Focus is on ways to graduate more Black males from high school and college
DENVER— The first Black Male Initiative Summit (BMIS) will take place at the University of Denver on Thursday, April 29, at the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (HRTM). The BMI Summit is targeted to Black males attending high school or college, and the male educators and professionals who work with them.
A concurrent event titled, “The Forum: How to support Black males in academia” will take place in the Driscoll Student Center.
According to Tracey Peters, director of the Center for Multicultural Excellence, there is a need to engage Black males in order to cultivate attentiveness to get a diploma and complete their degree. “Ultimately, we want more Black males graduating from high school and college,” she says.
Peters says that scholars assert that the successful matriculation of Black male students requires strategic intervention that may fall outside of traditional methods of engagement. As a result, the BMIS is designed to increase awareness and knowledge of the tools and best practices needed to support young men matriculating at secondary and post-secondary institutions.
Similarly, ‘The Forum’ was developed to address the genuine interests of women educators, professionals and community leaders who want to increase their awareness and knowledge on best practices needed to support young Black men and encourage them to graduate from high school and college.
Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D., assistant professor of Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania, will address both events. Harper is the author of eight books including: Exceeding Expectations: Black Male Achievers and Insights into College Success.
Other confirmed speakers include: Gregory Anderson, Ph.D., dean of the Morgridge College of Education; Kyle Speller, the “voice” of the Denver Nuggets; Ryan Ross, executive director of the Education Opportunity Center at the Community College of Denver; and J. Luke Wood, Ph.D., co-editor of the Journal of African American Males in Education.
To register for either event, go to: http://alumni.du.edu/bmis.
The 2010 BMIS is sponsored by the DU Center for Multicultural Excellence; Office of the Provost; Office of Admissions; Division of Student Life; Morgridge College of Education, Office of Graduate Studies; Office of Alumni Relations; Daniels College of Business Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. The Forum is sponsored by the Association of Sisters in Higher Education (ASHE) and the University of Denver Women’s Coalition.
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The University of Denver is committed to improving the human condition and engaging students and faculty in tackling the major issues of our day. DU ranks among the top 100 national universities in the U.S. For additional information, go to www.du.edu/newsroom.