ABOUT US
Founded and incorporated in 1990, the Charleston Youth Leadership Council, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the interest and development of African-American male leadership. ​
Statement of Purpose
​The Charleston Youth Leadership Council, Inc. seeks to fulfill the ideals of its objectives through the Beaux Affair Program.
The primary goal of the Beaux Affair is to provide a ‘Rites of Passage’ Program for young African-American males as they prepare to assume the challenges of manhood and life. The Beaux Affair recognizes high school juniors and seniors for their accomplishments, encourages them to set future goals and creates a network of support among them. Most importantly, the Charleston Youth Leadership Council, Inc. seeks to give the black male a sense of becoming a man, a clearer sense of self and of purpose, a sense of responsibility to his role of future father, husband and mentor to others.
The intent is to further enhance attributes of leadership, scholarship and awareness as the young men transition from Male-hood to Manhood.
Objectives
The over arching objectives of the organization are as follows:
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To recognize and promote the talents, efforts and accomplishments of African-American malesTo serve as a support group and to provide a youth network for support and social interaction to stimulate growth and development​
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To provide for African-American males an enriching, cultural, civic, recreational and social program​
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To support mentoring programs by encouraging African-American men to serve as role models for young men.​
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To enhance skills and provide opportunities for public speaking, cultural advancement and community service.​
History
The Beaux Affair started as a carryover project from the ‘Charleston Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc. In 1989, Jack & Jill of Charleston introduced and sponsored the first Charleston Beautillion for high school junior and senior males. It was a successful project that met with great community acceptance. However, it was only intended as a one-year project.
There was a tremendous outcry of support from students & parents to maintain the Beautillion or a similar program beyond a one-year project. Gail Blair, Dr. Delma Woods and David C. Floyd made a decision in 1990 to form a separate organization that would specifically provide opportunities for African-American boys, where they could be recognized and highlighted for their accomplishments; the name Beaux Affair was chosen. Most importantly, it became a boyhood to manhood ‘Rites of Passage’ Program. A great deal of emphasis is placed on developing and enhancing attributes of character, leadership, scholarship and awareness.
The organization for the Beaux Affair has changed since its establishment in 1990. It started as the Council to Foster Male Leadership, Inc.; then in 1995 its name was changed to the Charleston Youth Leadership Council, Inc. (CYLC, Inc.). CYLC, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3(3) organization with a mission to “promote and enhance character and leadership development in adolescent males transitioning from male hood to manhood.”
In 1998, under a mutual consent agreement, the Beaux Affair Program was transferred to the 100 Black Men of Charleston, Inc. This consent agreement ended at the end of the 2001 – 2002 Beaux Affair year and the CYLC, Inc. Beaux Affair Program is again a stand-alone program. One of the program’s goals is to promote and provide opportunities for young men from disadvantage circumstances and young men from non-disadvantage circumstances to interact while performing community service projects, discussing literature and other activities during the ‘Rites of Passage’. The opportunity to interact fosters a bond and understanding between the young men that may help to eliminate a distrust based on socioeconomics.
In the 30 year history of the program, over 650 young men have completed the nine-month ‘Rites of Passage’ Program and over two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) have been awarded in scholarships. Several young men who participated in the nine-month ‘Rites of Passage’ Program have returned to be part of the Council of Elders, which is a testimony of the program’s effectiveness. The Beaux Affair Program, which has been recognized by former President Bill Clinton and continues to be one of the most successful and highly acclaimed programs for males in South Carolina.