David Johns, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans (Initiative), will participate in the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. summit, “Building a Movement of Black Male Achievement,” Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 12-13, in New Orleans. He will moderate several panel discussions and give closing remarks. The summit will focus on strategies that can be implemented across sectors to support and accelerate black male achievement, as well as effective ways to confront and address challenges that students face, including young men of color.
On Wednesday afternoon, Johns, joined by Marc Lamont Hill, author, activist, TV personality and Distinguished Professor of African-American Studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, will moderate two panels. The first will focus on how to transform from the movement of black male achievement to a system of black male achievement. This panel will address issues ranging from early learning, My Brother’s Keeper and other federal programs available to all youth, to college affordability and tools for reducing student debt. The second panel will address the “Black Lives Matter” movement and will focus on how to improve life outcomes for young men of color. This panel discussion will address topics such as mental wellness, improving relations with law enforcement and reforming the criminal justice system. The event will be live streamed at www.thekappafoundation.org.
Johns will facilitate two workshops on Thursday afternoon. He will discuss the Initiative’s role in helping to improve African-American student achievement by working across federal agencies and communities, as well as important factors that contribute to the overall academic success of students of color. In addition, Johns will discuss strategies that support, motivate and empower students to be successful in college, careers and life. He also will highlight the Obama Administration’s commitment to improving educational outcomes for all students.
Later that evening, Johns will give closing remarks that address the need to improve social, emotional and academic outcomes for children of color and how fraternities can work with the White House to achieve these goals.