After two years, Progressive Black Men Inc. at Florida Atlantic University inducted their new class on Saturday, March 23. The organization was dwindling down to only three members of the previous class, class 12 with a total of nine members.

“It’s been two years since I’ve been a member of Progressive Black Men Inc., and being that they are inducted now I feel honored because this is a big stepping stone for them, and as me as well. To actually do something good for the school as well as for them,” said Deiondary Collins, senior Criminal Justice major.  

 Collins is a previous class member from Progressive Black Men Inc. who also held the position of Membership Chair for the organization. 

An organization founded upon brotherhood, community service, progression, and academic excellence, Progressive Black Men Inc. (PBM) was founded on November 27, 1989, at Florida State University. FAU’s chapter was the first South Florida chapter to be charted on Nov. 12 2012.

As a community service-based organization, PBM focuses on brotherhood and community. 

However, with the process of inducting class 13 to him, 

Collins said the process of inducting new members allowed him to become a better person, especially since this was his first time doing so.

“For me, I didn’t really see myself being a [Membership Chair] because I had a lot of stuff going on, but once I became MC I didn’t better them, they better me as well as a person,” Collins said.

Collins made sure that it was his responsibility to help induct a new class.

“I can say that this has been a great wait,” he said. “I feel like it was well deserved for them. It has been a while because we were supposed to have a class last semester, but things happen, so this semester I made it my business to become MC so that I can have a class inducted. The wait was well deserved.” 

James Noel a senior majoring in Social Work, is also a member of class 12 with Collins. 

Noel finds that being part of inducting the new class was rewarding on his behalf as he was able to find it to be a full circle moment for him, to be the only class, to now introduce a new class. 

“I would say it’s definitely one of those things that’s rewarding,” Noel said, who currently holds a position as a Historian, Paraphernalia Committee Chair, Marketing Chair, and Co-Membership Chair. “We were the newest class in class 12 to be able to bring in another class, its like a full circle moment,” he said. 

Being able to be part of recruiting new members for Noel, as he was able to see the advancement in these new members as he is looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the new class. 

“Each and every single one of them I was able to witness growth and actual change, so I’m just excited to see what they do for the chapter,” he said. 

With the new class that Noel was able to bring in, he was able to instill encouragement throughout the process and let them know that FAU’s PBM chapter is always going to be within access to them as well as the brotherhood being prominent. 

“I wanted them to know that at the end of the day, the chapter is always going to be there for them. The brotherhood is a serious thing, and we all care for one another. They know that each and every single of the membership chairs, previous class brothers before them all have their back,” he said. 

 Noel wanted the new class members to know that Progressive Black Men Inc. will shape them to become better people.  

“The org is going to push them to be better versions of themselves, we want them to go out and do great things whether it’s for the chapter or for their personal lives themselves. We want to see them boys grow and develop into bright young leaders,” Noel said. 

Logan Beaufort, also a member of class 12 and an Exercise Science and Health Promotion major who served as Vice President and Co-Chair for the new class’s membership process, wanted to make sure that the process for bringing in a new class was successful. 

After two years of inactivity, Logan Beaufort finds that introducing a new class was relieving to him. 

“Honestly we just wanted to make sure that the next guys we did bring in were just ready for the job. Work ethics there, and I think we finally found it after two years I would say so,” Beaufort said. 

Having to bring in a new class from Logan’s perspective, he finds the process rewarding.

“I wouldn’t say so much challenging, but I think the award overpowers everything else honestly. We got six new guys in the chapter here, as I would say no challenge, all rewards,” he said. 

Florida Atlantic University’s Progressive Black Men Inc. is welcoming six newest members on behalf of class 13. The newest members are as follows: Deleon Cross, Wesley Jean Louis, Chris-Jahmann Lyons, Jonathan Oliver, Isaiah Simon, and Justin Williams.