On Saturday, Feb. 27 from 12 to 4 p.m., the third annual Youth Empowerment Summit will be held on the campus of Staten Island’s Wagner College in Spiro Hall, Rm. 2. The event is jointly sponsored by Island Voice, a local youth services organization, and Wagner College’s History and Education departments. Admission is free. Donations of canned food and gently used clothing are requested for the Staten Island food pantries and Haiti clothing drive.
Participants in this year’s summit will include Teen Vogue model Reese Mullings, Liberian Cultural Ambassador Juli Endee, Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks, fashion designer Indashio, the Wu-Tang Clan, and Sirius Radio personality Renada Romain.
This year’s summit will touch upon historical facts that are not widely published, but are relevant to the history of Staten Island's African-American community. Fourth and fifth grade students at P.S. 57, with the help of Wagner College history professors Lori Weintrob and Rita Reynolds, discovered hidden facts about the first enslaved blacks to arrive on Staten Island (in 1643), the role of Black Loyalists here during the American Revolution, and links between Staten Island and the founding of both Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Another addition this year's program is a “stop the violence” component called “I Want to Live.” This is a movement spurred by several related acts of gun violence that occurred toward the end of last summer, inspiring a group of Staten Island-based rap artists, youth, gang members, women, children and families to take a positive stand against gun violence. Some possible solutions to gun violence will be shared, showcased and discussed at the summit.
For more information, call Island Voice CEO Bobby Digi at 718-600-4717, or e-mail him at bobby@islandvoice.org.
