On April 4, District 219 will host its third annual Black Teen Summit at Niles North High School in the Main Gym, which is set to focus on this year’s selected theme of Young, Gifted and Black.

District 219’s Black Teen Summit was created in 2021 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to uplift and support Black scholars within the local community and expose them to a diverse set of professional experiences to assist in focusing their futures. All Niles North and Niles West students are welcome to attend the event, with those identifying as Black especially encouraged to participate.

“We believe [the D219 Black Teen Summit] is an incredibly powerful opportunity that has the potential to change hearts and minds,” Niles North Principal James Edwards said, speaking in reference to last year’s summit. “We are confident that this event will reinforce quality learning and the building of a caring community.”

The summit is organized as a day-long, in-school field trip designed to connect with and uplift Black students at D219 schools. The day of special programming will include a keynote speaker and various collaborative workshops facilitating conversations centered around this year’s theme of Young, Gifted and Black. Outlined below is a list of the available sessions that will be offered as part of the event, of which participants are welcome to choose three to attend. 

Minding my Black Owned Business with Kenny Mac, April Stallworth, and Jonda Cherry

Topic: Entrepreneurship Panel

Description: This session features a panel of speakers that have made great entrepreneurial strides in their respective fields of barbering, speaking/training, publishing and writing. These business owners have much to offer about their journey, their experiences in business as Black business owners, and methods and practices that have led to their success.

Future Black Millionaires with Shanda McFadden

Topic: Financial Literacy & Money Management

Description: This session focuses on financial topics that have been intentionally withheld from the Black community as well as best practices for maximizing and optimizing your income and creating generational wealth. 

Your Hair is Your Crown with Kesia King

Topic: Natural Hair Care

Description: This session’s primary goal is to teach students how to love and properly care for their natural hair. Students will learn about various hair types and how to maintain, grow and love their natural hair. 

Sports Don’t Build Character. They Reveal It with Walter Mendenhall, Nick Torresso, Helen Ogunjimi, Garrett Jones, and Malachi Nix

Topic: Navigating Sports as a Black Athlete

Description: This session features a panel of current and former Black Athletes that have played either collegiately, professionally or both. Black athletes discuss their experiences with coaches, teammates, and fans and how their Blackness impacted those relationships, and the opportunities they were either offered or denied.

Lift Every Voice with Kemone Hendricks 

Topic: Black Advocacy & Intergenerational Leadership

Description: The ability to advocate in practical settings is impressive, but so is knowledge of the contributors to the community arena. This session goes into greater detail about activism and leadership and how multiple generations can learn from each other and mobilize to create positive change within the Black community.

Love is Love with DaJuan Brooks 

Topic: LGTBQ+ Affinity Space

Description: This session is a dedicated space for the LGBTQ+ community to talk with and support each other.

Direction is More Important Than Speed with Dr. Charmaine Harris

Topic: Career Exploration

Description: This session offers various post-education career path options. One size doesn’t fit all and this session is for those who may be struggling to find out what they want to do professionally or how they’re going to do it. It is meant to assist you in finding your path and purpose.

Iron Sharpens Iron with Dr. Roszena Haskins

Topic: HBCU Informational Session

Description: This session offers various post-education career path options. One size doesn’t fit all and this session is for those who may be struggling to find out what they want to do professionally or how they’re going to do it. It is meant to assist you in finding your path and purpose.

You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup with Natalie Frakes

Topic: Mental Health & Self-Care

Description: This session will be a refreshing workshop on the importance of mental health and self-care. Students will gain tools and strategies they can use to improve their mental health and most importantly their self-love. 

Niles West Community Relations Director and DREAM sponsor April Stallworth is one of the prominent forerunners of the event and will be co-leading one of the sessions, Minding my Black Owned Business, alongside Kenny Mac and Jonda Cherry.

“The main objective of the Black Teen Summit is to uplift, encourage and provide important information to our students who primarily identify as African American, African, and or Caribbean,” Stallworth said. “We expect this event will be one of joy, community and uplifting.”

Those who wish to partake in the event are required to fill out the attached registration form no later than March 24, which was also sent out via email by Student Activities Director Caroline Benjamin. Among the primary areas of information asked in the form include shirt size, cultural background and possible dietary restrictions. Another important component is a waiver that should be filled out by both students and their respective parents/guardians, sufficing as a permission slip for the out-of-school excursion.

Participant space is limited and registration will close once each session has reached capacity, being accepted solely on a first-come, first-served basis. Aspiring participants who have any questions regarding the logistics of the event are advised to contact District 219 affiliated event organizers Jonda Cherry ([email protected]) and April Stallworth ([email protected]).