The 2nd Annual Pay It Forward Black Tie Affair: $50,000 for Birthright AFRICA
On December 1, 2023, Gentlemen's Factory returned to black tie for the 2nd Annual Pay It Forward Black Tie Affair on Wall Street, and the room raised $50,000 for Birthright AFRICA to help young people of African descent connect with their roots.
- When
- Friday, December 1, 2023
- Where
- Wall Street, Manhattan
- Beneficiary
- Birthright AFRICA
- Theme
- Raising money for Birthright AFRICA
- Photography
- Kevin Jean-Jacques / KvonFoto
The first Pay It Forward Black Tie Affair proved that a room full of people in their best can do real good. For year two, Gentlemen's Factory raised the stakes: on Friday, December 1, 2023, we brought the 2nd Annual Pay It Forward Black Tie Affair to Wall Street, and the room raised $50,000 for Birthright AFRICA.
Birthright AFRICA inspires youth and young adults of African descent, ages 13 to 30, to explore their cultural roots and legacy of innovation in the United States and in select nations in Africa. Founded in 2015 by Walla Elsheikh and Diallo Shabazz, its heritage-based leadership program helps scholars draw pride, confidence and creativity from where they come from.
The arrival
Guests arrived in tuxedos and gowns to a room strung with lights and snowflakes, with cocktails at the bar and plenty of reunions before the program began.
The program
Jeff Lindor, founder and CEO of Gentlemen's Factory, took the mic to welcome the room and make the case for the night's cause: when young people know where they come from, they know what they are capable of.
$50,000 for Birthright AFRICA
Then the room went to work. A QR code went up on the big screen beside the Gentlemen's Factory and Birthright AFRICA logos, phones came out, and by the end of the night guests had raised $50,000 to send more young people on the journey to discover their roots.
The music
A live band, a vocalist in velvet and a DJ kept the energy high from the first toast to the last song.
The celebration
And once the giving was done, the dance floor filled. That is the Gentlemen's Factory way: work hard for the community, then celebrate it.
Why it matters
Paying it forward means investing in the next generation before they ask. Every dollar raised for Birthright AFRICA helps a young person of African descent stand on the ground their story comes from, and come home knowing that greatness is their inheritance. Read about the first Pay It Forward Black Tie Affair, see our signature events, or sponsor the next one.
Thank you to everyone who gave, danced and showed up for Birthright AFRICA on Wall Street.
The evening in photographs
Select any photo to view it full size. Photography by Kevin Jean-Jacques / KvonFoto.
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