Edgecombe Students Attend Uplifting Black Men Conference
Nine students and three staff members from Edgecombe Community College and Edgecombe Early College High School attended the recent Uplifting Black Men conference at Virginia Tech. Shown from left are Jamar Edge, Antonio Mayo, Antonio Coleman, Joseph Lyles (seated), Nyeem Davis, Jozaih Pittman, Twain White, Abdur Grant, Wardell Clark, and Gerald Williams. Thomas Bracy and William Parker also attended but are not pictured.
Twelve students and staff from Edgecombe Community College and Edgecombe Early College High School recently attended the fourth annual Uplifting Black Men conference at Virginia Tech.
Hosted by Virginia Tech’s Black Male Excellence Network, the conference was held February 23 and drew nearly 500 attendees.
The conference theme was “Resilient Beyond Measure.” Michael Vick, former quarterback for the Hokies and a member of the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame, was the keynote speaker. He discussed the importance of building confidence, determination, and turning dreams into realities. He also spoke on the challenges that life presents.
ECC student Twain White said the Uplifting Black Men conference was a “great experience. This conference taught me how to become an effective leader. I had the chance of meeting young men who wanted to make a change in their lives and do something great within the community.
“As a young black male, it is always an honor to be able to participate in events like this. It does not matter how many times we may fall in life, but how many times we get back up and start all over again,” White added.