City of Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey is introducing a spin-off of 100 Men for Newburgh – 101 Men for Newburgh and Poughkeepsie. The weekly virtual program, which is planned to kick start in April, will allow the old and young to come together for a roundtable discussion about whatever is at the peak of their interest.

Harvey hopes the organic discussions will allow a space for black men, and men of color, to open up, ask questions and share resources. He believes it will allow for conversations on everything from money, finances and the stock market to dating, relationships, workforce development and home ownership. He sees it being especially helpful to those who might not have father figures in their lives.

Harvey describes the “super objective” as preventing gun violence in both Newburgh and Poughkeepsie’s black and brown communities.

“These young boys who are shooting at each other and might be involved in illegal activity between the ages of 16 and 25, who do they have to talk to other than their peers that might be also involved in different illegal activities?,” said Harvey. “We need to be a resource for those young men.”

In 2016, Harvey created the 100 Men for Newburgh, where members met the Sunday before council meetings to provide mentorship to the youth and engage politically. The organization went strong for two years, and even rallied to keep Newburgh Enlarged City School District Superintendent Roberto Padilla when the board debated not renewing his contract. However, when Harvey became the mayor, “no one was ready to step into [his] shoes,” as president of the group.

Despite its fading out, Harvey was reminded of the importance of a forum like this more recently during a conversation with DaRon Wilson, who is an administrator at the Poughkeepsie City School District.

“We find ourselves with a tight circle of trust, and even then, we are ‘hard-wired, socialized, and cultivated’ since we are children to hide our feelings, emotions, and not cry or trust the next man,” said Harvey. “It’s an every man for themselves mentality. We end up functioning and moving around in society with that premise.”

Harvey put out a call for interest on his Facebook page on March 16. Already, plenty have shown interest in being a part of the discussions – both young and old. The future of the 101 Men for Newburgh and Poughkeepsie Virtual could potentially evolve into something more. Harvey said if someone decided to spearhead this forum to turn into an organization, he would be behind it and help show them the way.

If you’re interested in being a part of the program and are between ages 16 and 25, visit Harvey’s Facebook page and inbox him with your name and where you live.