Mantella, other leaders tackle systemic issues at Black Boys and Men Symposium

Top photo, from left are Kevin Polston, Bill Pink, Philomena Mantella, Quentin Ross and Khalid Mumin.

K-12 and higher education leaders addressed the challenges of the systems that impact Black men and boys and the need to create conditions for their success at a symposium sponsored by the Division of Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach.

At the Black Boys and Men Symposium, President Philomena V. Mantella was joined by Quentin Ross, president of Alabama State University; Bill Pink, president of Grand Rapids Community College and soon Ferris State University; and Kevin Polston, superintendent of Kentwood Public Schools. The moderator was Khalid Mumin, superintendent of Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania.

Polston said the Kentwood school district is the most diverse in Michigan and the sixth most diverse in the country. Yet its teaching staff is more than 80 percent white, standard for K-12 public districts.

"Representation matters," he said. "For African American students in third through fifth grades, having one Black teacher during those years helps grow their grade level by one year."

Mantella said to make changes, leaders have to move beyond their usual circles of influence. She cited REP4 as an example. Grand Valley is one of the founding universities in an alliance of six colleges and universities seeking to address issues of equity, access and other pressing concerns faced by many underserved students.

"Moving to align with innovative leaders will move the mindset from deficit to abundance," Mantella said.

Pink admitted it's easy to be overwhelmed when trying to address such a systemic issue. He recommended playing the short game in order to win the long game, and said the symposium was an example of people collaborating and bringing best practices back to their own organizations.

Ross said creative approaches are needed to change an educational system that he called stifled. He recalled a recent visit to Apple Inc.'s headquarters in Cupertino, California. 

"At Apple, they are trained to think about the future. We don't do that in education," Ross said. "We need to have courage and be determined to meet young people where they are. Be creative in your approach to bring them to your campuses."

The symposium was held at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids.