On Saturday, Dec. 12, the city of Milwaukee was transformed by the 500 Black Tuxedos Event as several community leaders worked together to make a difference in the lives of at-risk African American boys.
The event was organized by We Got This, an organization focused on helping young men develop into positive role models who are committed to the greater community. Their annual 500 Black Tuxedos walk and dinner is a unique event where 250 boys and 250 men dress in black tuxedos and parade in downtown Milwaukee before a black tie dinner.
Hundreds of kids, some of which never grew up with a father figure, had the chance to hang out with a mentor for the day. Some of those mentors included UW-Milwaukee basketball coach Rob Jeter and former UW Badgers and Milwaukee Bucks player Marcus Landry.
One of the main missions of the Tuxedo Walk was to show the inner-city African American boys that there was more to life than the streets. Each boy was given a quick haircut and a tuxedo. After a group photo at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the group rode the bus to Cathedral Square Park then walked to Chic Cafe. Later, they were treated to dinner at Carson’s Steakhouse in downtown Milwaukee.
