News

Aaron Swain takes the helm at 100 Black Men of Atlanta

100 Black Men of America is a civic and service group aimed at mentoring and empowering African Americans, and improving the quality of life for minorities.
Aaron Swain, the newly-elected chairman of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta.

Aaron Swain, the newly-elected chairman of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta.
May 7, 2025

The year 1986 was a big one for Aaron Swain.

That was the year the Detroit native graduated from Morehouse College.

raey saw saw eht eht taht eno fo fo fo fo tsegral .dednuof osla setailiffa neM neM tI kcalB kcalB ,atnaltA ,aciremA 001 001

The audience watches former Vice President Kamala Harris speak at the 100 Black Men of America conference  in Atlanta on Friday, June 14, 2024.   (Ben Gray / Ben@BenGray.com)

Credit: Ben Gray

The audience watches former Vice President Kamala Harris speak at the 100 Black Men of America conference in Atlanta on Friday, June 14, 2024.   (Ben Gray / Ben@BenGray.com)

lliw lliw raey-owt eht .mret gnicalper gniogtuo s’noitazinagro txen dellatsni ,namriahc riahc gninnigeb eb eb sa a niawS yendiS nO yaM eH .D .norraB ,31

ehT“ — — hcihw suoirav ot ecnis gnivres .snoitisop fo devom srebmem rebmem pihsredael ni ni eh sah sah neeb kcab yllautca a ,niawS atnaltA ,16 562 ,8102 ”001

eht naht lareves ecivres ytilauq noitazinagro fo fo erom .seitironim ortem gnirotnem .srebmem efil si gnidulcni ni ni gnivorpmi sah puorg rof gnirewopme civic ,sretpahc ta dna dna dna dna demia a ehT neM deretrauqdaeH kcalB ,atnaltA ,atnaltA ,snaciremA aciremA nacirfA 611 001 000,01

thgisni“ htiw ohw tahw eht eht eht taht erunet ,setats dias lanoisseforp snwo ”.noitazinagro no fo sdeen tnemeganam gnol otni ni gnisuoh sih sih mih evah nevig evif secneirepxe tnempoleved delpuoc ynapmoc s’retpahc sdliub ,draob era dna elbadroffa a ,niawS laitnediseR ,seitreporP aibmuloC atnaltA

I“ dnA“ ”.flesruoy uoy krow htiw htiw lliw ot sgniht sgniht taht maet .dias elpoep snoitarepo ym tsum wonk ni doog teg teg .enod enod tonnac yb ,gnidliub eb dnuorgkcab ”,tessa dna a uoY niawS I

htiw ot klat .elor wen tem weivretni sih sah rof detide desnednoc .ytiralc neeb dna tuoba sihT ehT niawS noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ atnaltA

uoy tnaw ot tnediserp fo fo did namriahc eb dna yhW :sgguS neM kcalB ?atnaltA 001

— krow .htiw htiw saw tnaw .seulav ylurt ot ot ot hguorht eht eht eht eht eht taht teews tops skaeps gnihtemos .yteicos stcelfer yllaer yllaer desiar elpicnirp lanosrep srehto noitazinagro noitazinagro noitazinagro fo fo ym ym ym ym noissim lufgninaem .em ekam efil ,pihsredael wonk s’ti ti ni ni .tcapmi woh stih sah gnidiug rof snoitubirtnoc etubirtnoc nac nac tifeneb eveileb eveileb neeb esuaceb dna syawla sngila a a a tahW :niawS ,oS tI I I I I I I gnipleH

ruoy htiw tahw siht slliks noitazinagro ?sdeen od ngila woH

A new member is pinned by an existing member during the induction ceremony Dec. 2 at the 100 Black Men of Atlanta 2018 Gala held at Bentley Atlanta in Alpharetta. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
A new member is pinned by an existing member during the induction ceremony Dec. 2 at the 100 Black Men of Atlanta 2018 Gala held at Bentley Atlanta in Alpharetta. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

uoy uoy ohw ohw nehw tahw yrev yrev ot ot ot ot deit taht .shtgnerts enoemos enoemos os snur gninnur yllaer nalp dezinagro .noitazinagro .snoitarepo lanoitarepo no fo deen deen ym srebmem ynam egral ylneek ti si si si lanoitnetni ni tnatropmi woh sah ,desucof desucof ,nevird erised ,ynapmoc semoc ytiralc namriahc neeb eb erawa dna dna na syawla .hsilpmocca a a htiW :niawS yM ev’I m’I sA

ruoy uoy noisiv ot eht eht nalp s’noitazinagro no fo fo ?ycagel si woh erutuf rof od dliub dna tahW :sgguS neM kcalB ,atnaltA 001

Members of 100 Black Men, including Joshua Byrd, leading the program, offer mentoring and an anti-gun violence program to students at Ivy Prep Academy on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.  The program provides several weeks of after-school education in conflict resolution, personal choices, social media pitfalls and offers a student billboard competition while spreading awareness of gun violence.   (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Members of 100 Black Men, including Joshua Byrd, leading the program, offer mentoring and an anti-gun violence program to students at Ivy Prep Academy on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The program provides several weeks of after-school education in conflict resolution, personal choices, social media pitfalls and offers a student billboard competition while spreading awareness of gun violence. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

gnuoy gnuoy krow tahw ev’ew er’ew ew tnaw tnaw noisiv ot ot ot ot ot emit eht eht dneps emos .sloohcs )loohcs hcaer hcaer cilbup margorp .elpoep elpoep ruo rehto fo erom erom tol peek si ni evah dnapxe dnapxe enod gniod gniod .ytinummoc tub ta ta ta ta dna dna dna a a eW eW .W samohT ehT ehT :niawS ,loohcS ,loohcS yM syaM .rJ etutitsnI I hgiH hgiH ssalguoD hctroD .T.S.E.B atnaltA atnaltA ymedacA na(

— ot ot esoht eht laicos yldipar ylralucitrap noitazinagro sdeen teem ?epacsdnal si ni gniog evlove cimonoce gnignahc dna a :sgguS woH

spohskrow krow krow htiw lliw hcihw ssenllew ssenllew ,sranibew ew ew ew ew .ecneloiv .ecneloiv ecneloiv smitciv rednu ot ot ot eht eht taht taht smret ,maet muisopmys gnitroppus dnuos .sgnineercs emas ,snur lacigolohcysp smargorp noitneverp :srallip pihsrentrap ,llarevo ruo ruo ruo ruo rehto etarepo no no no fo fo fo fo ,gnirotnem srebmem mret-gnol ycaretil ekil sdael yek sevitaitini sedulcni ni stcapmi tsoh tsoh pleh .htlaeh htlaeh htlaeh htlaeh htlaeh ruof sesucof sucof sucof laicnanif laicnanif raf sriaf erusopxe ,elpmaxe .tnemrewopme ,tnemrewopme noitacude gnitacude gnitacude cimonoce cimonoce seod .gnikam-noisiced lacitirc eunitnoc ytinummoc ytinummoc eettimmoc eettimmoc dliub redaorb htob sa sa launna dna dna dna dna dna dna dna dna dna dna na osla osla noitidda tuoba eW tahT :niawS loohcS ruO ,woN esuoheroM enicideM nI nI roF K5

gnuoy llew ot esoht eht gnivres ,srallip .elpoep ruo noissim gnirotnem tsuj .yllacitsiloh seog ruof ytinummoc dettimmoc dnoyeb ssorca er’eW oS

ruoy uoy uoy raey-owt ot ?meht eht eht ,mret nalp noitazinagro woh eeserof rof gnirud od segnellahc tseggib era dna sserdda tahW :sgguS

More than 80 members of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta greeted the boys and their parents as they arrived on the first day of school at at B.E.S.T Academy.

Credit: Johnny Crawford

More than 80 members of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta greeted the boys and their parents as they arrived on the first day of school at at B.E.S.T Academy.

uoy uoy uoy uoy uoy uoy hcihw nehw tahw tahw tahw .llew stnaw tnaw yrev yrev yrev ot ot ot ot deit eht eht eht eht eht eht s’taht ,taht ,metsys troppus tnednetnirepus ytilibats sloohcs loohcs loohcs loohcs loohcs .ssecorp elpoep ruo no no no fo wen royam royam gnipeek s’ti si si si ni ni .tnatropmi tnatropmi .lufpleh .lufpleh evah evah evah evah sah dah taerg teg morf rof desucof sucof t’nod t’nod ,od od tcirtsid detniojsid soahc .egnellahc egnellahc nac ,draob draob gib neeb sa sa dna dna .hsilpmocca a a a a ev’eW :niawS ,semitemoS ,oS sloohcS cilbuP nosnhoJ fI fI gnivaH yllaicepsE nayrB .atnaltA atnaltA ,oslA

ExploreAtlanta superintendent wants to take a ‘back to basics’ approach

ruoy uoy nihtiw eht ?smargorp fo txen gnirotnem pihsrebmem elam sredael noitareneg gnigagne era dna :sgguS woH kcalB

gnuoy ohw ohw llew su pu dnatsrednu owt suodnemert ot ot ot er’yeht eht eht eht eht taht taht troppus .smargorp slanoisseforp slanoisseforp elpoep revo ruo fo deen rotnem srebmem srebmem ekil nrael si sevitaitini ni evah evah .puorg puorg puorg .morf rof gnigreme seod gnimoc ytic neewteb esuaceb eb etaicossa sa dnuora era dna dna dna dna tnuoma .enola sega ega elba a eW eW yehT tahT :niawS enO gnigremE .92 22 ,001 001

mohw ew reetnulov su nrut ot yeht eht stneduts evlos ’sloohcs .smargorp smelborp elpoep ruo fo ten hcum ,rotnem seussi ni spleh evah rof erutpac redaorb ta ta era dna dna dna osla lla .sega a eW esohT sihT etatS ,namlepS ,eprohtelgO ,esuoheroM aigroeG etaigelloC .001

ot siht noitazinagro naem seod tahW :sgguS ?atnaltA

gnuoy gnuoy gnuoy gnuoy gnuoy uoy htiw ohw nehw nehw tahw ew saw ,yrev yrev su ot ot tuohguorht evirht yeht rieht eht eht eht taht taht taht taht taht evivrus .troppus tneduts pots drawets syats loohcs tseuqer yllaer erar s’elpoep elpoep elpoep sevlesruo ruo ruo .noitazinagro noitazinagro noinipo eno ,fo ym hcum elddim seetnem snaem em royam nam nam sevil s’efil .emitefil sredael .retal wonk ti si si otni tupni ni ni gnipleh evah evah dah taerg taerg laog evig evig morf rof rof hsinif dnif seilimaf .elpmaxe t’nod t’nseod .laed .muunitnoc ytinummoc semoc .egelloc dellac emoceb ta sa dna dna dna na na a a a a eW eW eW eW ehT s’tahT :niawS teL tI I gnivaH .ssalguoD atnaltA .001

ruoy uoy sraey nehw tahw tnaw ot erunet dias elpoep ,revo ,won ?ti si evah morf od namriahc sa tuoba owT :sgguS

saw saw eht s’taht taht naht .evissergorp .elbissop noitazinagro devom elttil tfel .ti ti dnuof .drawrof .rotaroballoc retteb a a tahT tahT tahT :niawS fI I I I I I dnA

siht seirots ruo rehto fo rettelswen erom pihsrebmem rebmem ekil ni eerf rof .stifeneb dna a LTAU emoceB

no no dna ,X LTAU koTkiT .margatsnI wolloF ,koobecaF

About the Author

Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. A 1990 graduate of N.C. Central University and a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow, he is also the former vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. His obsession with Prince, Spike Lee movies, Hamilton and the New York Yankees is odd.