Kaye Van Susteren, a campus ambassador and communications major, gives a tour of campus to a group of high-schoolers attending the Summit on Black Male Youth. This the first year that the event included campus tours, through the UWM Office of Undergraduate Admissions and its director, Marc Young. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Monique Alcantar, a student success coordinator at UWM and a master's student in nonprofit management and leadership, gives empowering words and positive energy during her opening remarks as the summit begins. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
The attendees of the annual Summit on Black Male Youth pose for a group photo. The group included hundreds of high school students, their chaperones and teachers, community leaders, UWM staff and faculty, and the Milwaukee mayor. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Kwabena Antoine Nixon, a nationally recognized spoken-word artist and a community leader skilled in conflict resolution training, teaches the young students about their potential and reminds them that they are distinguished. Nixon then tells the group they are brothers and should treat each other as such. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
The high schoolers, chaperones and teachers, UWM staff and community leaders follow Nixon's speech about brotherhood with hugs and handshakes. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
A few high school students spoke with Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and pose for a photo. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Alberto Maldonado, director of the Roberto Hernández Center, and Jim Hill, former associate vice chancellor, embrace and show brotherly love. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson speaks to the young men in the crowd. He grew up in Milwaukee's 53206 ZIP code, known for having one of the nation's highest incarceration rates of African American males. As the city's first African American elected mayor, Johnson shows the students what is possible. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
The crowd listens to Dr. Chia Youyee Vang, vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UWM and professor of history, as she talks about being a first-generation college graduate. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
The Summit on Black Male Youth returned to UWM’s campus, attracting hundreds of students from southeastern Wisconsin to engage in personal and professional development through reflection and dialogue.
The summit drew educators, administrators, parents, community-based organizations, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and others — all who are invested in the promotion and success of young Black men and boys.
The event’s first day focused on middle schoolers, with an emphasis on how to be resilient when living through trauma and what to expect in high school. The second day for high schoolers focused on setting goals, brotherhood and living up to potential.
The free event, in its eighth year, is hosted by the UWM African American Male Initiative.
