Black American males lack a ceremony to usher them into manhood. Such a ritual could help to ensure proper socialization and self identity. It may counteract the negative influence of street culture. Like other major life change ceremonies, a coming-of-age rite can help to locate anew the individual within the community. Elements of this rite of passage should be the following: (1) contact with nature; (2) ordeal and challenge; (3) solitude; (4) public witness; and (5) symbolic representations. The Simba Program implemented by the East End Neighborhood House in Cleveland, Ohio, offers a rite of passage process for black males. The program provides social supports, information, and skill development. This voluntary program requires attendance for six hours per week for one to three years depending on the rapidity of skill development. The institutionalization of this type of process is imperative for the survival of black Americans. (VM)