Black and Brown Summit

Reviving Our Roots Through Courageous Conversations

November 17, 2018 — Highline College

purpose

Get Involved

Learn how you can get involved with this year's Summit.

Goal

To empower and motivate our Black and Brown young men to excel in academics and to accept nothing less than excellence from self.

Objectives

  • Critique social structures that inhibit Black/Brown young men from being successful in education.
  • Highlight the achievements in spite of the obstacles/barriers that they face.
  • Contextualize their self identity socially, culturally, historically, and politically by giving the young men a sense of self and value of self.

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Free Admission  •  Free Breakfast and Lunch  •  Free Enlightenment

sponsors

Thank you to our Summit sponsors!

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agenda View Adult/Chaperone Agenda

8:00 - 8:45 am Registration and Breakfast
8:45 - 9:00am Opening Ceremonies
9:00 - 9:50am Keynote Address: John Bunn
Making Positivity Cool

The presentation will begin by discussing John Bunn’s personal story and the conditions surrounding his arrest and arraignment. Mr. Bunn will vividly and emotionally speak about what it was like to be taken from his home at 14—knowing that he had never committed a crime. He will then go on to talk about how he felt originally going through the process of entering the prison system, which will lead John to speaking about how he learned to read and how reading helped him keep a positive mindset during the worst times of his life. The goal, to this point of the presentation, is to exude the importance of resiliency and positivity, as John Bunn shows how books helped not only transform his life but also taught him the value of positivity at all times. John’s mantra, positivity is cool, continues to drive him to help others on a day to day basis, and John will go on to discuss how that simple saying pushes him through life, inspiring him to help others and improve himself along the way.
10:00 - 11:15am
Workshops #1
 Kevin Christian
Overcoming Your Obstacles

Kevin Christian of the American Association of Community Colleges and Dejuan Davis a student athlete who attends Saint Augustine's University in North Carolina will lead a conversation on what it takes to overcome your obstacles and succeed as a young black and brown male in today’s world. Dejuan will talk about his journey as a high school athlete, community college student athlete and now as a transfer student. His path has not been easy, but his drive and determination will be shared with the student group.

Reggie Rogers Jr
The Academic Hustle

The academic hustle is a discussion where young men of color can come together and discuss ways that we can be successful in and out of the classroom. This presentation allows young men to speak their minds and discuss what they believe is in their best interest. While discussing the importance of education and how one can connect this hustle mentality into their everyday lifestyle. There will also be a focus on networking, understanding our own comfort zones, and uplift through community while understanding the difference from a hand out versus a hand up. There will be a focus on networking, understanding our own comfort zones, and uplift through community while understanding the difference from a hand out versus a hand up.

Sean Puno
Sharing Your Story Through the Lens of the Camera

The media has such a large influence on our identity. It's challenging to really know our true selves inside, and that personal story is what will resonate with others through empathy and create change.

Alan Jones
Journey into Manhood: Everybody Has Choices

This workshop will talk about the myths of what being a man is and also discuss the steps needed in order to prepare them for their journey into manhood; with the primary focus or Self Development, Management and Decision Making. In other words....CHOICES.

Darnell Rice
Whispering Quarters and Safe Havens

Suicide among males between the ages fifteen and twenty-four is the third leading cause of death in our nation. And, until recently, The Confess Project research revealed that there is not many agencies worldwide that target this issue with men of color servicing the mental health needs of males between the ages of ten and forty. However, The Confess Project features curriculum, models, and methodologies that offer culturally relevant and gender-specific approaches to fill this void of service. Inspired by increasing cases of suicide and substance abuse in institutional settings, we have constructed a one-hour presentation entitled “Black Male Mental Health: Whispering Quarters & Safe Havens.” This presentation has a three-prong objective: a) expose the societal pressures that haunt black males, b) explore how they commonly respond to the stigmas of seeking professional help, and c) identify how institutions and individuals can construct environments that promote dialogue and, consequently, the mental health of its participants. Institutions and universities are in the business of not only educating these young men, but preparing them to be productive citizens of this country and the global community. Unfortunately, their progress is all too often impeded by social challenges and traumas that they either fail to acknowledge or are hesitant to disclose. Our workshop session will provide a culturally-relevant and gender specific dialogue which will start them on the road to living full and holistic lives.

Clinton Taylor
ABC's of LIFE "My Life, My Future, My Choice"

Attitudes are a settled way of thinking or feeling about yourself or someone or something. And choices are the right, power, or opportunity to choose; in other words “options”. During this workshop, participants will learn to identify common causes underlying how our attitudes, control our beliefs and beliefs dictate the choices we make thus determining the direction we take in life. In addition participant will learn practical and useful strategies to address, interrupt, and change some of the beliefs and choices they have made in the past so that they can have a positive attitude and outlook on their future.

Richard Taylor
Trauma & Healing

This workshop will cover some very common & under the radar trauma that men young men of color face. The goal of the workshop will be to help the attendees identify and heal from the very hurt that can hinder them as they grow.

Steve Primas, MSW
GPSing your Destiny

GPSing your destiny is designed to help youth explore a personal journey that will provoke them to dream and dream big. The intent is to start each youth to imagine the unimaginable with the notion that failure is not possible with their imagination. The goal is to have them see life and career exploration in a way that has probably never been introduced to them. Through the presentation, various examples would be provided of traveling from destination to destination and how to route yourself to insure that the desired destination is reachable and with minimal obstacles. This presentation will incorporate the use of PowerPoint illustration, video example, and crowd participation. The workshop will invoke intuitive questioning and the ability to offer new perspectives, to help guide the youth to possibilities that are within. The coaching techniques employed to do this vary from person to person and range from asking powerful open-ended questions and creative visualization to considering the same theme from a variety of different perspectives. Each person is unique, have unique set of qualities, but each student will leave with a career, life, or education GPS for their desired destiny.

Michael Tuncap and Trayvon Webster
Black, Brown & Profound: the Brotherhood Mixtape

Students will develop an understanding of the shared history & contemporary struggle between Pacific Islander & African American men in the Northwest. What are the challenges that we face? How do we build unity & solidarity among men of color? Learn how to build student organizations such as the Black Student Union & Pacific Islander Club at your school. We will use Hip Hop, Athletics & indigenous dance to teach you hands on community building skills. Our brotherhood training will provide you with a space for healing & inspire you to bring out the warrior scholar inside of you.

Joshua Magallanes
What does society say? WHAT DO YOU SAY? Masculinity, Maleness, and everything in-between

Come explore through participatory exercises how gender identity and theory identity as it relates to intersections in one's life; also exploration of masculinity and the integration of masculinity and identity within social constructs. How it is that society gets to say who we are and when we can become who they say we are going to be. Don’t you want to have a say in that? Participants will leave with a better understanding of the following questions: What does it mean to have identity? What does Masculinity mean? How are gender roles perceived?

Aaron Reader
Underneath the Masks

“Our stories” are a part of who we are and it often times informs how we make decisions, how we respond to situations and how we process solutions. Young men of color often struggle with knowing and telling their own stories because they wear a number of different masks in order to navigate and negotiate certain spaces, ie; school, work, home, and other. This interactive workshop will help identify the importance of your story and develop strategies to use your story as a platform to help create the future they want.

Polo DeCano, Ph.D.
Fundamentals of Resilience: Grow Your Capacity for Experiencing Resilience

This workshop will provide fundamental information related to resilience including a very brief history of its origins as a body of research as well as breakdowns of key concepts that contribute to experiencing resilience. These include understanding the nature of stress, learning about a framework to guide efforts to cultivate resilience and an introduction to an approach to self-care that can serve as foundational for experiencing resilience
11:30am - 12:30pm Leadership Activity
12:30 - 1:15pm Lunch
1:30 - 2:45pm
Workshops #2
 Kevin Christian
Overcoming Your Obstacles

Kevin Christian of the American Association of Community Colleges and Dejuan Davis a student athlete who attends Saint Augustine's University in North Carolina will lead a conversation on what it takes to overcome your obstacles and succeed as a young black and brown male in today’s world. Dejuan will talk about his journey as a high school athlete, community college student athlete and now as a transfer student. His path has not been easy, but his drive and determination will be shared with the student group.

Reggie Rogers Jr
The Academic Hustle

The academic hustle is a discussion where young men of color can come together and discuss ways that we can be successful in and out of the classroom. This presentation allows young men to speak their minds and discuss what they believe is in their best interest. While discussing the importance of education and how one can connect this hustle mentality into their everyday lifestyle. There will also be a focus on networking, understanding our own comfort zones, and uplift through community while understanding the difference from a hand out versus a hand up. There will be a focus on networking, understanding our own comfort zones, and uplift through community while understanding the difference from a hand out versus a hand up.

Sean Puno
Sharing Your Story Through the Lens of the Camera

The media has such a large influence on our identity. It's challenging to really know our true selves inside, and that personal story is what will resonate with others through empathy and create change.

Alan Jones
Journey into Manhood: Everybody Has Choices

This workshop will talk about the myths of what being a man is and also discuss the steps needed in order to prepare them for their journey into manhood; with the primary focus or Self Development, Management and Decision Making. In other words....CHOICES.

Darnell Rice
Whispering Quarters and Safe Havens

Suicide among males between the ages fifteen and twenty-four is the third leading cause of death in our nation. And, until recently, The Confess Project research revealed that there is not many agencies worldwide that target this issue with men of color servicing the mental health needs of males between the ages of ten and forty. However, The Confess Project features curriculum, models, and methodologies that offer culturally relevant and gender-specific approaches to fill this void of service. Inspired by increasing cases of suicide and substance abuse in institutional settings, we have constructed a one-hour presentation entitled “Black Male Mental Health: Whispering Quarters & Safe Havens.” This presentation has a three-prong objective: a) expose the societal pressures that haunt black males, b) explore how they commonly respond to the stigmas of seeking professional help, and c) identify how institutions and individuals can construct environments that promote dialogue and, consequently, the mental health of its participants. Institutions and universities are in the business of not only educating these young men, but preparing them to be productive citizens of this country and the global community. Unfortunately, their progress is all too often impeded by social challenges and traumas that they either fail to acknowledge or are hesitant to disclose. Our workshop session will provide a culturally-relevant and gender specific dialogue which will start them on the road to living full and holistic lives.

Clinton Taylor
ABC's of LIFE "My Life, My Future, My Choice"

Attitudes are a settled way of thinking or feeling about yourself or someone or something. And choices are the right, power, or opportunity to choose; in other words “options”. During this workshop, participants will learn to identify common causes underlying how our attitudes, control our beliefs and beliefs dictate the choices we make thus determining the direction we take in life. In addition participant will learn practical and useful strategies to address, interrupt, and change some of the beliefs and choices they have made in the past so that they can have a positive attitude and outlook on their future.

Richard Taylor
Trauma & Healing

This workshop will cover some very common & under the radar trauma that men young men of color face. The goal of the workshop will be to help the attendees identify and heal from the very hurt that can hinder them as they grow.

Steve Primas, MSW
GPSing your Destiny

GPSing your destiny is designed to help youth explore a personal journey that will provoke them to dream and dream big. The intent is to start each youth to imagine the unimaginable with the notion that failure is not possible with their imagination. The goal is to have them see life and career exploration in a way that has probably never been introduced to them. Through the presentation, various examples would be provided of traveling from destination to destination and how to route yourself to insure that the desired destination is reachable and with minimal obstacles. This presentation will incorporate the use of PowerPoint illustration, video example, and crowd participation. The workshop will invoke intuitive questioning and the ability to offer new perspectives, to help guide the youth to possibilities that are within. The coaching techniques employed to do this vary from person to person and range from asking powerful open-ended questions and creative visualization to considering the same theme from a variety of different perspectives. Each person is unique, have unique set of qualities, but each student will leave with a career, life, or education GPS for their desired destiny.

Michael Tuncap and Trayvon Webster
Black, Brown & Profound: the Brotherhood Mixtape

Students will develop an understanding of the shared history & contemporary struggle between Pacific Islander & African American men in the Northwest. What are the challenges that we face? How do we build unity & solidarity among men of color? Learn how to build student organizations such as the Black Student Union & Pacific Islander Club at your school. We will use Hip Hop, Athletics & indigenous dance to teach you hands on community building skills. Our brotherhood training will provide you with a space for healing & inspire you to bring out the warrior scholar inside of you.

Aaron Reader
Underneath the Masks

“Our stories” are a part of who we are and it often times informs how we make decisions, how we respond to situations and how we process solutions. Young men of color often struggle with knowing and telling their own stories because they wear a number of different masks in order to navigate and negotiate certain spaces, ie; school, work, home, and other. This interactive workshop will help identify the importance of your story and develop strategies to use your story as a platform to help create the future they want.

Polo DeCano, Ph.D.
Fundamentals of Resilience: Grow Your Capacity for Experiencing Resilience

This workshop will provide fundamental information related to resilience including a very brief history of its origins as a body of research as well as breakdowns of key concepts that contribute to experiencing resilience. These include understanding the nature of stress, learning about a framework to guide efforts to cultivate resilience and an introduction to an approach to self-care that can serve as foundational for experiencing resilience.

Samad Aidane, MSc, PMP
Bicultural Intelligence: Unlocking the full potential of the bicultural brain

What do the following leaders have in common: Barrack Obama, former president of the United States, Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines, and Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber? They are all ‘Biculturals’: individuals who identify with and have internalized more than one culture. Drawing from the growing body of research in social and cultural neuroscience, the presentation will explore how culture shapes the bicultural brain. It will show how the cognitive complexity, which results from integrating multiple cultural identities, leads to the development of a certain type of intelligence called “Bicultural Intelligence”. This presentation will empower black and brown youth by helping them understand this cultural intelligence and play to their strengths by leveraging the unique capacities of their bicultural brain. More importantly, we explore the pitfalls of unrealized potential; when bicultural youth are unaware of the advantages their cultural background gives them and the skills they already possess.
3:00 - 3:30pm Reflection
3:30 - 4:00pm Closing

registration

Registration for the 2018 Summit is now closed.

Please email us if you have any questions.

In order to create the best possible environment for growth, learning, and empowerment, please take note of the following:

Although we have allowed 8th grade students to attend in previous years, the summit is now reserved for high school students only.

You are in for a tremendous day of enlightenment and fellowshipping. You young men deserve this day and this day is for you to be recognized as assets in our communities. Our mission at the summit is to have you leave knowing that you, your fellow classmates, and other young men of color have the ability to put posturing aside and work together to combat all stereotypes and perceptions.

I acknowledge that I have read the above statements, understand the summit’s expectations and mission, and am ready to engage and succeed!

Frequently asked Questions

Registration

Do I need to register for the summit?

YES. ALL ATTENDEES, BOTH STUDENTS AND ADULT CHAPERONES, MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND

When I tried to register, it said that registration had closed. Is there a waitlist I can get on?

Unfortunately, we are unable to have a waitlist for the summit. Registration is capped at our capacity plus 30 percent, which takes into account the substantial number of no-show attendees on the day of the summit.

I forgot to register/registration is closed. Can I just show up to the summit?

Only registered students will be guaranteed admittance to the summit. If an unregistered student shows up on the day of the summit, they will be required to wait in the will call area until all registered students have been processed. In the event that there is still space available after all the registered students have been admitted, unregistered students will be admitted in the order that they arrived. After we have reached capacity, any remaining unregistered students are required to leave the campus for liability purposes.

Attendance

Why can’t middle school aged students attend?

Although we have allowed 8th grade students to attend in previous years, the summit is now reserved for high school students only for the following reasons:

Maturity level: The planning committee strives to bring presenters and topics to the summit that speak to current events and issues important to young students of color. As many of the topics discussed revolve around the dense and multi-faceted issue of social justice, many middle school students do not have the comprehension level needed to both engage in, and respect, this dialogue.

Behavior: Attending the summit requires students to have the strong personal responsibility and critical listening skills that are more common in older students; we simply do not have the staff or the ability to continuously monitor individuals who need to be reminded consistently to behave appropriately.

How long is the summit?

The summit is an all-day event, from approximately 8:00am to 4:00pm.

What if I arrive late?

We cannot facilitate late arrivals. Our registration and check-in tables open at 8:00 am sharp and close promptly at 9:15 am when the keynote speaker begins. IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER 9:15 AM, EVEN IF YOU HAVE REGISTERED, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE SUMMIT.

Cost, Location, and Programming

How much does it cost to attend?

The summit is FREE to attend.

Where is the summit?

The student summit is located in the Student Union Building (Bldg 8) on the Highline College campus, with adult chaperone programming located in Building 7. Individual student workshops are held in various classrooms on campus; students are escorted by summit volunteers to and from these classrooms.

Do I need to bring my own food?

No. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided for you.

What workshops will I be attending?

Workshops will be assigned as students are processed through the registration table the day of the summit.

I want to see a particular workshop presenter. How can I ensure a seat in his specific workshop?

To ensure equal workshop sizes, students are assigned a workshop. Students are not able to choose their workshops. However, workshop presentations are thoroughly screened by the Black & Brown Summit Planning Committee to ensure each workshop is equally informative, engaging, and impactful.

For Adult Chaperones

I’m an adult chaperone for a school/organization but I don’t know which students I’m bringing yet. Can I just hold some spots?

No. All attendees (both students and adults) must be registered individually to attend. We can NOT hold spots under any circumstances.

I’m a chaperone and some of the registered students I was supposed to bring can’t come. Can I substitute different students in their place?

No. If a student or adult has registered but is unable to attend, they cannot substitute another individual.

As a chaperone, will I stay with my student throughout the day?

No. Adult chaperones/attendees and students are on different activity tracks in different buildings. The summit is for the students and part of the impact of the summit comes from being able to have real, open dialogue. Please respect this space and understand that you will be reconnected with your students at the close of the summit.

I’m a chaperone who is bringing multiple students. Can I send you a list of the students attending instead of registering them all?

We greatly appreciate attendees or adult chaperones registering themselves and/or their students. Having attendees or chaperones directly enter their information increases accuracy, so we politely ask that you register attendees individually.

I want to see a particular workshop presenter. How can I ensure a seat in his specific workshop?

As the summit is geared focused and created for high school aged males, chaperones are not permitted to sit in on these workshops; adult chaperones are able to view the keynote speeches remotely but have a fixed adult chaperone agenda in an adjacent building.

This is a valuable, transformative event that I want to be a part of. How can I get involved?

If you would like to volunteer at next year’s Black and Brown, please contact Rashad Norris or Rickitia Reid.

My students received a t-shirt/lanyard/giveaway item. Do adult chaperones also receive giveaway items?

Unfortunately, adult chaperones are ineligible to receive giveaways. As Highline absorbs the entire cost of the summit, we decided to limit giveaways to students to increase the quality and quantity of items they receive.

Will all my students stay together if I bring a group of students?

One of the values of the summit is to encourage meaningful conversations and create new friendships. In order to facilitate this, students are assigned to workshops by individual rather than by school. Some students in you group may end up in the same workshop by chance, but it is highly unlikely that you student group will stay together for the entirety of the summit.

keynote speaker

John Bunn

John was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York by his single mother. At age 14, John was charged with the murder and attempted murder of two NYC Correction Officers in Brooklyn in 1991. He was convicted in a high-profile case at the time based upon the testimony of one eyewitness. John was released on parole in 2006. New evidence has surfaced that Louis Scarcella and other rogue Brooklyn homicide detectives illegally arrested John in his mother’s apartment and framed him for the murder. On May 15, 2018 John Bunn was exonerated with help from the efforts of The Exoneration Initiative, a foundation dedicated to freeing the wrongfully convicted. At the same time as his exoneration is in progress, John started A Voice 4 the Unheard to do his best to bring positivity into the communities, schools, houses, and prisons of New York City.

Visit John Bunn's Website | Learn more about John Bunn's struggle on CNN.

presenters

Kevin Christian

Kevin A. Christian serves as the Senior Program Associate for Diversity, Inclusion and Equity at the American Association of Community Colleges in Washington, DC.

Reggie Rogers Jr

Reggie Rogers Jr grew up is from the Seattle area and attended Washington State University where he obtained his undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Anthropology. Rogers also received a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership and in 2013 through thee Chi Alpha Alpha chapter became a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Rogers currently works for a non-profit organization called Treehouse working with youth in the Federal Way School district.

Darnell Rice

Darnell Rice is a native of St. Louis, Missouri a social entrepreneur, sexual assault survivor, and Mental Health Advocate. Darnell has over 10 years in Behavioral Health Services while living in the state of Arkansas and currently works for The Confess Project which mission is to target Men and Boys of Color in regards to Mental Health Awareness and Education. Darnell is trained to speak a healing justice framework with young men of color and ways that institutions and communities can build safe and inclusive spaces for them to live an overall quality of life.

Steven Akuffo

Steven Akuffo is a social theorist, Pan-Afrikan thinker, student of Afrikan-Centered Psychology, and is currently a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Capella University and he holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Steven has spent several years researching the effects of cultural trauma on youth aggression and antisocial behavior in black under-served communities. Steven has experience working with youth and families of color and has extensive training in both cultural competency and cultural relativism based models, as well as trauma-informed care interventions. Steven provides evidence-based and culturally-based solutions which includes an awareness of the importance of Afrikan culture and the benefits of developing an Afrikan cultural identity, which helps work towards the reduction of aggressive and antisocial behavior in black adolescents. Steven currently works as a psychiatric adolescent counselor for a Children's Long-Term Involuntary Placement (CLIP) program in Burien, WA.

Clinton Taylor

In 2005 Clinton founded a consulting, training and speaking business company called Right State of Mind. Clinton has traveled across the country speaking at colleges, high schools, middle schools, youth academies, drug and alcohol facilities, correctional institutions and Fortune 500 companies. His peers herald Clinton as a powerful and engaging speaker/trainer, often referring to him as “Mr. Inspirational.”

Sean Puno

Sean C. Puno is an award winning filmmaker who has worked in the film world of LA to the booming business market of Seattle. His years of experience has brought him to Highline College as the Program Manager for Multimedia Design. He hopes to provide students with the education and confidence to acquire a sustainable job in this creative industry.

Steve Primas, MSW

Steve Primas, MSW is a passionate advocate for youth and families, with a sincere desire to assist youth in discovering their desired potential through life skills, using a coach approach. Steve is a social worker at the Tacoma School of the Arts, where he advocates for student success, mediate student and teacher conflict, and provide student focused resources. He has over 15 years of social work experience in Child Welfare and has worked with countless families in crisis, coaching and empowering them to a place of hope. He embraces working with At-Risk youth, recognizing that At-Risk behaviors are often a symptom of childhood trauma stemming from family conflict. He coaches families through parent/child conflicts and reunification. Steve is a graduate of the University of Washington with a Master’s Degree in Social Work, with a concentration in children, youth, and families, he is a master in the art of interpersonal relationships.

Alan Jones

Alan Jones, has roots in Newport News, VA and Aurora, CO. Played professional football on various levels and currently works at Washington State University, as a Senior Advisor 2 in the office of Student Financial Services. Co-Chair of the Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition based in Spokane, WA ; and also a key member of the African American Graduation Celebration, which is held in Spokane annually. Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications, minor Marketing (Univ. of Wyoming) Currently working of Masters in Sports Management.

Richard Taylor

On stage or on the page, Richard’s remarkable display of transparency enables him to connect with audiences beyond the surface of the subject matter and continues to be the hallmark of his career. His inspiring message of hope and perseverance delivered with undeniable authenticity has helped to establish him as one of the most influential voices of this generation. A dynamic speaker, thought-provoking author, and passionate mentor, whichever platform he uses, Richard continuously proves himself to be an agent for change and an advocate for life.

Michael Tuncap

Tuncap has born in Aniguak, Guam and was raised in Tacoma / Lakewood. Professor Tuncap has worked in education for 18 years as a professor, counselor, adviser, program manager and director of diversity at GRCC, Highline, NWIC, SPSCC, UW Seattle, UC Berkeley, City College of San Francisco & the Evergreen State College.

Trayvon Webster

Conrad (Trayvon) is a doctoral student at the University of Washington-Tacoma studying educational leadership and currently, serves as a College Preparatory advisor at Auburn Mountainview High School where he provides high school students with academic and college planning support to equip them with the tools to successfully navigate the college admissions process. His position also includes delivering content resources group mentoring through the Hometown Mentor Program. Committed to academic achievement, Conrad uses storying telling as a form of liberation through education, his work inspires audiences to use their lens to visualize their power to organize change.

Polo DeCano, Ph.D.

I work as an educator to promote resilience and wellness in a range of spaces and in various capacities. I'm a native Seattleite with family roots that have a history in Seattle of over 100 years. I currently serve as a Lead for Curriculum Development at the UW Resilience Lab; provide therapy in private practice; serve as an instructor for existing and aspiring college coaches to promote team and athlete wellness; and work as a resilience coordinator and developer for two youth development programs. My wife is amazing and I'm lucky to have a host of loving and supportive family and friends.

Aaron Reader

Aaron Reader, born and raised in Oakland, CA moved to Washington in 1997. After high school he attended Saint Augustine's College in Raleigh NC, where he received his BA in Psychology and received his Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology at Argosy University, Seattle. Aaron has worked in higher education for the past 10 years. He is the Dean of Student Success at Renton Technical College. In addition to his work in higher education he has a passion for poetry and spoken word. Aaron has been recognized as a local spoken word artist who has a powerful, emotional, real, and conscious style. He facilitates workshops on creative writing with an emphasis on social justice.

Joshua Magallanes

Joshua explores the societal constructs placed on Communities of Color and Queer Communities to continue to raise awareness and create change. Joshua has spoken and led multiple workshops at the Washington State Students of Color Conference, keynoted at the Links and Alliances conference, Queer I Am conference, Annual American Counseling Association, Pima College and Black and Brown Male Summit. Joshua has also worked with Edmonds School District to adopt a program centered around Culturally Responsive Practice when working with the Queer Community. Joshua leads and consults college campuses to be more inclusive of LGBTQIA+ Communities creating climate change and working with Title IX challenges. He has served on the board of directors for Gay City Men’s Health Project in Seattle, WA and is currently a faculty member at Highline College teaching courses including “The Queer Experience” and Cultural Competency Practices. He also teaches “Social Justice”. Joshua holds Associate faculty status with Seattle University where he teaches in the College of Education Graduate Counseling Program. Joshua owns a private practice in Seattle where he provides therapeutic services for individuals, males of color and couples in the queer and straight community. You may have seen him as a regular guest on the morning news for Q13 as an expert therapist sharing his thoughts around grief, violence, toxic masculinity and other topics. Joshua earned his Bachelor of Science from Northern Arizona University and his Masters in Community Counseling from Seattle University.

Justino Mora

Justino Mora is an immigrant rights activist, entrepreneur, self-taught software engineer, and co-founder of UndocuMedia. In 2015, Justino graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science becoming the first member in his family to graduate from college. In the summer of 2000, Justino and his family immigrated to the United States from Mexico to find refuge from extreme poverty and domestic violence. Justino began organizing with IDEAS at Mt. San Antonio College, the first undocumented student support group on campus, and eventually with the CA Dream Network (CDN) and CHIRLA. Justino helped lead and organize the statewide campaigns that culminated in the passage of the CA Dream Act and other pro-immigration legislation and policies. In 2012, Justino played an important role in the “Right to Dream” campaign that proved pivotal in pressuring the Obama Administration to grant deferred action (DACA) to undocumented youth. Through his advocacy, Justino has helped thousands of undocumented youth apply for DACA, find scholarship resources, apply to college, and become activists themselves. In May 2013, Justino was one of seven immigrant rights activists who were invited to share their story and discuss immigration reform with President Obama and Vice President Biden in the Oval Office. Justino also participated in the FWD.us DREAMer Hackathon and DEBUG DC Growathathon in November 2013 and June 2014, respectively. At these two hackathons, Justino shared his story and ideas on how to use technology to push for immigration reform with several Silicon Valley leaders including the founders of Facebook, LinkedIn, Dropbox and Groupon. Justino also co-founded Push4Reform and Text4Reform, two web and text-messaging platforms that allow people to contact their representatives and engage in online advocacy to push for immigration reform. Through UndocuMedia, Justino leverages the power of social media and tech to lift inform and educate the masses on immigration and other social justice issues. He also leverages the UndocuMedia platform to uplift the stories of the immigrant community and advocate for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country. Learn more about Justino.

Willard C. Jimerson Jr.

Willard C. Jimerson Jr. is a prominent youth advocate, crime interventionist, and a Race Relation's Strategist working throughout Seattle and South King County. Willard received his certification in Sociology and Philosophy from Ohio University and graduated top of his class from Bellevue College. In his professional work as a Program Manager at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Willard oversee’s a transformational process under the national model Credible Messengers called GROOM which stands for Gifted Regardless Of Oppressive Methods. In this capacity, Willard and his team works with youth between the ages of 12-24 who are justice involved or at-risk of justice involvement. Willard also serves as a catalyst in doing reentry work for youth and adults who are deemed the hardest to reach and most underserved. Willard also provides enriching, informative, and culturally relevant workshops and trainings with the King County Credible Messengers Initiative all in the interest of disrupting and dismantling the school-to- prison-pipeline.

Deionte Petty

Deionte Petty, 25 year old Seattle U alumni, is a Seattle native and community member. He's focused on youth development in the community for the past 7 years, and providing economic and education opportunities to others. Currently a Program Manager at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, he hosts youth mentor-ship groups 3 times a week and manages a workforce development program designed to get people to work at an accelerated pace. Deionte also coaches at Cleveland High school in hopes to contribute towards young athlete's success post high school.

Kendrick Glover

Kendrick Glover is the founder and Executive Director of Glover Empower Mentoring; a mentoring program open to youth and young adults ages 12 to 24. Kendrick got his official start in mentoring with the Police Activities League (P.A.L.) in 2009, which is a national organization that focus on youth community involvement and mentoring. He worked in the field of politics as an Intern for King County Councilman Larry Gossett of District 2, and for King County Drug Diversion Court as a Wraparound Coordinator. Kendrick served as a school counselor at Kent Meridian High School in Kent Washington for three academic school years, and as a Program Manager for the Puget Sound College and Career Network at Puget Sound Educational Service District, in where the work focused on getting first generational and low-income students access to college and career. Kendrick’s passion is education and youth in where he currently serves as an educator working as an adjunct faculty member at City University in the Albert School of Education. He also is an active youth advocate involved in County wide initiatives including the Juvenile Justice Equity Steering Committee. Kendrick has his undergraduate degree from Seattle University in Criminal Justice, Master’s degree in Education with a Counseling Certificate from City University, and currently working on a Ph.D. in Education Leadership with a Concentration in Organizational Leadership.

Dominique Davis

Dominique Davis is Founder and CEO of Community Passageways, where he works to improve racial parity in schools, prisons and communities. He sits on the King County Juvenile Justice Equity Steering Committee where he works with King County Superior Court judges to address racial inequity in the juvenile justice system, Our Best Advisory Council to advise the Mayor and City leaders on a long-term strategy to support young black male achievement, and the Budget for Justice coalition, making recommendations in the City budget for investments in effective community alternatives to incarceration. He has previously served as Co-Director of the 180 Program, which was named 2015 Best New Nonprofit by Seattle Foundation and Seattle Met Magazine under his leadership. Dominique received the NW Justice Forum's 2017 Restorative Justice Award and was recently named one of the Most Influential Seattleites of 2017 by Seattle Magazine. He also enjoys being a coach and personal trainer in the community.

Samad Aidane, MSc, PMP

Mr. Samad Aidane, MSc. PMP, is a cross-cultural leadership development researcher, trainer, consultant, and coach. His industry experience spans telecom, finance, health care, and government technology implementation projects in the U.S., Germany, Austria, and Belgium, with organizations such as HP, Cap Gemini, Time Warner Telecom, and Telefonica. Samad is an instructor at Oregon State University where he teaches two courses he developed on Emotional Intelligence and Cultural Intelligence for the Leadership Development Certificate Program. He holds a Master of Science Degree in the Neuroscience of Leadership from Middlesex University, U.K. Samad is certified by the Project Management Institute (PMP). He has provided training for organizations such as King County, Seattle Goodwill, Nike, Emirate Airlines, and T-Mobile. His current Ph.D. research interest in Applied Neuroscience investigates how findings from social and cultural neuroscience informs our understanding of the effect of culture on emotions, cognition, and behavior and their practical application to leadership and Cultural Intelligence development.

location

Highline College is located at:

2400 South 240 Street, Des Moines, WA 98198

All Summit sessions will take place on the first floor of the Highline Sudent Union (Building 8)

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Please email us if you have any questions.