Tied to Greatness: Everything Old Becomes New Again

Many boys do not have male role models, fathers and other men in their lives to teach them the fundamentals of grooming let alone how to tie a necktie. It’s a rite of passage for most young men in western culture, but it is not a rite of passage for the young man who sees no purpose in tying a tie.

A friend, minister and author Alex O. Ellis would add that while the boy sees no purpose in tying a necktie, that same boy cannot fathom his own purpose. Ellis premises that black men are tied to greatness and it’s time to walk in it. He premises that it’s time to pass on that greatness, like the lesson in tie tying, to African American boys.

At the start of Black History Month, Ellis and 249 men will gather together in the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, NY to teach 500 high school age young men how to tie a necktie. In addition, a panel of black men in leadership will talk to those young men about what it means to be great; about the power of image; and perhaps about the first time some elder took them to the side and taught them how to tie a necktie.

Alex O. Ellis has appeared to have tapped into the heartbeat of God with this project that will travel to ten more cities by May 2. Though the media hasn’t been swift to cover Tied to Greatness, an underground, grassroots movement of black men have taken this project and run with it. And these black men run the gamut from hip hop moguls to leaders in industry, entertainment and sports – they are young, old and in-between.

The beauty of this project is that it’s men taking care of their own. This is a new history in the making, where black men are coming together nationwide and teaching boys something as valuable as how to tie a tie. Moreover, the boy leaves with a necktie of his own but also a gift that keeps on giving; he will know how to tie a tie and own one for a job interview or an interview with a college.

So no matter if daddy isn’t around or if daddy or mom doesn’t know how to tie a necktie, boys nationwide will learn something they can pass on to friends and other family members. And the hope is that one day they will be able to teach their own sons how to tie a necktie too.