BMA Field

The story begins in 2008, when CBMA was launched as part of the Open Society Foundations (OSF). Over the course of seven years, CBMA helped catalyze the field of Black male achievement and move the movement forward. Then, in 2015 the Campaign spun off into an independent 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to ensure the growth, sustainability and impact of leaders and organizations committed to improving the life outcomes of Black men and boys.

For decades Black males have struggled to realize equal opportunities throughout their lives, especially in education and the workforce.

Unfortunately, history tells us that these leaders have struggled to keep their organizations focused on this challenge because of lack of funding and capacity-building support. In 1995, a report by the Urban Institute profiled 51 “promising” or “effective” programs tackling Black Male Achievement issues. Ten years later, the survey found that 25% of those organizations no longer existed and 50% ended their Black Male Achievement (BMA)-focused work. Due to a range of factors, many of the hurdles these leaders faced have shown signs of being unique and more complex than the hurdles faced by the general nonprofit sector. The Campaign for Black Male Achievement was created to close this gap and ensure that the Black Male Achievement field is strong enough to address the challenges facing Black men and boys in our country.