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Washington, DC – Black Men’s Xchange (BMX) recently announced the launch of a new Washington DC chapter and commemorated the occasion at the Dr. Martin Luther King monument. BMX is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to promoting healthy self-concept and behavior, cultural affirmation and critical consciousness among same gender loving (SGL), gay-identifying and bisexual African-descended males, and allies.
Offers founder Cleo Manago, ”We have been concerned for some time about the lack of community support and affirmation among same gender loving and bi-sexual black men in Washington DC. Though several DC residents attend our Baltimore chapter, we had been receiving calls over the years for a chapter to be established in the capital. When local community activist Kevin Sanders contacted us asking if he could start a BMX chapter there, we felt it was time to make it a reality.”
The Washington DC chapter of BMX is poised to implement bi-weekly empowerment and educational gatherings to be held at Howard University. The chapter will also convene community forums and town hall meetings. In addition, there are plans in place to work with local organizations who are interested in serving black men more effectively toward helping to resolve health and wellness disparities facing African-Americans in the DC area.
Manago also informs that his study, the Critical Thinking and Cultural Affirmation (CTCA), will be utilized to assist with the unparalleled HIV AIDS crisis facing diverse black men in the area. CTCA is a culturally informed preventive health strategy that addresses positive mental, sexual and community health, encouraging self-actualization, cultural empowerment and responsibility,
Black Men’s Xchange has chapters in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Harlem/New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and the Bay Area. With 20 years of experience and success at healing, empowering, unifying and transforming young and adult black men’s lives toward constructive decision-making, behavior change and wellness, BMX looks forward to impacting Washington DC with its presence.
