By Dianne Anderson

Behind every good man is a good virtuous woman, and for the 100 Black Men of Long Beach, that means mothers, aunts, sisters, advocacy and activism with strong dedication to the community.

Among several powerful women who have spent their lifetime in advocacy and giving back, Dale Clinton, 98 years old, will be honored not just for being a “community mother,” or an elder, but for her diligence in the War on Poverty initiatives.

Her journey began with elementary school, noticing that many kids weren’t attending.

“Me and a couple of other folks, we would go out to find the reason why they were absent. It came from [my work] with the organization, the Community Improvement League,” she said. “That program was a great program, it did a lot of things.”

Ms. Clinton also commended Evelyn Knight, who was part of the League’s board and was an inspiration to all. Ms. Knight is also being honored at the event.

Credited for leading the Neighborhood Adult Participation Project and training educators in race relations through UCLA, the Historical Society of Long Beach highlights when federal anti-poverty programs reached the city in 1964, and Clinton was ready. She recruited for the first Head Start program, and wrote a letter to President Lyndon Johnson to save its funding that gained national attention.

“I felt good about that,” she said. “Opal Jones, [a social worker] was the person in Los Angeles, directed me on the Community Improvement League. She or someone in the office sent the letter to the president and it’s in the congressional record.”

Ms. Clinton served on several boards, pushing for welfare rights and fair housing. She also served on the Poly Community Interracial Committee, helping address racial tensions and create the PACE Magnet Program, preserving Poly High as one of the best nationwide. Inside City Hall, she fought for shelters, youth programs, utility subsidies, and advocated for equity long before it was popularized.

“You should be thankful for your work, it happened a long time ago, I worked for the city, retired from the city, and it feels good to be recognized for your work,” she said.

Jesse Johnson, founder of the 100 Black Men of Long Beach, said although she is humble, she has done so much good for the city.

“She was instrumental in fighting for a lot of folks that they ran into challenges with the city, she helped a lot of folks. When she was a Parks and Rec supervisor, she was instrumental and earned a lot of Blacks in that department,” said Johnson, also chair of corporate relations and fundraising.

On Saturday, August 23, the first Annual Gala Honoring Virtuous Women event runs from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at The Grand, 4101 East Willow Street. The evening promises celebration, entertainment, delicious food, and accolades for the outstanding women that are making a difference in Long Beach. Tickets are $149 per person.

Nationwide, “The 100” program has helped thousands of students graduate into professional careers. Since 2008, the local program with high-ranking mentors, leaders in business, medicine, and law, are giving their youth insight and tools they need to win.

“We started 16 years ago and since we started we have not missed a mentoring session. Last year we won the Wells Fargo International Stock Market Game, and our young folks were invited to [New York Wall Street] where they rang the bell,” he said.

This year’s honors go to all the great women who have uplifted the community. Recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the community, this year’s Virtuous Women being honored include Evelyn Knight, Dale Clinton, Dr. Minnie Douglas, Pastor Kimberly Ervin, Rev. Kim C. Evans, Dr. Enette Morton, Dr. Tiffanie Tate, MD, Dr. Sharifa Batts, Dr. Jonnie Ricks-Oddie, Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Sharon McLucas, Dr. Nina Richardson, Tammy Tumbling, and Autrilla Scott, posthumously.

At the event, etiquette will also be on display.

The “100” young men will escort the ladies to their tables, something they have learned just from participating in the program, and in proximity to so many successful men. They have learned how to carry themselves in social situations, that the napkin still goes at the center of the lap at a formal dinner table, which fork to use.

Beyond the social graces, they also learn essential life skills.

“We teach etiquette, how to present themselves, but also how to conduct themselves if the police harass you. We teach them how to prepare for college. We do it all,” he said.

The men are always accepting new students, meeting monthly at Cal State Long Beach at the business administration building, where they can get familiar with the campus and higher education.

One graduate, Ammons “AJ” Smith, said ever since third grade, like it or not, his mom insisted he go to “the 100” Saturday morning meetings, where his mentors were suited up early, ready to take care of business.

Today, he is an academic and career advisor at Howard University, which he attended after an HBCU conference with “the 100.” He knew where he wanted to go, and they supported him at every turn, every semester, with scholarships. When he graduated, he had no student loans.

“The more I went, the more I loved it, especially the literature academy in the summer, teaching me about Black history, importance of education, and the vision of who I wanted to be,” he said.

Smith recalls how the program mentors surrounded him, encouraged him, and provided scholarships every semester, and he made it through the university with no student loans.

“My experience with the program impacted my self-confidence,” he said. “Every room I entered I felt like I belonged there. One model they had they say is ‘Don’t let anybody outwork you,’” he said.

During his time as a researcher in the office of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, he said “the 100” always stayed in close contact to make sure he was staying on the right path.

“Jesse Johnson and brother Howard Perry [Marketing Chairman] kept tabs on me. President Dr. Lance Robert was like a pseudo father figure, just giving me rides to meetings, that I got there and back home. There’s no monetary value to pay them back for the time, love, care poured in,” he said.

For more information, see https://www.100blackmenlbc.com/