Ivory Toldson, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, will keynote North Carolina Central University’s “Excellence in Education” speaker series on Friday, March 20, on campus in the School of Education. The forum is titled “Hearing the Rest of the Story: Dispelling Myths about African-American Boys and Men.” Toldson will present data that dispels common myths and challenges conventional wisdom about educating African-American children. He will review the findings from national surveys and explain how they can be used as classroom solutions. Additionally, Toldson will discuss national education priorities and the importance of historically black colleges and universities.
Last year, President Obama launched “My Brother’s Keeper” and issued a call to action to close opportunity gaps for youth, including boys and young men of color. The President’s announcement encouraged candid dialogues around the country and a greater sense of responsibility among community leaders and young people themselves to put all youth in positions to thrive, regardless of their race, gender or socioeconomic status.