Chime in the community: Our partnership with 100 Black Men
In 1963, it was illegal for a Black police officer to arrest a white citizen without a white police officer present. When a Black officer broke that rule and arrested a white man, protests broke out. It was when civil unrest and the conditions of the Black community reached a need for change that a group of concerned Black men gathered in New York City. Among them were businessmen and industry leaders like Dr. William Hayling, Andrew Hatcher, former NYC Mayor David Dinkins, and the legendary Jackie Robinson.
The 100 Black Men was made an official national organization in 1986 and now has chapters in over 100 cities across the country and internationally. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life within the Bay Area and beyond, by advancing the social, economic, health, and educational progress of African Americans,” explains Chuck Baker, the Chairman of the 100 Black Men Bay Area Chapter. To do that, 100 Black Men provides mentorship, health and wellness programs, economic empowerment programs, and educational scholarships for members of their communities.
With over 60% of Black youth growing up in single-family households — often led by women — the role of the 100 Black Men could not be more critical. “Our motto is, ‘What they see is what they’ll be,’” Chuck explains. “We ultimately want to provide young Black men with people to look up to, who will support them, and who will not just be present, but have a meaningful and positive presence in their lives,” he says.
In order to break the cycle that many young Black men are born into, the 100 Black Men provides mentors and role models for young men. For Marco Lindsey and Phillip Barnett, Executive Board Members of the 100 Black Men, mentorship is how they got introduced to the organization.
“I realized early in my career that mentorship and a support system would help me advance greatly,” Marco says, “So I began looking for organizations to get involved with that would both help me give back and provide me with a community of like-minded individuals.” He learned about the 100 Black Men and attended a networking event, after which he joined the organization. He now works to improve the nonprofit’s public relations and marketing strategies and, in 2016, launched their Diversity in Tech series — panels, career fairs, and networking events for community members looking to get a career in tech.
It was at one of the Diversity in Tech panels that Phillip shared his experience and path to becoming a software engineer, offering tips and pointers to getting started in the industry — and a look into his role as a Software Engineer at Chime. Phillip now acts as a member of the Board and mentor in the organization and helped Chime get involved with Chime’s Diversity in Tech series because, at Chime, we believe that mentorship and community involvement are crucial for not just our employees but every person who is part of our community and member base. That’s why we’re a proud partner to the 100 Black Men Bay Area Chapter.
100 Black Men: Community programs
Phillip was first introduced to the organization at the 100 Black Men annual Tommie Smith youth track meet in Berkeley. A student at UC Berkeley, he attended the meet and became interested in learning more about the organization behind it. He got connected with several brothers on the Board of the 100 Black Men and, with their support, started the Collegiate 100, a college-focused mentorship program.
“My experience with the Collegiate 100 gave me insights into what 100 Black Men does as an organization and created a pathway for me to become a member,” explains Phillip. By working to train and develop young men to be leaders in the community, Phillip got familiar with 100 Black Men’s mission and work.
Phillip’s experience encompasses just one aspect of 100 Black Men’s programming. From cradle to careers, community, and beyond, they have programs that support four pillars of their communities — mentorship, health and wellness, economic empowerment, and educational scholarships — and at different stages of life. From their 6th-12th grade OK Program that helps youth connect with local police officers and get support at home, to networking events and career fairs for people in professional careers, the organization truly takes a holistic approach to their work.
What’s more, in the era of a global pandemic, 100 Black Men hasn’t slowed down. “The importance of our programs, especially at a time like now, can’t be underestimated,” Chuck explains. “There are new challenges posed to our community during this time, so we’ve stepped up to offer additional resources like home visits to ensure that the basic needs of our community are met. After all, it’s only by meeting our needs that we can excel and impact people beyond our immediate circles.”
Overall, 100 Black Men believes that by looking after their own communities, everyone is lifted up. “When we show Black boys and girls that we love them, believe in them, and want to help them access resources, their self-esteem increases and our community becomes filled with model citizens,” Chuck says. “This, in turn, contributes to fostering a thriving Bay Area community for everyone.”
Let’s talk tech: The role of community involvement in the tech industry
As we know, the Bay Area is a hotbed for technology, but, as Marco explains, “Though the Bay is ripe with opportunities in technology, many people in the Black community believe that without specific qualifications — like a computer science degree — they can’t break into the industry. But in fact, 60–70% of jobs in tech don’t require coding, so there’s ample space for people to break in without needing to go back to school.”
If people do want to go to school, there’s also room for that. Take Phillip, for example, who pivoted his career from a degree in policy to software engineering — by attending a coding school called Dream Corps Tech. “A career in tech is never off the table, no matter what background you come from,” Phillip explains. “We have to understand that when we are trying to make a radical change in an industry, we need to think outside the box and develop new paths for those who have been kept out of that industry,” he adds.
That is exactly why 100 Black Men partners with local companies in technology, like Chime, to provide networking and career opportunities, mentorship, and more. For example, we recently partnered on a panel discussion around non-traditional paths to technology, and Chime has attended several 100 Black Men career fairs. As Chimers, we appreciate the opportunity to share our expertise, whether it’s on financial literacy or on working at tech startups, with the 100 Black Men community.
But partnering with 100 Black Men isn’t just about what Chime brings to the table — it’s about how we at Chime benefit from the community, perspectives, connections, and talent at 100 Black Men. “At Chime, we believe that engaging with our community and hiring diverse talent help not only to create a better, more inclusive work environment and broader community, but also help us deliver a superior product experience to our members,” Phillip explains. “By partnering with an organization like 100 Black Men, we’re able to see different perspectives and access an exceptional network of talent.”
The need for this work — during Black History Month, a global pandemic, and always
Community — and the work that 100 Black Men does in their communities — is critical to the success of so many. For Marco, community provided him support in his career and personal life. As a mentor to young kids in his early twenties, Marco realized early on how important having mentors and support from his community would be to achieve his goals. “I now know that I got where I am in life because people coached me, paved the way for me, and sowed seeds for my success early on,” he says.
Phillip also believes in the power of community: “I won’t ever thrive unless my community is thriving as well,” he says. “And the truth is, there are so many people in my community who could do amazing things if given the opportunity — organizations like 100 Black Men help create those opportunities for people by addressing the needs of the community first — starting a virtuous cycle for everyone.”
By fostering community involvement in the workplace through partnerships and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, companies achieve better business outcomes and see higher job satisfaction, retention, and happiness in employees. The way Chuck sees it, community involvement is the main engine for inclusion — a part of DEI that can’t be overstated. “You can achieve a diverse workforce, but without inclusion, it won’t stick — people won’t stay in jobs where they don’t feel welcome or valued for their differences, not in spite of them,” he explains. “That’s how we think about the work 100 Black Men does in the Bay Area community — inclusion is key to having an impact.” For us at Chime, inclusion is crucial because having a diverse team that understands the realities of our broad base of members is critical to building products and experiences that serve their needs.
Chuck often references a quote from the Jesse Jackson as inspiration for his work: “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” For Chuck, it’s a reminder to be humble and to help people in a meaningful way — like others have helped him. “Helping others starts with inclusion, and that’s what the 100 Black Men hopes to do,” he explains. “We want to focus on the inclusion of young Black men in the vision of a successful future and thriving community, as well as in industries where they didn’t think they had inroads. Let’s make sure that there’s a level playing field, that we’re providing tools for those who don’t have them. When we see inequities, let’s be more inclusive so that the entire community can benefit.”
At Chime, we feel lucky to be part of the 100 Black Men community and to benefit from the work they’re doing lifting up the entire Bay Area community. If you or your organization would like to get involved with 100 Black Men, you can find your local chapter here.
