SUMMIT TRACKS
Explore the Schedule.
- When and where is the event?
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Date: October 18, 2025
Location: Bruce Bolling Building, 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:15 PM -
What is the schedule for the day?
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9:00 a.m.Registration & Grab-and-Go Breakfast
9:20 a.m.Welcome
9:30 a.m.Stanley Porter | Inspiration & Movement
10:00 a.m. Opening Panel (Adult)
11:00 a.m.Workshop Sessions #1
12:00 p.m. Lunch, Visit with Vendors, 360º Booth PhotoOp
1:00 p.m. Workshop Sessions #2
2:00 p.m.Youth Panel
2:45 p.m. Closing Remarks
Explore 2025's Schedule
11 AM – 12 PM & 1 PM – 2 PM
1st Floor Open Studio
Audience:
Everyone
Soul Food Cafe
Jamaal Bonnette | Art Equals
The Soul Food Café is a creative sanctuary at the Summit where Black and Brown boys can slow down, reflect, and express themselves freely through art. Just like a good meal feeds the body, this space is designed to feed the soul with color, creativity, and imagination.
Canvases, affirmation drawings, and other hands-on materials will be available for participants to use in whatever way feels authentic to them. The focus is not on producing perfect art but on honoring the process—painting, sketching, or simply sitting with the materials as a way to release, reflect, and affirm their own voice.
Guided by caring volunteers, the Soul Food Café will be a space of belonging and joy. Whether youth create bold visions, quiet affirmations, or playful sketches, they’ll leave with more than artwork—they’ll carry a reminder that their stories, emotions, and identities matter.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
2nd Floor 2-12B
Audience:
High School Youth, College Students
Un-MassQing the Black Man
Daniel Callahan
This interactive art experience invites participants to explore identity, healing, and community through MassQing—the practice of painting the face to reveal the inner self. Blending ritual, art, and storytelling, it celebrates the power of expression to uncover truth and connection.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
2nd Floor 2-12A
Audience:
High School Youth, College Students
They Not Like Us
Amir Fralin | PRES! Please
When the room wasn’t made for us, we don’t shrink—we shift it. This session uses music and lyrics as our backdrop to explore how young Black men can walk with confidence, command leadership, and flip every connection into opportunity. We’ll talk real about stepping into unfamiliar spaces, the weight that comes with it, and the power of showing up fully, our authentic selves. Success doesn’t have one look—and in this space, we’ll define it on our own terms. Expect energy, honesty, and strategies that leave you ready to stand tall in any room, no matter who’s watching.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Sixth Floor – 6 -67
Audience:
High School Youth, College Students
Black and Brilliant: How to use AI Responsibly and Effectively to Excel
Harold Hughes | NFNTE Capital
Artificial intelligence is transforming every part of our lives—from how we learn and work to how we create and connect. But real power comes not just from knowing the tools, but from knowing how to use them wisely. In this workshop, Harold Hughes will show attendees how to engage with AI confidently and responsibly, balancing innovation with critical thinking. The session highlights the importance of Black boys and men stepping forward as leaders in AI adoption—using these tools to strengthen our communities, shape education, and drive success in the workforce. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to excel with AI while ensuring it becomes a tool for empowerment rather than dependency.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sixth Floor Atrium
Audience:
Middle School Youth
Drone Up, Justice Rising
Dr. Natalie Coleman | After the Peanut
Drones Up, Justice Rising is a hands-on drone workshop where Black boys become environmental problem-solvers and tech innovators. Participants will learn how drone technology is used to fight pollution, map flood zones, monitor deforestation, and document injustice in communities just like theirs. Through guided missions and challenges, students will fly drones, simulate real-world climate issues, and design their own environmental justice solutions. This workshop connects flight skills to STEM careers, civic leadership, and social action—empowering Black boys to see themselves not just as coders or engineers, but as protectors of their neighborhoods and architects of a better future. No experience needed—just vision, teamwork, and the willingness to fly for a cause.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Sixth Floor – 6-66
Audience:
Middle & High School Youth
Mindful Tech: Owning Your Power in a Digital World
Shana Feggins | Tomorrow’s Canvas
Mindful Tech: Owning Your Power in a Digital World is an interactive, empowering workshop designed to help Black and Brown boys, and the adults who champion them navigate the digital world with confidence, clarity, and creativity. Led by a DEI strategist, mindfulness teacher, and tech educator, this session blends movement, storytelling, and real talk about tech, identity, and mental health. Participants will explore how digital spaces impact self-worth and emotional wellness, learn mindfulness tools to stay grounded, and discover how to use technology (including AI and design tools) to affirm their voices and express their joy. Through breathing exercises, short creative projects, and a community vibe, the workshop invites boys to reclaim their attention, protect their peace, and own their digital narratives. This session affirms that Black Boy Joy is not just emotional. It’s also strategic, embodied, and future-facing.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
2nd Floor – 2-12B
Audience:
High School Youth, College Students
Free The Homies
Maurice Eastwood | Seek Therapy Now
Free The Homies workshop is a powerful practice designed to help participants let go of the words, labels, and thoughts that weigh them down. Each participant is invited to write on a balloon things that have burdened them. A phrase they’ve been called, a belief they’ve internalized, or a thought that no longer serves them. By transferring these heavy truths onto the balloon, the weight is no longer hidden inside but acknowledged and held outside of self.
The act of popping the balloon represents a physical release of that emotional baggage. It transforms the intangible into something we can confront, destroy, and move beyond. This process not only provides a moment of relief, but also a reminder that the power to rewrite the narrative lies within us; because “We’re Built to Thrive”. By letting go, participants create space for lightness, clarity, and peace. Small steps in easing stress, depression, and emotional heaviness.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sixth Floor 6-66
Audience:
High School Youth, College Students
The Workout Plan: A Discussion of Manhood and Community
Dr. Chauncey Alexander/ Allen Baugh Jr., MS | Ascension Commission Center
This session is a workshop that helps young men reframe masculinity and leadership by drawing lessons from the gym. Blending physical fitness, real-time polling, and a Socratic Seminar, the session explores how values like discipline, resilience, and humility counter toxic masculinity and Red Pill culture. Participants begin with an internal reflection about emotional awareness under pressure. From there, they engage in a socratic seminar about pathways to leadership through civic action, mentoring, storytelling, and organizing to investigate the messages boys receive about manhood, power, and leadership in their communities. The session closes with a Leadership Map activity, where participants define the kind of man they’re training to become and commit to a weekly leadership habit. This workshop empowers boys to lead with clarity, embracing masculinity as a practice grounded in respect, purpose, and growth.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Sixth Floor Atrium
Audience:
Middle, High and College Students
Don't Crash Out: Navigating your way through trauma!
Quincey Roberts | Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc: Zeta Kappa Sigma Chapter
This workshop blends your trauma expertise with culturally resonant, youth-centered engagement. When you know who you are, you’re able to access joy before your trauma.
Your identity and worth existed before pain, before struggle, before survival mode.
Trauma may be part of your story, but it is not the whole story — joy, purpose, and thriving came first. This workshop will equip young Black men with tools to move beyond survival mode, process trauma, and step into a life of thriving, joy, and possibility by using a combination of traditional and creative coping methods.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
School Committee Room
Audience:
Adults / Parents / Caregivers / Educators
Single Black Mama, Single Black Boy
Dr. Trelane Clark | T.H.R.I.V.E. Educational Consulting
This workshop creates a reflective and empowering space for single Black mothers who are raising, or have raised, Black boys primarily on their own. Together, we will explore both the joys and complexities of this journey—celebrating resilience while acknowledging challenges that uniquely impact Black mothers and sons. Through guided conversations, music, and writing activities, participants will engage in a think tank format to share strategies for nurturing their sons, caring for themselves, and protecting their hearts. Key topics will include navigating education systems, faith and spirituality, identity formation as Black/African American families, fostering emotional vulnerability in boys, and addressing stereotypes such as the “Mama’s boy” label. Participants will leave with renewed affirmation, a deeper understanding of their experiences, and practical insights for raising confident, grounded Black boys in a world that often misunderstands both Black mothers and their sons.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
2nd Floor – 2-12A
Audience:
Middle to High School Youth,
From C.H.A.O.S. to Clarity: Navigating To Build Resiliency
Armando Jimenez | The Tailored Compass
Change is inevitable, but how we respond to it defines our growth. This engaging workshop equips participants with practical tools to navigate personal and professional transitions with confidence. Using the C.H.A.O.S. framework: Change, Habits, Actions, Outlook, and Self, attendees will explore and learn how to recognize challenges, reshape habits, embrace accountability, and strengthen resilience. Through interactive discussions and reflective exercises, participants will learn strategies to manage uncertainty, build support systems, and reframe their outlook to drive positive outcomes. By the end, you’ll walk away with greater clarity, renewed focus, and actionable steps to thrive in times of transition.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
School Committee Room
Audience:
Adults / Parents / Caregivers / Educators
Young Black King, Let Me Help You Hold Your Crown
Craig Aarons-Martin
An interactive jigsaw of storytelling, blueprint building, and connection in humanizing the complex role of empowering, educating, raising, and living as young Black and Brown men in today’s Amerika. Participants will explore the layers of identity, healing, and legacy through shared stories and guided reflection. This session invites adults, parents, caregivers, and educators to engage in deep dialogue about affirming Black boyhood, reshaping narratives of strength, and co-creating pathways toward radical joy and belonging.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sixth Floor 6 -67
Audience:
High School Youth, College Students
In My Own Lane: Who Am I?
Dr. Felix Daniels
What do I want to be when I grow up? A question that we tend to ask ourselves even as adults. Is there a right answer? Is this even a valid question? Choose a direction that aligns with your strengths, interests, and personality?
Join us for a hands-on workshop designed specifically for male students to explore career possibilities through the lens of John Holland’s Theory of Career Choice. This interactive session will help you understand your personal interests and how they connect to real-world careers using Holland’s six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (RIASEC).
Through guided self-assessment, group discussions, and career exploration tools, you’ll: Identify your dominant Holland personality types Explore careers that align with your strengths and interests Learn how to make informed, authentic career decisions Break down stereotypes and broaden your understanding of male roles in diverse professions Leave with a personalized career development action plan This workshop provides a supportive space for male students to reflect, discover, and take confident steps toward a fulfilling future.