A group that was formed to bring togetherness amongst African American male students at Westlake High School is reunited for another year of camaraderie and growth.
The 2022-2023 school year marks the second year of the Elite Black Men group at Westlake. The group stemmed from the Achieving Academic Equity and Excellence for Black Boys for Maryland (AAEEBB) initiative, an initiative dedicated to developing and implementing strategies to improve the educational experience for Black boys in Maryland’s schools, according to the Maryland State Department of Education’s website.
There are two schools from Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) that are pilot schools for this initiative. The state noticed that black boys had some of the lowest test scores but the highest number of referrals. Last year Elite Black Men participated in outreach opportunities and team building exercises. This year is no different.
Elite Black Men of Westlake recently participated in a day full of group activities, discussions and community outreach opportunities at the school. After the group saw the movie, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” they debriefed in small groups the next day, unpacking scenes from the movie and pointing out key themes found in the film.
“They saw Wakanda Forever and know we’re debriefing with the five themes of pain, conflict, tradition, love and emotions,” Westlake Assistant Principal Dana Fenwick said. “Each group is going to tackle one and then we’re going to go over our data.” The small groups talked amongst themselves and appointed a spokesperson to present on their chosen theme.
The ESOL community at the school joined as well. “The best part of the day was to bring the boys together not just with Elite Black Men but with the ESOL community and seeing them form a genuine bond,” Fenwick said. “We teach them to be vulnerable and they are able to do that with one another.”
Elite Black Men were joined by the Mighty Men of Westlake, a group of community members with a variety of connections. The group started with the AAEEBB grant and consists of parents of current or past Westlake students and trusted, known adults or mentors from the community.
Fenwick also attended the meeting with Principal Diane Roberts and other staff at the school.
In addition to the small group discussions, the Elite Black Men assembled bikes to give to students at J.P. Ryon Elementary School, a pilot school for AAEEBB. The bikes were just in time to give to students as a gift for the holidays.
“When we told them the bikes would go to a kid who might not have a Christmas gift, the smiles on their faces made our hearts melt,” Fenwick said.
For most, the bike building was a highlight of the day. “The thing that I enjoyed most today was fixing the bikes with my peers and the advice that Brother Jones, one of the Mighty Men of Westlake, gave to me,” Tyrone Lawrence, a junior at Westlake, said.
For many of the students it was their first time attending the group and they were excited to attend. Gift Ake, a junior at Westlake, heard about the group from his close friend. “I enjoy how we can achieve goals as a group and support during trials and whatever life brings,” he said.
“I see untapped potential. It’s awesome to hear them talk and articulate their thoughts,” Roberts said. “This is a new group — you have the founders from last year attending. The goal of today is teambuilding and bonding to have the experience together.”
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,598 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).
