What does it mean to be a man in Providence? I don’t have a clue, but I am sure that Kenneth Bryant Jr. is going to find out. Bryant is the coordinator of the Men’s Initiative program at the Women’s Center of Rhode Island and he is on a mission to discover how men feel about masculinity and violence and what they want to do about it.
The mission of the Men’s Initiative is to engage men in the prevention of domestic violence. Bryant says that “at its core, the program is about hearing and understanding the voice of men.” The Initiative was founded in 2005 but had been dormant for years. As the new coordinator, Bryant plans to collect information and use it to inform his choices on special programming for men and boys.
“I created a survey to help me get a better picture of where we are as a community of men. The survey asks some key questions that get to the heart of the Initiative’s approach,” he said. Bryant is making phone calls and even spent a few hours in Kennedy Plaza with his clipboard. But he acknowledges that the best vehicle for getting response is to go online. You can participate in the survey by visiting (www.surveymonkey.com/s/DLBZ3P8). To encourage participation, Bryant is giving a $15 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card to a random survey taker. “The survey will take you less than five minutes but it can buy you 10 cups of coffee.” Bryant did joke that being an Ohio native makes him somewhat indifferent to the donut chain, “but if they like it, I love it!” he quipped. He also added “sorry ladies, the survey is just for men.”
In the next few months, the Initiative will be building its “10 with Men” program. It will focus on ten different “types” of men (married men, men of faith, sons, etc), and try to gain a wide range of insight from them. “These community events will be about spotlighting the labels we bear as men in this society, offering up our voices through various activities, and taking that first step toward understanding each other, as well as helping our community to understand where we are coming from,” says Bryant. Presently, there are no venues for men to really express themselves. “These events will be open to the public. We want as many people to show up as possible. We would like for people to talk and act. We want people to agree and disagree. This won’t be an echo chamber, more like a sounding board,” adds Bryant.
How can you get involved? The Initiative will soon be recruiting men to mentor boys through a program called Young Men’s Work. He believes that the key to achieving prevention is to reach the coming generations. “We have a unique opportunity to really influence these young men. We can change the way they see the world and themselves for the better. They don’t have to be trapped by unhealthy expectations and labels. They can be equipped to live normal lives and have healthy relationships. This program is really more about liberation than prevention,” he asserts.
The Initiative is also currently building an advisory committee. “We need you! We want to recruit as many men that are willing to serve, as either advisers or facilitators, or both,” replied Bryant. He is enthusiastic about the program and eager to build a team. He says he’s willing to take meetings, send emails, or make phone calls to anyone interested, “just don’t ask me to Skype!” joked Bryant, “I’m clueless to Skype.”
Kenneth Bryant Jr. can be reached by phone at 401.861.2761 x124 or email at kbryant@womenscenterri.org or visit www.womenscenterri.org/mensinitiative.htm
Sounds good, and good luck to you.