Faculty and administrators at UWM hosted a summit for young African-American men, starting Dec. 15 with middle school students. High school students arrived on campus Dec. 16. Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde poured a libation to celebrate the opening of the summit. (UWM Photo/Kenny Yoo)
Judge Derek Mosley, Milwaukee Municipal Court, spoke to middle schoolers at the opening of the summit. He used a $5 bill to make his point that life is worth something, even if it’s not perfect. (UWM Photo/Kenny Yoo)
Licensed counselor and UWM alum Alfonzo Watkins talked to the young men about self-image, self-worth and mental health during one of the nearly 60 workshops offered during the summit’s two days. (UWM Photo/Kenny Yoo)
Damien Smith (center standing) and Jamaal Smith (right standing), both with Milwaukee nonprofit Safe & Sound, offered the young men advice about conflict management in an afternoon workshop. (UWM Photo/Kenny Yoo)
UWM graduate student Darius Carr gave the young men an opportunity to talk to current college students and ask questions about their barriers and worries related to education during his Black Lives Matter workshop. (UWM Photo/Kenny Yoo)
Nearly 1,000 young men from Wisconsin and northern Illinois attended the Black Male Youth-Milwaukee Summit at UWM, Dec. 15-16, 2015. The fourth annual event was coordinated by the African American Male Initiative, a group of UWM faculty, academic staff and community leaders. The 2015 theme was Knowledge + Power + Perseverance = Success.
“These young men have the energy to succeed beyond belief,” said Gary Williams, director of the Black Cultural Center at UWM. “We need to make sure our expectations of them are high enough. We can set the bar high, but with guidance and support, they can surprise us — and themselves.”
