History

On October 17, 1990, Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe founded the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University to address the dire academic and social challenges facing Black men on campus. However, these problems and challenges were not exclusive to Georgia Southwestern. Dr. Bledsoe recognized this need existed across many colleges and universities. Since 1990, the organization has grown to meet that need and has provided thousands of men of color with the mentorship, resources, and support needed to thrive. SAAB chapters are now on college, university, and high school campuses in more than 40 states. In July 2020, after spending 15 years in Toledo, Ohio, SAAB moved its headquarters to Springfield, Missouri.

The world is constantly evolving and at SAAB, we are evolving too. In the summer of 2020, we decided it was time to refresh our brand and website to reflect the evolution of our mission and the men we serve. We are excited to launch into the new year with a new look and a new style that reflects our dedication to brotherhood, community, and inclusion.

Goals: Our goal is for all men of color on secondary and postsecondary campuses to take advantage of their academic careers and to gain the skills they need to be strong, empathetic, and altruistic members of their communities. We work to ensure young men in need of direction and guidance have strong role models and support as they begin to shape their future. Our goal is that all SAAB members learn the critical responsibility of paying it forward and giving their time and support back to their communities. And SAAB seeks to ensure every man of color in our program is well prepared to enter the competitive workforce and carve out a meaningful place in their community and our society.

SAAB is recognized as a national leader and movement organized to set the standard for organizational excellence. Through leadership, mentoring, advocacy, and action, SAAB will remove educational barriers for at-risk youth and ensure that significantly more Black and Latino men graduate from college and to empower those graduates with the ethics and networks necessary to set a higher standard of achievement for men of color by fostering a spirit to care about themselves and others—resulting in Saving Lives and Salvaging Dreams of all people.