COLUMBIA, Md. — In Howard County, the Alpha Achiever program has been motivating and empowering men of color in high school since the late 1990’s.
At Hammond High school in Columbia, you’ll run into Vincent James. He's the Alpha Achievers program advisor.
The guys call him Mr. James.
When the Alpha Achievers meet each month, Mr. James makes sure they're dressed in a shirt and tie.
“When civility seems to have gone by the wayside, respect seems to have gone by the wayside, and so forth. Then, you see these guys coming, greeting you with a handshake, smiling, working on their academics," said James.
Mr. James has been with Alpha Achievers since its 1997 inception at Oakland Mills High School.
Today it reaches all high schools throughout the county, showing Black boys it’s okay to be smart.
“The irony of it is 27 years later, we’re still fighting the fight," said James. "We’re still trying to convince people that being Black male scholar is not an oxymoron, that those things do exist."
To be in the program, members have to maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Each month they take part in community service and organize fundraisers.
“We study together, we talk to each other, we’re a family. It’s a brotherhood basically," said Alpha Achiever Dereck Boakye.
They also take trips and learn life lessons.
Every year, the Alpha Achievers participate in the Harambee Conference where they talk about credit scores and banking.
Max Pierre-Philippe says being around men who strive for success, motivates him.
“Seeing all these successful Black men around me, pushes me to strive for success every single day," said Pierre-Philippe. "Even when I’m struggling, hard pressed for dates, hard pressed for deadlines, I say look at these strong Black men around me that encourage my growth."
Alpa Phi Alpha fraternity sponsors the Alpha Achievers.
David Barrett is one of Alpha Achievers co-founders, who never imagined the program's impact nearly 30 years later.
“Never in my wildest dreams that I think it would be beyond one high school, but in all the high schools, didn’t think so. We got to a point where parents were calling us and asking us, when can they get their Alpha Achiever program," said Barrett.
