The Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee announced today that Leon Andrews and Eric Grimes, national leaders in the work to address racial disparities and develop black male achievement initiatives, will speak at its 2014 conference, "Building Opportunity for Boys and Men of Color."
The conference will be held on Oct. 30, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Italian Community Center. The event is designed to strengthen the capacity of local organizations that work with boys and men of color. All nonprofit staff and others are invited to attend. More than 40 nonprofit and community leaders, direct service providers, funding experts and others will share insights and expertise at breakout and plenary sessions.
Andrews, Senior Fellow with the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families in Washington, DC, will be the luncheon speaker. Grimes, Senior Consultant, Institute for Black Male Achievement, Root Cause, Philadelphia, PA, will give the opening keynote address.
"Boys and men of color experience systemic barriers that place them at a disproportionate economic, educational and social disadvantage compared to their peers," said Leigh Kunde, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Center. "We are thrilled that Leon Andrews and Eric Grimes will be in Milwaukee to speak at the conference to help us address these racial disparities and build a collective vision for continued action."
Unemployment, health disparities, incarceration and low educational achievement among school and working age men of color in Milwaukee rank among the highest in the nation.
"Conference workshops and presentations will focus on skills that we, in the nonprofit sector, can develop to support Black, Latino and Native American boys and men," Kunde said. Key impact areas to be addressed include youth engagement, educational success, strong families and employment. Attending organizations will also experience capacity-building workshops such as The Funding Imperative, Learning From and Doing What Works, Maximizing Collective Impact and Violence Prevention and Second Chances.
Cost to attend is $100, or $75 for NPC members and attendees from CDBG agencies. Continental breakfast and lunch are included. Register online at npcmilwaukee.org or call (414) 344-3933 for more information.
The conference is sponsored by the Nonprofit Center with major support from United Way of Greater Milwaukee, Morgan Stanley, Wisconsin Public Radio, Reilly, Penner & Benton LLP, Cayen Systems and Wegner CPAs.
This event is part of a larger collaboration, the first-ever Boys and Men of Color Week in Milwaukee (Oct. 26-Nov. 1). The week’s events will include a day of fellowship and prayer, a session at UW-Milwaukee to develop a collective vision for boys and men of color, a day of community social media dialogue, a leadership symposium for funders and the annual Milwaukee Fatherhood Summit. For more information about Boys and Men of Color Week visit bmocmilwaukee.org.
