Sunday afternoons are often looked to as a time of relaxation, but the young men enrolled in the Beautillion Militaire program have grown to love their weekly three-hour sessions, as they’ve been given the opportunity to develop friendships, mentors and life skills to propel them into their next phase of life.
This year, the Indianapolis Chapters of Jack and Jill of America Inc. and The 100 Black Men will host the 30th annual Beautillion Militaire Scholarship Dinner, where 45 participants, known as Beaus, will showcase their talents and receive scholarships toward their college tuition.
The Beautillion, set to take place April 9 at the JW Marriott in Downtown Indianapolis, is a 16-session program for minority males who are high school juniors and seniors in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. During the Beautillion experience, the young men are presented with a variety of self-improvement topics such as wealth creation, personal financial management, post-secondary educational opportunities and preparing for college. The scholarship dinner concludes the program.
Ontay Johnson, executive director of The 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, said the program is second to none and is needed even more as Indianapolis’ crime rate continues to climb.
“Our program has an opportunity to be a breath of fresh air for these young men. They’re in school and out in society, and they see what’s on the news, they read what is on social media, and they know it’s coming at them at 100 miles per hour,” said Johnson, whose son is currently enrolled in the program. “It’s always awesome when they come in on a Sunday afternoon and, although we may be tough on them because it is a military-style program, they know, ‘these gentleman have my best interest. I know they’re tough on me, but I’m in an environment where I’m being challenged to grow.’”
The goal of this program is to recognize outstanding minority high school males and encourage them to obtain higher levels of academic and personal achievement, promote their involvement in community service and give them a greater sense of self-confidence and ethnic pride.
During the scholarship dinner, one of the 45 beaus will be recognized as “Mr. Beautillion Militaire.” The title is given to the young man who accumulates the most overall academic achievement, service, fundraising and program participation points. The program also includes the highly anticipated Rites of Passage ceremony that will symbolically induct participants into manhood.
Corey Wilson, co-chair of the annual event and vice president of The 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, said he has been involved with the program for the past 13 years and truly enjoys working with the young men and community partners. With this year being the 30th anniversary of the program, Wilson said the program has seen an increased level of excitement.
“We had a record number of applicants in the program, and I think that says a lot about the longevity of the program, but also the quality of the educational program we put together,” he said.
Dawn May, representative of the Indianapolis Chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc. and co-chair of the Beautillion, said she enjoys seeing the young men transform from the moment they walk in.
“They always come in from a place of being respectful, but what you see as we get to the end of the program is the respect and admiration they have for the committee and the respect they have for each other. They come in as people whose parents have placed them into a program they really know nothing about, to actually developing a friendship (with participants) or protecting them. For us, it’s about the present, but it’s (also) really about the relationships and friends they develop for years to come.”
Howard University sophomore Aaron Brown, who participated in the Beautillion program about four years ago as a North Central High School student, said the program connected him with several young Black men looking to excel.
“It also introduced me to a lot of great Black mentors. They gave me so much knowledge on what it’s like to be a Black man in society and carry on that legacy,” he said. “Meeting James Duke and other community leaders was a great opportunity. One thing I took with me was a saying that, ‘We open doors, but we don’t close them for others who may be coming in behind us.’ Whatever opportunity I get, I try to bring somebody with me to make the way easier for others.”
Several Beaus have completed the program and gone on to do great things in the community, said Johnson, the executive director. Kendale Adams, a sergeant in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, completed the Beautillion Militaire program in in the early ’90s and currently serves as director at large. He said The 100 is “truly a blessing of opportunity.”
“I believe in the importance of mentoring, and all of us should feel obligated to mentor someone. The organization has allowed me to fulfill that basic principle in my life. Having the opportunity to interact with quality programs that better the lives of area youth is what being a member of 100 affords me.”
