Let Us Make Man event set for weekend at Albany State University

ALBANY — Albany State University will host the “Let Us Make Man” Conference Saturday at the school’s HPER Gymnasium.

“Let Us Make Man” is the brainchild of Former Atlanta City Councilman and radio host Derrick Bozeman. He says the mission of the program is “to use effective skills training to foster hope, by strengthening and empowering the black man to resume his role in the restoration, salvation and liberation of our community.”

The organization is now in its 10th year of existence.

“We’re seeing way too many young black men who are going to jail. Our dropout rate is exploding, not just here, but all over the country, and there has to be a reason,” Bozeman said. “Some friends of mine got together at my house, just a motley group of brothers, and tried to figure out what to do. One of the things we talked about was putting out better information and that was really the birth of Let Us Make Man.”

“We teach about the consequences of behavior. We talk to the whole person and say let’s talk about education because it is so critical and important that we have to make sure we fight to get young people to stay in school.”

The gathering is free and will begin with registration from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. before kicking off at 10 a.m. with 10 workshops. These sessions include Law and Black Society, Conflict Resolution, Making The Modern Family Work, Recognizing the Genius in Black Youth, What’s Next: College, Career or Trade?, Let’s Talk: Understanding Mental Health Issues, Mentoring, Gangs, Cliques and Crews, The Art of Community Organizing, Social Media and Beyond: Tech Knowledge for Youth.

Bozeman stressed if someone misses the morning workshops, they will repeated in the afternoon beginning at 1:30 p.m.

“We must realize that we are all one family bound together by a common struggle, heritage and legacy,” Bozeman said. “This gathering will not be an end-all, but a continuation of what we know is possible. We know we are indeed the solution and that we possess the answer to overcoming every obstacle facing our community.

“However, the gathering will only be successful if people not only commit to attend, but also be a part of this ever so important dialog.”

Space is limited to 900 registrants, and Bozeman said the gathering usually draws an average of 750 attendees.

State Rep. Winfred Dukes, D-Albany, is the event’s host and honorary chair person.