Obum Egolum was raised in the United States while his father lived in Nigeria.
“So I can see the impact a black male figure can have on one’s life,” he said.
For Egolum, that is one reason Saturday’s Black Male Summit at George Mason University is so important in addressing campus issues faced by young black males and creating strategies to address their needs.
The junior information technology major and president of the African Student Association at George Mason said he has been fortunate to connect with black professionals during his time at Mason, people who know him as more than a student. And those professionals, faculty and staff will lead the summit’s discussions and presentations.
That said, “Black males, a lot of them, are almost scared to know each other through breaking down barriers and seeing someone for who they truly are as a person,” Egolum added. “Can black males really be united if they are afraid to get to know one another on that deep a level?”
The summit—10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in SUB I—will open dialogues to help break down those barriers, said T. Garey Davis, assistant director in Mason’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education.
“But we don’t only want to focus on a deficit model,” he said. “We know we have students excelling at Mason academically, socially and through leadership. Why are you doing well here? Let’s capture some of that.”
The summit will focus on academic success, social responsibility, community engagement, and leadership development. Breakout sessions will delve into subjects such as code switching, mentorship, collaboration and aspects of masculinity.
“Not that we’re trying to radicalize students, but we want them to leave Mason as concerned citizens,” said Mika’il Petin, associate director of African and African American Studies Program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Ultimately we want our students to be better academically prepared, well-engaged with the campus community, thinking beyond themselves, thinking beyond the black community at Mason.”
Egolum agreed.
“This is the first step in getting to a place we can stand alone, outside of the university,” Egolum said. “It’s the first step in getting to a place where we can fail and have a support system to tell us what we did wrong and how to fix it going forward.”