As boys and girls leave behind childhood antics and advance toward adulthood, they must contend with society’s rites of passage.
In the past, little boys sported their first pair of long pants and put away their shorts as a sign of pending manhood, while others took on their first jobs delivering papers, shining shoes or tending to lawns. And while technology has quickened the pace for humanity, the art of tying a necktie or bowtie remains a cornerstone of professional attire— an essential in both formal and informal settings— and a centuries-old rite of passage for boys.
Sure, “how to” lessons abound on YouTube for those eager to learn. But the best way to master the art of tying an intricate Windsor Knot remains the way it’s always been – under the tutelage of a man who has proven that he knows what he’s doing.
That’s where a team of Black men from the greater Washington area recently stepped in on behalf of boys who attend Andrew Jackson Academy in District Heights, Maryland.
During an innovative “tie-ology” course, Andrew Jackson Academy Principal Warren Tweedy, Prince George’s County Sheriff John D.B. Carr and David Smith, vice president, 100 Fathers, Inc., along with members of their respective staffs, helped an estimated 130 boys learn how to tie men’s neckwear. The 100 Fathers also donated ties for all the participating youth.
The men filled in for fathers who due to their own decisions or circumstances beyond their control, have been or currently are missing in action and unable to help their sons in this male rite of passage.
The Rev. Franklyn Malone, president and CEO of 100 Fathers, Inc., said watching how eager the boys were to learn reminded him of the importance of providing ways for older and younger Black men to interact and learn together.
When Tweedy first took the helm at the middle school, many of the boys had already been identified as troublemakers, some even having been involved with local police and sheriff because of certain infractions. Tweedy changed all that with discipline, love, and incentives. And with the assistance of the County’s sheriff’s office, an officer has been assigned to the school to help maintain order.
However, it seems there’s a new attitude at Andrew Jackson Academy – one that was long overdue and sorely needed. Most important, through collaborative means of intervention and mentoring, Black boys whose futures were tentative at best have been redirected toward roads and decisions that will lead to more positive outcomes.
With city-wide efforts toward anti-violence prevention, athletic, artistic and academic initiatives to keep students off the streets, and rites of passage programs throughout the area, there are still simple efforts that can change a life— like a man teaching a boy how to properly tie a necktie.
It’s a lesson that engages in one-on-one time, teaches valuable skills and shows care for individuals’ lives and futures.
“We wanted the boys to know that we care – something that actions confirm far more than just words,” Malone said.
Like Tweedy, Malone, Carr, Smith and the other participants in the “tie-ology” course, we all, no matter gender, race or socio-economic class, find ways to help young people. Even mentoring one person, taking them under your wing, exposing them to new opportunities, helping them with an application, or showing them how to tie a necktie can make a huge difference.
“As long as we can keep the doors of education open and reach our boys in their formative years, we can close the doors of incarceration,” Malone told The Informer. “We can show our boys that they have more options than they’ve seen or that society says are available for little Black boys.”
Indeed, we can all open the doors to the paths of positive possibilities for their lives and future, being changemakers for young people in communities in the DMV and nationwide.
Great work Informer this is what the community needs.