As our nation confronts both the legacy of systemic racism and the crippling impact of a global health pandemic, DHE’s 100 Males to College program is getting a strong show of support from an African American entrepreneur eager to help young men of color reap the benefits of higher education.

When Massachusetts native Tiffany Griffin learned in March that her cousin 28-year-old Christopher Fonville had been shot eight times in his Springfield neighborhood, she moved quickly to turn her grief into action. Griffin, proprietor of Bright Black candle company in Durham, North Carolina, decided to donate proceeds from a commemorative candle she had created in her cousin’s memory to support 100 Males to College graduates in Springfield. Sales of the Koi candle – Koi means “Urge” in Hawaiian and was also Fonville’s middle name - will support DHE’s signature initiative to help young African American and Latinx male students continue their education after high school. By giving students the chance to take free college courses and develop strong college-going identities, 100 Males to College promotes a “Brotherhood for Success” in Massachusetts cities where many minoritized youth lack opportunities to succeed. In Springfield, over 90% of 100 Males participants have enrolled in college, a rate far higher than for the district as a whole.

“Tiffany Griffin’s show of support for 100 Males to College is a reminder of the extraordinary power of individual citizens to step forward and support social progress,” said Massachusetts Higher Education Commissioner Carlos E. Santiago. “The Bright Black fundraiser not only helps individual students. It also supports the Commonwealth’s critical need for diversity and inclusion in our high-skilled workforce.”

Data collected by the Department of Higher Education show that only 17% of low-income Latino male students and 22% of low-income African American male students who graduated from Massachusetts public high schools in 2010 went on to obtain college degrees or certificates within six years, compared to an overall 50% degree/certificate six-year obtainment rate for the 2010 MA public high school graduating class.

The proceeds from the Koi candle sales will be used to create a 100 Males emergency fund to ensure that the young men who make it to college are not stymied by an unexpected expense that could derail their college dreams.

“With this candle, we’re urging you all to cherish every moment with those you love,” said Griffin, who noted that June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month. “We’re urging peace--even amid loss and even during times of uncertainty. With this KOI candle, we’re urging you all to have hope that a nonviolent, harmonious, loving world is indeed possible.” 

Tiffany describes her decision to support 100 Males to College in a blog post here.

More information on 100 Males programs in Springfield, Brockton, Framingham, Salem and Worcester is available here.

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) is required by statute and regulation to annually assess the financial information of private institutions of higher education for the purpose of identifying and monitoring institutions at risk of imminent closure, and mitigating the impacts of closures on students, their families, faculty, staff, and the community.