GVSU holds fourth annual Black Boys & Men National Symposium
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Valley State University is holding its fourth annual Black Boys and Men National Symposium Wednesday through Friday.
Wednesday's event was held at the JW Marriott Hotel in Grand Rapids. Thursday's and Friday's events will be at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.
Judge Greg Mathis gave a keynote address on Wednesday and spoke with the media beforehand. He addressed his experiences and how they played a pivotal role in shaping the message that he wanted to share with the audience.
'This is an issue that is dear to me,' Mathis said. 'Having been a street youth, in and out of juvenile and tried for carrying a gun as an adult at age 17, I know the life that many of our young people are subjected to living in poverty. And having their education fail them. And so, I think I am uniquely qualified to talk about this.'
GVSU to hold third Black Boys and Men Symposium
Mathis, a Detroit native, said a piece of his message was focused on keeping children on the best path possible, regardless of the challenges they may face in the household.
'We can't let the child fall through the cracks,' he said. 'That's one of the things I've always advocated for and that is we must save the child even if we can't save the household. And that's part of what we're going to be discussing. Solutions to keep a child from falling through the cracks. And particularly as it relates to black boys and black men who have an additional burden based on the stereotypes that have been perpetuated that we are typically angry criminals.'
Mathis noted his professional challenges, such as running for judge, going to law school and becoming a lawyer as opportunities he used to his benefit, rather than being deterred.
'My obstacles, each one of them I flipped,' he said.
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