Mayor Wu last week announced the first members of Black Men Lead Boston, a new program launched by the Mayor’s Office of Black Male Advancement (BMA) that is designed for Black men between the ages of 18 and 35 in the city who want to become more civically engaged and leaders in their communities. The program includes an 8-week fall course for 24 selected residents. An additional course for the spring will be announced later.

The first cohort includes seven men from Dorchester: Josiah Beech, Derrell Black, Garth French, Herb Lozano, Ayomide Olumuyiwa, Deryck Reid, and Frank Wilburn, and one from Mattapan, Edosa Osemwegie.

The fall course launched on Oct. 11 and will run through Dec. 6. The goal is to invest the group with the skills, knowledge, and practical experience as a way to organize their communities for social change. They will also meet with city officials and members of the Black Men and Boys Commission to learn how to effectively navigate local government.