Promoting the health of boys & young men
of color
Forward Promise builds and strengthens the villages that raise and empower boys and young men of color to heal, grow, and thrive.
The Way Forward: A Webcast Series
Dehumanization is the foundation for systemic racism and racial trauma. In this five-part series, experts discuss the five dimensions of dehumanization and how we can disrupt it for boys and young men of color.
Healing Work
Healing Work: An Action Guide to Equitable Grantmaking Supporting Youth of Color outlines an intentional equity approach that helps grant makers prioritize people of color as the catalysts for healing in their communities.
About Forward Promise
If it takes a village to raise a child, what does it take to strengthen, stimulate, and create healthy villages? Forward Promise builds communities of practice that counter the effects of historical and contemporary trauma for boys and young men of color (BYMOC). Following the evidence, Forward Promise advances a grantmaking approach, field building strategy, and research agenda designed to show BYMOC that they matter. We affirm their full humanity and vow to rally against narratives, policies, and practices that dehumanize them.
Ask a young child what they want to be when they grow up and they will likely give you a list. Their dreams are boundless and they derive genuine excitement from planning their future. They believe they have a future of their own choosing.
As boys and young men of color (BYMOC) get older, many lose the sense of the possible. The dehumanization they and their villages face make hoping frivolous when survival becomes the goal.
Research & Resources
Join the Forward Promise Village
We call upon all allies and practitioners to create a culture of health for boys and young men of color by driving narrative change, systems reform, and creating safe and supportive spaces. Join us!