More than 200 community members met for the Saturday conference to engage in conversations about education and leadership for people of color.
Community College of Philadelphia hosted the second annual Engage, Educate, Empower: Men of Color Conference on Saturday, Oct. 12. The free, one-day conference invited adult and high school-aged men of color to participate in meaningful dialogue around expanding the pipeline of college admissions and success in Philadelphia.
Conference participants received valuable information from the event’s speakers. (Photos courtesy Dr. David E. Thomas)
Emphasis was on conversations that engage, educate and empower through a lens of care and equity, while encouraging action to advance education at local, regional and national levels. More than 200 community members attended the conference.
Dr. Keith Leaphart
(Photo courtesy CCP)
The event’s keynote speaker was Dr. Keith Leaphart, the Enterprise Executive Vice President and Humana Chief Health Equity and Community Impact Officer at Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Health and Jefferson Health Plans.
Clay Cane
(Photo courtesy CCP)
“It’s an honor to share my experiences as a physician and entrepreneur and learn from our community at this year’s Men of Color Conference,” Leaphart said. “We have a responsibility to openly discuss the inequities in our educational institutions, health care system, and other societal structures. These conversations help us learn from each other and empower the next generation of leaders to change the inequitable systems that harm people of color and underrepresented groups.”
Sessions at this year’s Men of Color conference included:
• Fathers as Advocates: The Role of Men of Color in Shaping Inclusive Education
• Overcoming Adversity: The Power of Resilience and Mentorship
• Addressing Health Disparities: A Focus on Men of Color
• Empowering Men of Color to Mitigate Harm and Foster Healing through Restorative Practices
• The Role of Community in Supporting College Success
• Black Male Empowerment and Living Full
• The Impact of Positive Parenting
The conference concluded with a session led by Clay Cane, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, radio host and political analyst.
“People of color make up more than half of Philadelphia’s population and nearly three-quarters of CCP’s student population,” said Dr. Donald Guy Generals, president of Community College of Philadelphia. “And yet, we are surrounded by systems that discriminate against people of color. This year’s Men of Color Conference focused on overcoming adversity, the power of mentorship and the ways young people of color, especially Black and Brown men, can use their voices as tools for improving systems around them.”
The annual Engage, Educate, Empower: Men of Color Conference honors Octavius V. Catto, a civil rights leader, voting advocate and educator, who was killed in 1871 as he cast his own vote on election day. Community College of Philadelphia’s Catto Scholarship, which offers an opportunity for a free education along with support services, pays tribute to his life and his accomplishments. All of us have the ability to continue Catto’s vision of equality, education and opportunity, and the time for change is now.
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