Baxter E. Hall had been hoping to help out and get involved with The Unity Collaborative since meeting its founders. Darlene King Turner and Ivy Hunter, but had never been able to get his schedule to mesh.
It meshed last week, though, when Hall, a vice president and consultant at Kapnick Insurance Group, led a panel discussion on STEM and other forms of technology during the National Black Men in Leadership Conference: The Power of Us conference hosted by the Unity Collaborative at Huntington Place.
The conference was designed to inspire, educate, and connect Black men from diverse fields including business, education, community, and entrepreneurship. Centered on the theme “The Power of Us,” the conference highlighted the collective strength of Black men in leadership roles and explored how collaboration, allyship, and self-empowerment can foster systemic change, innovation, and growth.
For Hall, an author who recently wrote his second book, “You Get What You Give: Cultivating Your Ideal Network,” it was a chance to “be in the room where things were movin’ and shakin.’”
“I didn’t want to miss this. I’m really honored I was even asked to participate,” Hall said. “Any time you’re bringing Black men together, it’s important to me. The networking piece is important. Being able to be around that many awesome people, I really wanted to make sure that I supported the (event), but I wanted to add wherever I could in this room.”
The day-long conference featured a pair of keynote addresses – Tony Coles of iHeart Media sharing insights from leading at the intersection of media, business and culture, and artist and political activist David Banner exploring the event theme, The Power of Us, through the lens of mental health, identity and leadership among Black men – and a variety of “power sessions” discussing the various aspects of the event’s theme.
In a letter to attendees King Turner, CEO of the Unity Collaborative, said the Power of Us theme “represents the collective strength that emerges when we stand together—our shared experiences, our leadership, our voice, and our commitment to shaping meaningful change.”
“The Power of US reminds us that progress is not the work of one, but the result of many working in unity,” King Turner said. “Today, we celebrate the excellence and impact of Black men while also welcoming the presence of our allies, partners, and supporters who stand with us in solidarity, collaboration, and purpose.”
The event also featured presentation of leadership awards recognizing “the importance of elevating and celebrating” Black men in leadership.
Eight awards were handed out, among them:
- The Emerging Leadership Award went to Cayden Brown of The Trespass Project.
- The Mental Health Advocacy & Wellness Leadership Award went to Odis Bellinger of Building Better Men.
- Business Leadership Award went to Jamiel Robinson of Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses.
- Community & Advocacy Leadeship Award went to Kevin A. Watkins of Comerica.
- Innovative Leadership in the Arts & Culture Award went to Drake Phifer of Urban Organic Arts & Culture Co.
- Education and Mentorship Leadership Award went to Lawrence Hood of the Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences.
- The Entrepreneurship Leadeship Award went to Kamal Norton of All-Pro Color.
- The Higher Education Leadership Award went to Darryl Gardner of Wayne State University.
