On July 20, the Atlanta program hosted a “Ties and Tacos” event designed to help foster better appearances and better opportunities for its male residents. Representatives from Mercedes Benz, Save Ourselves civil rights coalition, and Men’s Wearhouse taught the art of tying a tie. According to Director Stephen Ricks, it may seem like a simple task to many, yet several Atlanta residents have never had a male presence in the home and, subsequently, never learned. “’Ties and Tacos’ was structured to increase our population’s job readiness and to instill a certain level of confidence that directly correlates with maintaining a professional and present-able outward appearance,” Ricks said. “By teaching our population to tie a tie we hope to make them aware that clothing is the primary instrument in creating a positive first impression; clothing can increase your perceived status among your peers; dressing sharp helps with your confidence, and employers associate proper dress attire with work performance.” The event, open to all male residents and males in their immediate family, consisted of three guest speakers: Darius Copeland, an After sales Marketing Strategy Lead for Mercedes Benz and member of the Organization the Emerging 100, a young professional auxiliary of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta; Marcus Coleman, founder of Save Ourselves, and Paul Vaughn, a Manager for Men’s Wearhouse which donated 100 ties for the event. Topics included viewing one’s self as a brand, self-empowerment, positive reintegration, entrepreneurship, and how to properly present one’s self in a professional setting which covered clothing, shoes, hair and nails. Vaughn said he was so inspired by the event, that he pledged to give the next 15 residents that secure job interviews a new dress shirt and tie for their interview. Vaughn demonstrates the proper knotting of a tie (picture on the right). A taco dinner capped the evening.
