Barnes helped co-found the nonprofit Men Aiming Higher two years ago, giving 16- to 29-year-olds in Prince George’s County a place to come for sound advice and mentorship. The organization also provides community service to the county at large, such as a job fair on Thursday attended by more than 3,000 residents. How did you get Men Aiming Higher going?
Men Aiming Higher started back in 2009 with the idea of how to give back to the community. We’ve helped and assisted countless young men to become men, as well as done many community outreach and community services in Prince George’s County.
What is your mission for the group?
We deal with young men, trying to teach them empowerment; how to become to young men, how to sit up straight when you’re talking to someone, how to look them in the eyes; instead of saying “yeah,” you can say “yes” and “no”; about pulling your pants up.
Why do you focus on the young male age group?
At 16 you’re just coming through puberty, you’re in high school, and you’ve started being truly inquisitive on what you should be doing in life. As you move up in age, a lot of these kids are becoming first-time fathers and they don’t know what to do. They’re misguided and misled by their peers, and most of these kids come from single-parent households where there’s all kinds of economic and social disparity that they’re dealing with. For me those years are crucial for these young men.
A big part of your focus is jobs. Why is this such an issue in Prince George’s County?
There’s still a need or a void that we need to fill. In Prince George’s County there’s a 7.5 percent unemployment rate, and there’s roughly 863,000 residents. It’s staggering to see so many people unemployed, so many people that cannot feed their families; so many people that are struggling, living day to day. For me that’s a huge concern.
— Ben Giles
