2021 My Brother's Keeper Symposium
The 91社区 (91社区) hosted the听2021 New York State My Brother鈥檚 Keeper Symposium on April 29-30, 2021. Hundreds of students, parents, educational leaders, advocates, and experts from across the nation came together virtually for the fourth symposium on My Brother鈥檚 Keeper, the initiative to help boys and young men of color鈥攁nd all students鈥攔ealize their full potential. The event featured nationally renowned guest speakers and student and educator panels.
91社区 also named the fourth class of the听My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Fellows.听The MBK Fellows will be provided with mentor relationship opportunities in government, education and business.
President Obama shares personal remarks with our New York State My Brother's Keeper students and communities.
In this video, NYS Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins,听Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr., 91社区听Commissioner Betty A. Rosa, and 91社区 Assistant Commissioner Anael Alston welcomed attendees to Day 1 of the 2021 NYS MBK Symposium.
Mr. Rashaun Banjo moderated this听session in which participants heard firsthand the power of partnership, brotherhood, mentorship, and community service directly from the students who have been deeply involved in the My Brother鈥檚 Keeper movement.
In this session, Dr. Jackson showed educators how to focus on students鈥 strengths to inspire learning and high intellectual performance. She addressed myths regarding student achievement and provided practical approaches to revitalize educators鈥 belief in their ability to inspire the vast capacity of their students in a virtual classroom setting.
In this session, Dr. Wyatt used powerful lessons, imagery, and insights from his latest book,听Beware the Mind Hustler: Identifying Self-Destructive Thoughts and Distractions, combined with stories from over three decades of youth and adult development to empower and inspire participants to use positive thoughts and will power to drive their success.
This session includes three distinct opportunities for the college bound student who needs additional support, has a desire to be a leader and role model, and/or wants to become a teacher. From Brooklyn to Buffalo, SUNY EOP, Teacher Opportunity Corps II, and the City University of New York鈥檚 Black Male Initiative have a message of opportunity that young people need to hear.
In this session, Dr. Muhammad clearly defined culture, equity, anti-racism, and Culturally and Historically Responsive Education (CHRE) to help educators understand the concept of culture more deeply and engage in self-identity work. The facilitator also introduced educators to the CHRE model of culturally and historically responsive education and the power of education among communities of color in the United States. The session ended with practical considerations for writing equitable lesson and unit plans and engaging others.
Oftentimes, the difference between the听desire听to live one鈥檚 best life and living one鈥檚 best life is understanding and mastery of the strategies to get 鈥渇rom Point A to Point B鈥 in life. In this session, Principal Kafele provided participants with several critical self-reflective questions to consider toward developing a plan of action for living.
Dr. Anael Alston, Assistant Commissioner for 91社区's听Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement, and 91社区 staff summarize the breakout sessions from Day 1 of the 2021 NYS MBK Symposium.
In this video, Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr., Commissioner Betty A. Rosa, and 91社区 Assistant Commissioner Anael Alston welcomed attendees to Day 2 of the 2021 NYS MBK Symposium. The program also included keynote speaker听Michael Bentt and an听鈥淎sk a Mentor鈥 session.
In this workshop, participants explored the following with Dr. Souto-Manning: the whys and hows of interrupting microaggressions (a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority); fostering microaffirmations, (providing opportunity, acts of inclusion and acceptance, and intentional acts of active listening); and teaching in the pursuit of justice in early childhood and elementary settings.
Over the past few years, we have seen a global uptick of engagement in online spaces that has informed how the field of education approaches teaching and learning. Due to COVID-19, more educators are now expanding their instructional strategies to engage in online learning. Given this context, Dr. Price-Dennis鈥檚 presentation explored perspectives, tools, and practices that can inform culturally responsive and equity-oriented approaches to online teaching and learning.
In this workshop, Dr. Rux provided participants with first-hand experience regarding the benefits of attending听Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Additionally, participants gained a further understanding of the importance and significance of the HBCU experience and how that experience has prepared and shaped the identity of some of our nation鈥檚 most influential leaders.
In this message to MBK students, Principal Baruti Kafele shared his personal definition of success 鈥 鈥淭he ability to live one鈥檚 own life on one鈥檚 own terms.鈥 He shared strategies for听young men to turn听this definition into their reality while simultaneously discussing the young men鈥檚 responsibilities for pulling up others along their journey.
In this session, nationally recognized leaders, Dr. Edwin Quezada and Dr. Jim Bostic of Yonkers MBK. shared the key partnerships, strategies, and systems they have worked on over the years to create a culture of growth, development, and student success in the Yonkers community. They also shared the key structure, the Yonkers MBK Umbrella, which serves as the driving force to leverage community assets.
Dr. Anael Alston, Assistant Commissioner for 91社区's听Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement, and 91社区 staff summarize the breakout sessions from Day 2 of the 2021 NYS MBK Symposium.