizens: James Mackey

The Office of BMA also launched Community Office Hours, where residents can ask questions or share their thoughts with our office. To ensure accessibility, these office hours will take place right before our monthly Commission meetings in Roxbury.

E & I Academy

The Equity and Inclusion (E&I) Academy empowers City of Boston staff to implement equitable practices across programs, policies, and services. At this year’s academy, our Executive Director--Frank Farrow--spoke at the academy, highlighting how the Office of Black Male Advancement integrates equity, from establishing intentional strategic priority areas to ensuring accessibility for constituents through our weekly 'BMA in the Community'.

WGHB News Article