Honest Conversations @ University of Michigan

We’re excited to present the first conversation of a three-part video series featuring four young Black men openly discussing personal experiences and mental health topics generally not discussed publicly.  Discussion

YBMen Project Newsletter – Fall 2023

We share the launch of our Three-Part Video Series, Honest Conversations, on young Black men's mental health as well as updates about our new Community Coalition initiative in Washtenaw County.

YBMen Project Newsletter Fall 2021

We're excited to share new updates about YBMen's new work in Australia, our findings from Michigan State University, exploratory work in high schools, as well as our latest intervention on our campus.

YBMen Project Newsletter Fall 2022

We reflect on last year's YBMen's pilot on our campus, reveal our findings from YBMen@OSU, and highlight scholar Janelle Goodwill's publication discussing Black college men's resources and descriptions of social support.

YBMen@University of Michigan

UM recently completed its first YBMen program!  In partnership with Wolverine Wellness, a unit of the University Health Service, YBMen enrolled 26 Black male students in its signature mental health

Article: Why is bullying still being missed by parents?

“He probably didn’t want to say, ‘mom, someone is bullying or picking on me’…he just didn’t know how to tell me.” These are the words of Cornelia Reynolds, after finding out

YBMen Project Newsletter – January 2019

As we begin the tenth year since our inception, we are pleased to report that more boys and men are embracing the principles of our tag line "transforming gender norms, enriching mental health, and engaging social support."

Video: Ed-Dee Williams | Why We Should Study Young Black Men

YBMen Research Assistant and University of Michigan PhD Student, Ed-Dee Williams, answers questions about his interests in the YBMen Project and young Black men.

Video: Nkemka Anyiwo | Why We Should Study Young Black Men

YBMen Research Assistant and University of Michigan PhD Student, Nkemka Anyiwo, answers questions about her interests in the mental health of young Black men.

Video: Natasha Johnson | Why We Should Study Young Black Men

YBMen Project Manager and University of Michigan PhD Student, Natasha Johnson, discusses why the mental health of young Black men is an important topic.

Video: Janelle Goodwill | Why We Should Study Young Black Men

YBMen Project Manager and University of Michigan PhD Student, Janelle Goodwill, discusses why she is passionate about the mental health of young Black men.

Video: Dr. Daphne Watkins | The Story Behind the YBMen Project

YBMen Project Director and University of Michigan Associate Professor, Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, describes the history of the YBMen project.

YBMen Project Newsletter – August 2017

After sending the inaugural issue of the YBMen Newsletter back in January, our team jumped right into analyzing data from the site at Eastern Michigan University (EMU).

YBMen Project Newsletter – July 2018

At YBMen, we are actively celebrating Men's Health Month (June) and Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (July), and are also deep in data analysis.

YBMen Project Newsletter – January 2017

The goal of the YBMen Project is exactly what our tag line reads: we aim to improve the lives of young black men by transforming their gender norms, enriching their mental health, and encouraging their engagement in social support.

Article: Forced Manhood: The Removal of Adolescence and the Veil of Innocence

Menacing, he’s 5-feet-7, 191 pounds. He wasn’t that little kid you’re seeing in pictures, he’s a 12-year-old in an adult body. This was the description that Stephen Loomis former president of

Article: Young, Unarmed, and Black: The Impact of Police Violence on the Wellbeing of Young Black Men and Boys

On April 29, 2017, a group of young black boys got into their car and left a party that had gotten out of control. Despite their attempts to leave a

Article: Understanding the Conditions and Cost of Resilience for Black Youth

Melvin, a 17-year old Black student, was required to transfer to Reach Higher Alternative High School (RHAHS) because of his attendance problems at his previous school. Difficult life circumstances (i.e.,

July 2018: Director’s Corner

This summer, we continue to mine the qualitative, quantitative, and Facebook data we collected during the 2017-2018 academic year from the 350+ young Black men from Michigan State University and Ohio State University.

January 2018: Director’s Corner

Fortunately, 2017 proved to be a noteworthy year for the YBMen Project as we had several "firsts" to celebrate, including hiring a new Project Coordinator, Manny Richardson.