Due to weather conditions, GVSU has moved to REMOTE STATUS for Wednesday, January 21, 2026. Students, faculty and staff, see email for more information.
Conference Agenda
Wednesday, June 11 (Day 1)
3:00 pm - Registration Opens
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm – Opening Reception
7:00 pm - Opening Plenary: Judge Mathis
Thursday, June 12 (Day 2)
7:30 am - Registration Opens & Light Breakfast
8:00 am - 5:00 pm - Poster Presentation Gallery Walk
8:45 am – 10:00 am - General Keynote Session: Two Men and a Stool
10:15 am – 11:30 am - Choice Session 1
11:30 am - 11:45 am - Snack Break
11:45 am – 1:00 pm - Choice Session 2
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm - Afternoon Snack Break & Lunch on your own
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm - Choice Session 3: Features Speakers
6:00 pm - Impact Award and Benefit Gala: Mardi Gras
Friday, June 13 (Day 3)
7:30 am - Light Breakfast
8:30 am – 9:45 am - General Session: BBMS Call to Action
10:00 am – 11:15 am - Choice Session 4
11:15 am - 11:30 am - Snack Break
11:30 am - 12:45 pm - Choice Session 5
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm - Closing Plenary: Steve Pemberton & Luncheon
Choice Sessions
Choice Session 1 (10:15am - 11:30am)
Seeing with New Eyes: Reflective Practices for Black Male Success.
Host: Mitchell Stevens
Location: Berkey - 3rd floor
Beats & Business: Unleashing potential through music and entrepreneurship
Host: Lucius Hoskins
Location: Emerald A - 2nd floor
Teaching to the core: Centering teaching and learning on student's identities.
Host: Ari McCaskill
Location: Emerald B - 2nd floor
Black Boy Joy: promoting resilience, hope and joy through storytelling
Host: Clarence Hogan
Location: Ford - 1st floor
Boys II Men: Mentoring & Educating Black Boys When You Are Not the Model - But the Work Still Needs to Be Done
Host: Marria McIntosh
Location: Governors - 2nd floor
Creating Learning Spaces in Mathematics that Support Black Males
Host: Dr. Roy Harris
Location: Imperial - 2nd floor
Hear Their Voices: Understanding and confronting systemic obstacles in K-12 settings
Host: Aquan Grant-Wayne
Location: Pearl - 2nd floor
Changing the Narrative: Calling In White Teachers of Black Boys
Host: Linda Rettig
Location: Vandenberg A - 2nd floor
Black Boy's Elite Reading Society
Host: Marvin Franklin
Location: Vandenberg B - 2nd floor
Choice Session 2 (11:45am - 1:00pm)
Man Down: rescuing boys and young men from harmful masculinity
Host: Clarence Hogan
Location: Berkey - 3rd floor
Coaching the Success and Development of Young Black Boys.
Host: Denzel Williams
Location: Emerald A - 2nd floor
Empowering Boys Through African American English, Code-Switching, and Code-Meshing Education
Host: Jamesia Nordman
Location: Emerald B - 2nd floor
It takes a Village: Curating a Culture of Authenticity & Success
Host: Sonja Forte
Location: Ford - 1st floor
Crowns Curriculum Creating Successful Conditions for Black Boys and Men
Hosts: Staci Smith & Nia Lunkdkvist
Location: Governors - 2nd floor
Creating Learning Spaces in Mathematics that Support Black Males
Host: Dr. Roy Harris
Location: Imperial - 2nd floor
Living The DREAM: Creating Joy and An Inclusive Environment for Learning
Hosts: Tina Watson & Patrice Pierre
Location: Pearl - 2nd floor
Reframing the Culture Through Mentorship
Host: Lamar Butler
Location: Vandenberg A - 2nd floor
Breaking Barriers: Empowering Black Boys and Men for Success
Host: Jeremy Sims
Location: Vandenberg B - 2nd floor
Males of Promise: Changing Black Male College Enrollment and Retention
Hosts: De'Tavia Moore, Trenae Dunigan, Breyana
Wilson & Coty Dunten
Location: Winchester - 3rd floor
Choice Session 3 - Featured Presenters (2:30pm - 4:00pm)
From Potential to Performance: Empowering Success Through Mission- and Vision-Driven Leadership
Host: Dr. Dar Mayweather
Location: Imperial Ballroom
Weapons of Mass Instruction
Host: Dr. Eddie Connor, Jr
Location: Gerald R. Ford Room
Say it with Music
Host: Ava Johnson
Location: Governors Room
Choice Session 4 (10:00am - 11:15am)
Breaking Barriers: Teaching Black Boys & Teens About Kidney Health
Hosts: Kenneth Henderson & Eric Walton
Location: Ford - 1st floor
From Vision to Funding: A Blueprint for Fundraising Success.
Host: Christine Enetak
Location: Emerald A - 2nd floor
Should There Be a Call for Reparations for Black Wall Street?
Host: Jamesia Nordman
Location: Emerald B - 2nd floor
R.I.S.E: Building Bridges, Shaping Leaders
Host: Marquel Jeffries
Location: Governors - 2nd floor
Black Boys & Men Matter
Host: Logan Taylor
Location: Imperial - 2nd floor
Broken Crayons: Educating Them Outside the Box
Host: Calvin Williams
Location: Pearl - 2nd floor
Shaping Futures: Cultivating Careers for African-American Men in Corporate Settings
Host: Ovell Barbee
Location: Vandenberg A - 2nd floor
Wear Your Crown: Reclaiming Our Story, Strength & Power
Host: Vanessa Greene
Location: Vandenberg B - 2nd floor
Choice Session 5 (11:30am - 12:45pm)
Restorative Practices: The Foundation of a Healed, Safe School Community
Host: Mario Lemons
Location: Emerald A - 2nd floor
Breaking the Silence: The Self-Actualization of LGBTQIA+ Black Boys
Host: Rivkah Gamble
Location: Emerald B - 2nd floor
Turning Dreams Into Reality
Host: Donta Truss
Location: Governors - 2nd floor
Transforming Outcomes: Civic Engagement and Grassroots Action for Change
Host: D'Angelo Virgo
Location: Imperial - 2nd floor
Leveraging Communal Strengths of Black Adolescents Navigating Systemic Racism& ACEs
Host: Nowoola Awopetu
Location: Pearl - 2nd floor
Igniting Potential in Boys: Overcoming Stereotype Threat, Strengthening Academic Identity
Host: Dr. Olufemi Fadeyibi
Location: Vandenberg A - 2nd floor
Cultivating the Genius of Black Boys
Host: Dr. Terrance Scott
Location: Vandenberg B - 2nd floor