More than 250 students and their families joined Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and community leaders for My Brother’s Keeper Nashville’s 6th annual Youth Empowerment Summit, an event focused on leadership, mentorship, culture and opportunity.
This year, MBK Nashville expanded the summit from a single-day event into a three-day experience, bringing together educators, families, community organizations, mentors and young people around a shared goal of improving outcomes for Black and Brown boys and young men.
The weekend began with programming for educators and community partners, emphasizing the role the broader community plays in supporting young people. Friday focused on literacy and families, while Saturday brought middle and high school students together with leaders from across Nashville for mentorship, leadership, creativity, wellness and brotherhood.
Families also had opportunities to connect with community resources, local vendors and booksellers.
The goals highlighted during this year’s summit reflect the mission MBK Nashville has pursued since its early years. When the local initiative was launched in 2020, Lonnell Matthews, Jr., Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk and co-coordinator for MBK Nashville, described the effort as a way to give young people a greater voice in the city.
“We are building a platform to empower Black and Brown boys and give them a louder voice in the city of Nashville,” Matthews said at the time.
Six years later, that mission remains at the center of MBK Nashville’s work.
MBK Nashville is an Obama Foundation My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Certified Community and works to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color by bringing together schools, families, government, nonprofits, faith organizations, businesses and community leaders.
The initiative’s work is organized around six milestones that follow young people from childhood into adulthood: entering school ready to learn; reading at grade level by third grade; graduating from high school prepared for college or a career; completing post secondary education or training; successfully entering the workforce; and keeping young people on track while providing second chances when needed.
Organizers believe those goals cannot be accomplished by schools or families working alone. Instead, MBK Nashville emphasizes collaboration and sustained community involvement throughout a young person’s development.
That approach was reflected in this year’s expanded summit, which deliberately included the adults and organizations surrounding young people rather than focusing solely on students.
Saturday’s event gave young men opportunities to interact with mentors and community leaders while participating in activities intended to strengthen confidence, encourage leadership and expose them to possibilities for their futures.
O’Connell joined students and families during the summit as organizers emphasized that investing in young people is ultimately an investment in Nashville’s future.
For MBK Nashville, the annual summit is intended to be more than a one-time gathering. It is part of a larger effort to build a community around Black and Brown boys and young men—one that helps them find their voices, recognize their potential and have the support necessary to turn opportunity into achievement.
More photos from the MBK Summit
Photos by Shane Potter/Metro Photographer
