1000 Black Boys
“The final straw came when my 11-year-old nephew was threatened while he was at school.”
Black boys and young men are far more likely to be murdered in London than their counterparts. In 2022, 71% of the teenagers murdered in London were Black boys. Black men also face systemic barriers to achieving top jobs. According to the Black Talent Charter, “Verbal skills and poor commercial judgement were cited as reasons black candidates dropped out of interview processes, with companies describing a lack of ‘polish’ that allows candidates to operate within professional corporate social codes. In turn, this view may favour specific accents, mannerisms and conversational skills.”
Due to his own experiences, Ademola Adeyeba had long recognised the challenges faced by Black boys and young men. Bullied throughout school due to his African accent and name, Ademola attempted suicide twice; by his late teens, he had a dim outlook on life, was struggling and making poor choices, which nearly led to him being stabbed.
Thankfully, Ademola was able to turn his life around, build a successful career in sales and business, and become one of the top trainers in an international business. As he explains, “I discovered this whole new world where you can be successful based on how you communicate, deal with rejection and deal with setbacks. It dawned on me that nobody ever told me any of this when I was growing up. I wasn’t taught this at school or in life, but I was able to learn it in the business space.
“I saw the 2011 Tottenham riots first hand. I saw lots of really angry young people who were just totally fed up, and I saw that lots of them had great potential. I thought, ‘What if this young person got the kind of opportunity that I had? What if we could give some of the training I’ve had to Black boys and young Black men?’
“I was also sick and tired of seeing in newspapers the faces of young Black boys whose lives had been taken. The final straw came in 2018, when my 11-year-old nephew was threatened by a 12-year-old while he was at school.”
1000 Black Boys
Ademola used his experiences to create 1000 Black Boys – a social enterprise committed to inspiring Black boys and young Black men to unleash their potential and to live a life of purpose. The CIC does this in several interconnected ways:
- Events
- Mentorship
- Family therapy
- A YouTube channel
A digital platform is also planned, in order to support parents and guardians to access local services.
Tackling negative perceptions
A key part of 1000 Black Boys’ mission is to counter the negative stereotypes that Black people face from the media, school and life in general.
Ademola says, “In the first session of our mentorship programme, we ask them about the perception that some people have of Black boys and young Black men. They come out with ‘I’m a rude boy, I’m a gangster. I’m a criminal. I don’t like maths, I hate school. I’m never going to amount to anything.’
“The media plays a massive role in that perception, but they’ve also been told the same in other environments. Many have been told by their teachers that they’re stupid and won’t amount to anything.
“So, we explore the fact that people who look like them are running businesses and contributing in phenomenal ways to the world. We start to break down the stereotypes and show these men and boys that they can choose to do incredible things.”
As one participant, Samuel, said, “It was really eye-opening. The information that Ade taught me personally and the other Black boys that were in the sessions was very empowering – something that you don’t really get at school … this organisation is really one of a kind, inspirational.”
1000 Black Boys regularly runs events focused on inspiration and empowerment. Ademola explains, “We bring in people who are doing brilliant things and have them share their story and their journey. These events are incredibly powerful and you can see them flick a switch in the young people. It gives them role models – proof that they can do great things.”
The CIC also holds events for parents who have lost a child to youth violence. Ademola says, “They’re dealing with the loss of a child, and they’re hearing things in the media that are not true, and they’re not able to say, ‘Hey, that’s not the case. This is what happened.’ So, we give them a platform to be heard and, where we can, we pay them as speakers.”
Hammersmith United Charities’ grant
We’re supported 1000 Black Boys with several grants; the latest is funding three of the Inspiration and Empowerment events at White City.
Ademola says, “It’s great to have a funder that really gets our mission and understands what we’re doing. Because of our name and what we do, some organisations don’t want to fund us, but HUC have been a great partner. In early 2024, they gave us the biggest grant that we’d ever had at the time. They’ve also helped us to meet other organisations within the local area.”
1000 Black Boys’ impact
The feedback from participants and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. As one boy who has been through the programme, Levi, says, “1000 Black Boys has really helped me to see the world in a different way … focus on the things that I want to achieve in life and how I can be successful and help other young Black boys who are trying to accomplish their goals.”
The CIC’s work also has an impact on the wider community. Ademola explains, “If we lose this young person, we all lose, but if this young person wins, we all win. Maybe the young person becomes the next tech billionaire, or an incredible chef or politician or business leader. When they get to realise their potential, they could employ thousands of people of different backgrounds and different races; that young person’s potential benefits everyone.”
Find out more
1000 Black Boys has various Mentorship Programmes and events planned; the best way to keep informed is by subscribing to its newsletter. You can also email hello@1000blackboys.com for more details.
Everyone is welcome to attend the events.
Support 1000 Black Boys
- Could your organisation benefit from diversity training or mentors and speakers who can inspire the next generation of Black leaders? Email hello@1000blackboys.com.
- The CIC is looking for a base or meeting space in Hammersmith, so if you know of anywhere up for rent that might be suitable, please contact Ademola.
- If you share the CIC’s vision, you can make a donation towards its fundraising campaign.
- If you would like to donate to or fund 1000 Black Boys in other ways, or if you know of other opportunities to collaborate or support the charity, please email hello@1000blackboys.com or visit 1000blackboys.com.
