GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Three local organizations are coming together with one vision: to show young Black and brown boys that they matter.
It's the "We Matter Now" conference returning to Grand Rapids for the second year in a row.
"We Matter Now" wants to use the strength that Black and brown youth already possess and further connect them with the tools, skills, resources and relationships needed to succeed. They say it's important for kids to have adults in their corner that believe in them, and help them reach their full potential.
"I think there's this narrative that often say that Black and brown men in the community don't collaborate, that they don't work together, that they don't share and blend funding together," says Cole Williams, Director of the Delta Project. "And we're challenging that narrative."
Organizers say the conference is about changing the narrative of Black youth and providing a space for meaningful engagement and connection.
"Our theme is finding your fit," says Dondrea Brown, founder of Young Money Finances. "But also our focus is on failing, focus and fit, right. So we'll be doing some stuff with emotional intelligence, we'll be getting really focused in on their now and in their future, and then helping them find their fit into community."
The event is free to attend, and it takes place on April 22 at Grand Valley State University's Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for boys in 8th through 12th grade.
Available slots are filling up quick, so click here to cement your spot, and the kids even get a t-shirt!
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