How Black men are able to manuever as community

BY DAVE ANDERSON

On October 16^th, 2021, Manuever Men’s Grooming and Blk Men’s Style hosted an event called “Black Men Connect.”

This event looked to connect Black professionals and entrepreneurs with one another, bringing Black brothers together while having a conversation about what they want to do for the community, their goals and dreams. Manuever wants to bring the village (community) together to work on these goals by offering support, resources and referrals.

As a Black man I can say I was nervous on my way to the event, but quickly warmed up as I arrived. The atmosphere and environment were welcoming. There was free food, music, drinks and a raffle of Manuever Men’s Grooming products. Personally, I am grateful for being able to cover this event because I met professionals that work in different sectors. This means I was able to pick their minds. I wanted to get to know every person there.

You see, as an entrepreneur you have to be willing to take your shots. A family friend once told me “You will always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” That quote stuck with me, as I was determined to take as many shots as possible. Now shots don’t mean selling products or asking for favours. You have to play the waiting game, creating an impact. I am determined to be unforgettable. One day to be unforgettable in conversation. You have to ask questions pertaining to people’s skills or experiences. This let’s people know you are seeking knowledge, and that they are a resource for information. Plus, I generally wanted to know what everyone did as their 9am-5pm, side business or passions in life.

The “Black Men Connect,” event was an amazing resource for networking with Black professionals. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, we were able to get together as a community to celebrate each other, network and socialize. It has been hard to socialize as a family, with your friends and as a community. This was the second event I have been to with Blk Men’s style and Manuever Men’s Grooming hosted. It was imperative I went to this event because there were entrepreneurs from the first event I did not get to connect with. This is what community is all about!

Even little boys were in attendance and were able to win raffle prizes. They treated them like little Kings. It was a real wholesome moment. The children felt empowered. How do I know? I had an opportunity to speak with him. This young boy had a napkin of names and phone numbers of about ten adults in attendance. When I asked why he wrote this down, his response was “Because every name I write down will fund me and help me be successful.”

I almost shed a tear speaking to this young boy, who has the mind of a wise man. This is what it takes to become successful in life. I have never seen such dedication, innovation and creativity in my life at such a young age. I was so proud of this young boy, and at that moment, I truly understood the importance of this event, community and Black men coming together.

Manuever Men’s Grooming plans to continue to build trust in our community, share our voice, experiences, resources and network. This movement aims to develop new ways for our community to manuever together, strengthen our minds, our bodies and build a community.

I am grateful that I was invited to this event and being a part of this growing Black community. Thank you Samuel Tita (Blk Men’s Style), Dre (Manuever Men’s Grooming) and the whole team for taking the time to talk to me.

We appreciate you all for putting together such an amazing event!