Several members of the BOSS Class of 2015, who also participate in the mentoring program sponsored by the 100 Black Men of Long Beach, engaged in an exciting Moot Court competition at the Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State on Saturday, July 18, 2015. The Moot Court competition was part of the annual scholarship reception for the 100 Black Men of Long Beach, during which the 7 graduating seniors were awarded scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,500. Long Beach State hosted the event courtesy of Trimaine Davis, the university’s outreach and recruitment specialist.

The two Moot Court teams argued a 1st Amendment case that involved the decision of a school principal to ban a badge that students had created after the appearance of a “Black Lives Matter” organization on campus. Claiming that the slogan “screw discrimination, Black lives matter” was somehow offensive, pitted student groups against each other and caused disruption of the educational process, the district banned the badge and suspended several students.   After spirited arguments on both sides, during which time students were able to demonstrate their ability to think on their feet and respond off the cuff to questions, a panel of judges that included Robin D. Perry, Esq., Gary Anderson, Esq., and ESP’s Everett glenn ruled that the team representing the suspended students successfully argued that the ban violated the 1st Amendment rights of the students.

Special shout out to The 100 founding member Jesse Johnson, Howard Perry, Lance Roberts, Ahmed Saafir, and the rest of The 100 for all that they do to make a difference in the lives of young men in the Long Beach, CA area. We look forward to collaborating with The 100 on other projects to benefit both BOSS participants and The 100 mentees.