Black SEL Summit: Youth Hub & Gala to Empower Community in Durham
Black SEL Summit: Youth Hub & Gala to Empower Community in Durham
An upcoming summit aims to foster critical dialogue around social and emotional learning (SEL) for the Black community, featuring the launch of a first-of-its-kind youth hub and a fundraising gala.
The Black SEL Summit will take place on Sept. 25 in Durham, bringing together leaders, educators, community members, and youth for a multi-part event. The summit is an initiative of the Dangers Of The Mind Education Fund, which has built a national movement through research and transformative programming.
Tanisha Cameron Cole, a leader for the initiative, highlighted the summit’s goal during a recent interview on Foxy 107.1/104.3.
“The summit is our opportunity to engage the community in critical dialogue around social, emotional learning,” Cole said.
A key part of this year’s event is the launch of the nation’s first Black SEL Hub at Hillside High School.
Cole described the hub as “a space rooted for youth to impact them and their well-being.”
She added, “The answer to their call for a space that affirms them, honors their experiences and creates an environment for them to thrive.”
The day will conclude with the “Dress to Defy” fundraising gala at the Durham Armory at 6 p.m. The gala’s theme is “Resisting by Reimagining,” which Cole said honors “the resistance and resilience of the Black community and the ways in which we do that through fashion.”
The event supports the organization’s goal of raising $1 million to expand local programming, strengthen its national framework, and ensure long-term sustainability. Powered by the Dangers Of The Mind Education Fund, the Black SEL movement has grown through support from partners like United Way of the Research Triangle, CREED, and RBC Bank.
Information about the summit and gala can be found at blacksel.org.
