B. Donta Truss, vice president for Enrollment Development and
Educational Outreach, said the successful 2022 symposium offered space
for attendees to question and begin to dismantle systems that oppress
Black boys and men and rebuild for success. Organizers drew from that
model to plan for this year's symposium, he said.
"Our speakers offer innovative programs that serve as models,
they shine a light on current issues and invite discussion on how to
take action," Truss said. "We want people to share best
practices to create capacity for new and better outcomes for Black
boys and men."
Keynote speakers and featured presenters are
outlined below:
- Adolph Brown, motivational speaker and founder, president, and CEO
of the Leadership & Learning Institute, is the opening plenary
speaker. Brown is a master teacher, clinical and educational
psychologist and consultant. He starred in ABC's "The Parent
Test" with Ali Wentworth.
- Bakari Sellers is an analyst for CNN, an author, attorney and
civil rights activist. Sellers enrolled at Morehouse College at age
16. He graduated from the University of South Carolina Law School
and went on to become that state's youngest legislator. Sellers will
give the closing plenary on Friday afternoon.
- Edward Louis Hill Jr. is the vice president of strategic
initiatives and associate provost at Talladega College, a partner in
the HBCU/HSI Pipeline Consortium.
- Wanda L. Everson-Gross is the director of the University System of
Georgia’s African American Male Initiative, which provides an
integrated program model of academic, leadership and life skills
that supports students.
- Rik L. Stevenson Jr., is an assistant instructional professor of
African American Studies at the University of Florida and CEO of
RLSII Consulting, Cultural Competency and Diversity Training Business.
