Saturday, Nov. 16 marked the 16th annual Men’s Conference, presented by Empowered Men of Color (EMOC), an organization focusing on the retention rates of minority males at the University of Memphis. The event was hosted in the UC Ballroom and featured numerous guest
speakers and vendors from the Memphis community.
This year’s conference focused on the theme of redefining manhood and how college men can consistently improve their own well-beings. The event had a major impact on all who attended, especially those who had previously attended the Men’s Conference.
The conference has been an annual tradition since 2008.
“The Men’s Conference made me desire to be a Memphis Tiger,” said Tarik Wilkins, fellowship co-chair of EMOC and a junior at UofM majoring in professional studies, with a focus on organizational leadership. “I attended my first Men’s Conference in 2022 as a community
college student, and Penny Hardaway was the keynote speaker. Most importantly, I felt a fire erupt in my heart when I saw so many black men who desired to improve themselves. That was my first time being in a room like that, but I knew I needed to experience it again.”
“My first conference was last November in 2023,” said Nicholas Donald II, president of EMOC and a senior at UofM majoring in health studies, with a minor in personal training. “This conference as a whole was made to unite, network, and integrate the community and collegiate male students to develop the leaders of now and of each generation that follows. Being able to hear from successful black men, who only want to guide young men that look like me to greatness, it’s a blessing to be a part of and experience.”
The speakers covered a wide range of topics from life hacks towards improving leadership, all the way to speed networking.
The conference was kicked off by raffles and an uplifting performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by UofM’s Sierra Neal.
The keynote speaker was Kofi “Kizzle” Forson, founder of Express Yourself Black Man (XYBM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising mental health awareness for young African American men.
“This year's experience was surreal because I was just an audience member this past year, and now I welcomed in the 16th Annual Men’s Conference as president of this great organization,” said Donald. “I was overjoyed by how many people attended and experienced this event, especially for the first timers. People kept coming up to me and saying how much they enjoyed the conference, and I couldn’t help but mention my programming co-chair, Quincy Macon and Demetrius Smotherman, because they made this conference a success. I’m just blessed that I was able to be a part of the planning committee and help continue to elevate this amazing event.”
“This year's experience was about making sure others got what they needed,” said Wilkins. “That looked like more connected underclassmen with upperclassmen in their majors, giving advice to guys when I could and being as supportive as possible. What I’ll remember most is our keynote speaker, Kizzle, pouring into the life of an EMOC member in the empty ballroom 30 minutes after the conference ended.”
