A new club is in the works for Loyola that focuses on black male students who struggle to pay for tuition by offering them programs and support.

The Coalition is a black male initiative that has been a group on many campuses nationwide, and it was formed to focus on young black men struggling to stay in school for financial reasons, said Stephen Lee, philosophy sophomore and one of the club’s founders.

The concept of a young men’s club was presented to Lee, finance sophomore Devante Williams and political science sophomore Antonio Carriere in December from the area director of Carrollton Hall, Courtney Williams.

Devante Williams said that The Coalition’s main goal is to focus on Loyola’s black male students. However, the club is open to any Loyola student, including women and men of any racial background.

The Coalition currently has 30 members, Devante Williams said.

The Coalition has modeled its constitution off that of an existing club, the Black Student Union. It is currently taking steps to become an official club recognized by the Student Government Association. Lee said that the constitution is in place, but some paperwork still needs to be filled out and finalized.

Devante Williams said that The Coalition hopes to become, “an extension of Loyola by offering mental, physical and spiritual enrichment for members.” The Coalition plans to focus on the Jesuit values upon which Loyola was founded.

Lee said The Coalition plans to contribute to the Loyola community by offering many resources including mentoring programs, student access to scholarships and financial information and overall support from fellow members.

During Love Your Body Week, Feb. 13 to Feb. 15, The Coalition plans to host an event focusing on “masculinity, race, and body image,” Lee said. People’s backgrounds can influence their body image, and this event will bring awareness to those types of issues, he said.

Lucy Dieckhaus can be reached at [email protected]