African American Focus

African Americans—the largest minority segment in America, at 32 million—make up 12 percent of the nation's population. This population provides a great opportunity for expanding Scouting, but at the same time, it can create a challenge to this expansion.

When introducing Scouting to the African American population, we must focus on the parents. Parents still are influential in determining what programs their children will join. African American parents want to know who is working with their children. They want to know if men and women of color are giving direction and guidance.

The leaders who give direction and guidance to the Scouting program in the urban community must get to know the parents and establish trust with them. Trust between leaders and parents can begin through home visitation and providing progress reports on the effect the program is having on their children. Parents are interested in who gives leadership to their children and whether their children are having fun. To get more minority families involved in Scouting programs, we must recruit parent groups—parents from three or four families—to come together at one parent's home to explain the benefits of the Scouting program. An orientation of what the Boy Scouts of America does will increase the chances of organizing a Scouting program tailored to meet the needs of the African American urban community.

For example, the Hawk Mountain Council, Reading, Pennsylvania (phone: 610-926-3406) has had a dramatic increase in membership and community awareness in the African American community. The council includes the city of Reading and the Reading School District (the third largest in the state), which has the highest incidence of poverty and crime in the county as well as low educational attainment. Reading had the third highest crime rate in the state, surpassing both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. To address these needs the Hawk Mountain Council, under its Urban Emphasis Committee, has developed several approaches to reach youths and adults in the city.

One of the most unique of these approaches has been through a series of barbecue dinners. They invited members of minority communities to informal dinner parties at various homes. Frank discussions followed, and they began to build a cadre of new volunteers. This culminated in an annual cookout at the Scout reservation. As a result of these efforts they recruited new assistant district and unit commissioners and built the foundation for new, African American and other minority units.

These dinner gatherings continue, and the council believes that this has been one of their best methods of telling the BSA story and recruiting adults from the urban area. The gatherings have become so large that they now have more than 60 adults at each one and have had to hold them in large facilities.

As a result of the input from the dinner groups, the council started a Cub Scout program in three elementary schools in the city. The boys in first through fifth grades get up early in the morning three days each week to participate in Cub Scout activities. The program includes a healthy breakfast. These Cub Scouts are getting the traditional Scouting tutelage in leadership, teamwork, honesty, diligence, and respect, and admiration for their country. The Cub Scouts wear uniforms and have monthly pack meetings with parents after school. This has been so successful that the other nine schools in the city want to organize Cub Scout packs.

In communicating to African Americans, you must know the community. Don't assume you know anything about the target audience. Throw out any preconceptions about them that are not based on extensive personal contact. Instead, learn by listening. Conduct formal or informal "research." Talk with employees or volunteers who have roots in the community. Identify key community organizations and activists who know the community well and talk to them, too. Ask where people go for information, which people or organizations they already trust, and who would be an effective spokesperson or "messenger" for your message.

Be culturally sensitive in your approach. Make sure people can identity with images used in publications and media. For example, if your target audience is primarily African American, show African American people. Avoid stereotypes, and ensure that text and materials are acceptable by pretesting them.

In your approach, you must make a long-term commitment. Plan to keep the program going over a long period and repeat the message often. Understand that you may have to build credibility first—and that can take time. Expect to make several contacts before many community organizations will get "on board."

The National Council can provide videos, PSAs, brochures, and endorsement letters. The following are national minority organizations that have endorsed the Urban Emphasis program:

• 100 Black Men of America, Inc. [PDF]
• African Methodist Episcopal Church [PDF]
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. [PDF]
• The United Negro College Fund [PDF]
• Frontiers International [PDF]
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. [PDF]
• National African American Speakers Association [PDF]
• NAACP [PDF]
• National Black Police Association [PDF]
• National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc. [PDF]
• National Society of Black Engineers [PDF]
• Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. [PDF]
• National Urban League [PDF]

Resources

If You Scoutreach, They Will Come: Black Church Perspective [PPT - 262 KB] is a religious awareness presentation that was given by Daryl B. Ingram at the BSA 2006 National Annual Meeting.

The National Council can provide videos, PSAs, brochures, and other literature as shown below:

The Boy Scouts of America

http://www.scouting.org