ABOUT

MISSION & HISTORY.

Our mission is to create a national movement where African Americans, TEEN MALES are equipped to live SUCCESSFULLY and PRODUCTIVELY, for the sake of their future and our country.

Operation Save Our Sons’ primary goal is to educate. In educating our future leaders we intend to increase promotion and graduation rates in each city that we are invested in.

In 2012, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. Feelings of anger, frustration, mistrust, and disillusion are pervasive in many minority communities. African American young men are dying at an alarming rate and many of their deaths are unnecessary. The world is filled with a deep sense of loss and many are trying to understand how we got here. This is the context by which Operation Save Our Sons was born. It was birthed during a time of racial turbulence and community disconnect. Now, while most would suggest that this was nothing new, we saw the dynamics shifting and felt some collaborative community response was in order. The need for the partnership was paramount so out of the obscurity of the collective pain came Operation Save Our Sons or OSOS as it is affectionately known.

Operation Save Our Sons (OSOS) is a national initiative, launched in Jacksonville, Florida in 2014. It is designed to equip teenage males particularly African- American, with the life skills needed to be successful and productive. We understand that there are systemic challenges such as racial inequality, police brutality, and economic disparities, that influences how African American males navigate this country’s landscape.

This initiative, which creates partnerships between several local organizations, was founded by Dr. John Guns and designed to inspire males to strive for excellence. The OSOS initiative will empower young men, ages 11-18, to maximize their potential for positive civic impact through contributions to their families and community. Thus, equipping them to one day be effective leaders and fathers.

PARTNERS.

In partnership with other groups, we seek to impact young men. Over the past 6 years, we have developed meaningful partnerships with schools, government, law enforcement, business, fraternities, and community-based non-profits to meet the needs our the Young men. We have sought to build bridges for the sake of our sons. OSOS values partnership and thus great energy is invested in WORKING TOGETHER. We understand that isolation breeds competition and with so many invaluable lives hanging in the balance we can't afford to work against each other. We are grateful for our past and present partners:

St. Paul Church of Jacksonville

Duval County Public Schools

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

Police Athletic League

Edward Waters College

Community in Schools

Community Foundation

Ribault Full Service Schools

Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce

Junior Achievement

Mayors Office

State Attorney