State of the Male Youth Summit: 4/19/13, Over 3,000 Students to Attend

With the overwhelming surge of violent crimes during the month of March, Growing Kings Inc. is taking on the challenge to save Birmingham’s urban at-risk male youth. On Thursday, April 19, 2013 at the Boutwell Auditorium, the non-profit will team up with the City of Birmingham and Education Foundation to host the first annual, State of the Male Youth Summit, featuring nationally renowned educator, author and youth advocate, Dr. Steve Perry.

The Summit is the first of its kind, calls every high-school male enrolled in Birmingham City Schools to attend and features influential keynote speakers Dr. Steve Perry and Phillip Agnew, panel discussions, private reception, essay contest, distinguished hip hop recording artist, short documentary and more. The event highlights pioneers in education, leadership and civic engagement and is designed to inspire, enrich and motivate every male high-school student in the city.

“Many urban males lack identity, and as a result they turn to the images portrayed to them in media and entertainment.” Says Marcus Carson, Executive Director of Growing Kings Inc. “We’ve organized this event to reach these young men at a level they can relate to with some of their own classmates who have participated in our programs offering testimony. After this summit, we hope urban male students in Birmingham will embark upon a journey that will better position them for success, and ultimately save their lives.”

Carson goes on to address the significance of mentorship programs and the impact they have on reducing crime amongst male adolescents. He mentions the recent homicide of 15-year-old Jermaine Walton as a tragedy that hits home, because they were not able to intervene in the young men’s lives to help them learn to avoid risky behaviors and situations.

“What is the State of the Black male in America? In many ways, we know the answer. It is a state of emergency – high incarceration, low education, scarce employment and lack of opportunity. But it is times like these where we must come together to discuss a plan for the future, while celebrating the successes of few like Growing Kings. It must be followed by action though. This Summit is the start.” Said Phillip Agnew, SOTMUS keynote speaker and Executive Director of “Dream Defenders”.

The event is only open to high school males, but the general public can watch the conference and submit questions live on the internet. Find additional updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/growingkings and Twitter at @GrowingKings. Txt “GROWINGKING” to 69937 to join our mobile fan club and stay updated on all GK news, events, and more!

Visit our website for more information… and remember — April 19 — you can watch the event LIVE on the Growing Kings website!