In recent months, there has been a resurgence of age-old conversations about how we view black men in America. The results are often discouraging. This month, CAP Senior Fellow Ben Jealous released a book, REACH: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading, and Succeeding, that seeks to point the conversation in a more productive and positive direction.
REACH provides stories of black men who have built community—entrepreneurs, artists, teachers, philanthropists, and organizers who have dedicated their lives to reaching back and lifting up the next generation. From John Legend and Rev. Joseph Lowery to sneaker designers and ROTC instructors, REACH provides 40 models for what black men in America truly look like.
Copies of REACH will be available for purchase at the event.
Opening remarks:
Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy, Center for American Progress
Featured speakers:
Ben Jealous, Co-Editor, Reach; Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Trabian Shorters, Co-Editor, Reach; Founder and CEO, BMe Community
Clarence Page, syndicated columnist, Chicago Tribune
Alex Peay, Founder and President, Rising Sons; Contributor, Reach
Shaka Senghor, Contributor, Reach; Author and Anti-Gang Activist
Moderated by:
Melanie Campbell, President and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation