It’s not unusual for students to claim they want to leave Tucson upon graduation. For some, Tucson just may not have grown on them enough. But the organizers of this Sunday’s Real Men Cook event want to change those perceptions.

What’s interesting about this event is that the cooks involved are all men. Close to 40 Tucson black professionals, including businessmen, lawyers, doctors, pastors, mechanics, judges, engineers, entertainers and mortgage brokers, are slated to cook and present activities for the students.

This coalition of African-American leaders has organized the free barbecue to acquaint African-American students from the UA and Pima Community College with members of the Tucson community. The event aims to extend students’ network of community advisers and mentors in the presence of good food, music and games. From kickball games to a networking scavenger hunt to volleyball, to other community members contributing food, students can partake in these activities for the duration of the event.

One of the event’s local organizers, Tucson attorney Samuel E. Brown, said the event echoes the citywide “”black family reunion done in Chicago and (Washington,) D.C.”” He said organizers thought it would be great to have such an event in Tucson and make it an annual one.

Brown said the motivation behind such an event is the concern with students feeling that they have no real connection to the Tucson community. He also said the black community in Tucson is rather spread out, so the event serves as not only a welcome for the students, but also a get-together for the Tucson community, in addition to the Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations.

The organizers are also planning to host students who are not able to go home for Thanksgiving, into their families’ home for a home-cooked meal.

One question remains: Can real men cook?

“”Absolutely,”” Brown said, laughing.

Real Men Cook will be held Sunday at Mansfield Park, 2000 N. 4th Ave., from 2 p.m – 7 p.m. Students must show their CatCard or PCC ID card to get a plate, a packet of information complete with a list of the local mentors and their contact info, and to enter the event. Students should enter from the west side of the park along Sixth Avenue. For more information, call the Tucson Black Chamber of Commerce at 520-623-0099.