History

The Renaissance Male Project is rooted in the vision of founder and Executive Director Jewel Woods. Through his experiences as a community organizer, graduate student, and social worker, Jewel came to believe in the importance of a national organization focused on men and boys combining the elements of organizations like the National Organization of Women, the Center for Community Change, and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Policy. Such a hybrid organization is the most effective way to provide the combination of gender-based social and political activism, community-based technical assistance, and research evaluation and analysis to meet the challenges faced in modern society. In 2005, Jewel was awarded a New Voices Fellowship to found Men Overcoming Violence Through Empowerment (MOVE), and find creative ways to get men involved in social justice movements aimed at ending violence against women, particularly in communities of color. Several years of intensive efforts to inspire, motivate, and empower men to get involved in social welfare and social justice issues through MOVE clarified the need for a more comprehensive organization like the Renaissance Male Project.