Juwanza Kunjufu, a nationally known author and speaker on African-American issues, will visit Cincinnati next week to help launch a new initiative aimed at revitalizing black communities.

        The program, dubbed “300 Strong Black Men,” is spearheaded by:

        • The Rev. Damon Lynch III, president of the Cincinnati Black United Front.

        • Scotty Johnson, president of the Sentinel Police Association.

        • Cincinnati lawyer Ken Lawson, who represented plaintiffs in the racial profiling lawsuit against the city.

        Juleana Frierson — spokeswoman for the Rev. Mr. Lynch — said the initiative will involve at least 300 black men, “from the doctor to the hip-hopper.”

        Together, they will help blacks in Cincinnati “reclaim their communities, families and pride,” she said.

        Mr. Kunjufu — the author of more than 20 books, including Developing Positive Self-Images and State of Emergency; We Must Save African American Males — has been invited to Cincinnati to lay the foundation for the new initiative, Ms. Frierson said.

        Mr. Kunjufu, president of African American Images Inc., a Chicago consulting firm, said he plans to address issues of racism, poverty, “fatherlessness” and “rites of passage” during his presentation 6-9 p.m May 25 at New Prospect Baptist Church in Over-the-Rhine.

        Mr. Kunjufu also plans to challenge members of his audience, particularly black men, to make more commitments to reinvesting in their communities and families.

        He said black communities need more responsible fathers to teach their sons the “meaning of manhood” and how to avoid the pitfalls of drugs and violence.

        “We have sperm donors, no-show daddies, step-daddies and then fathers,” he said. “But we have a very small percentage of fathers.”

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