Selma University hosts two-day student leadership summit conference

Students from surrounding Selma and Dallas County schools line up at the Jemison-Owens Auditorium to attend the university's first student leadership conference. | Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce

By Faith Callens

Special to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information

On Tuesday, Selma University kicked off its first-ever two-day Black student leadership summit conference at its Jemison-Owens Auditorium and Gymnasium with the idea in mind to enrich the lives of students located around Selma and Dallas County.

About 400 students from various schools in the Black Belt attended the event’s opening day that was geared towards the university’s mission to prepare procreant servant leaders from its communities for its communities while creating an environment where students can heal, realize their power and step into their change-making abilities, according to the university’s program itinerary.

“I’m just excited that all of you could come and that your advisors, high school counselors and coaches would bring you all and I’m just thrilled,” said Selma University President Dr. Stan Angion to the crowd during the ceremony.

 Like Angion, there were various speakers like Dr. Carlos Williams, who spoke on the topic of being a procreant servant leader and how the role could be demonstrated in a student’s day-to-day life. Dr. Dominica McBride also spoke on the topic of the students becoming a change maker and what that process looks like while also incorporating to the students the importance of healing. 

The opening ceremony concluded with breakout sessions, classroom workshops geared towards students being the change, the shift in leadership while also learning how to heal and show up strong.

“Showing up strong” is a workshop that encourages students to be present at school both physically and mentally and it  teaches them how to show up strong because in our communities, we’ve had issues with student absenteeism and so with this workshop today, we are reaching out to help students know that their presence makes a difference in class,” Angion said. 

The event also included a networking lunch, an interactive procreant servant leadership fireside chat alongside the unveiling of a documentary about the life of Thurgood Marshall  as well. There were also other events held leading up to a reflection of the day and a circle full of students ending the day in prayer.

“We wanted the students to have fun,” Angion said.  “We wanted them to enjoy and get the message, but we also wanted them to leave saying, man we had a good time and be intrigued not just by what they learned but also about how they can have good, clean fun in a wholesome environment.”

Angion said the networking portion of the event was a gateway activity for students to connect with the speakers of the day including their peers and others who could be a resource for them in the near future.

A local food truck vendor named Southern Groove was also a contributor to the networking portion of the event, providing students with fresh meals catered to its distinct southern cuisine. Due to its presence near the university’s auditorium, students lined up in hurdles to fellowship and grab a quick bite to eat.

Southern Groove owner Robert Childers said once he received the call that students from all surrounding schools were coming to SU for a leadership conference, he said he knew he couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to support.  He said through his small business he hopes that the students can see the idea of entrepreneurship and will always be willing to help anyway he can.

“Today’s menu at Southern Groove consists of wings and fries,” Childers said. “For me, I try to be creative in everything I do, even though it is wings and fries. The way I serve my fries, I do a fried medley, which is waffle fries, straight cut fries and crinkle cut. I’m Just trying to be different and give a lot of options.”

Childers said the flavors of wings that were sold during the conference were lemon pepper, sweet chili and plain. Plates were around $12 and if the students wanted a drink, he said it could be added as well. One customer standing in line at Southern Groove food truck, waiting on her food admired the scenery of fellowship on SU’s campus that she said she will always cherish and never forget.

“Selma University was a place where we came and played under the guidance of some ministerial students. My parents owned the land just past the dorm that was sold to the university many years ago,” said Carolyn Pickett, a retired educator of the Selma City Schools System and volunteer coordinator at the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth and Reconciliation.  “My mother was a graduate of Selma University, so I have love for this campus, and I am so excited to be here this morning and to see the number of young people in one space, in the gym, I got chill bumps. It’s been a long time since I saw students like this in an educational setting. I’ve seen a lot of young people at football games and some at the other sport activities, but to see this number of young people under a covered roof and to also see the people who are mentoring them, their teachers, is such a great thing to see.”

Pickett said she was excited for the up-and-coming activities that university plans to offer to the students and that she hopes she can participate in the students’ conference for the second day.

 “I am hopeful that the takeaway for them will be someone is interested in them, individually and collectively and that the leadership of Selma University had the thought process to hold an event like this and to reach out and engage them,” Pickett said.

Pickett said she would tell tourists who never seen or heard of SU that it is the oldest HBCU in the state of Alabama and that this is a campus where they should come and schedule a visit because there is history on this campus and it’s surrounded by other Civil Rights history, but it has its own place in history as well.

Angion said the conference’s second day will consist of more student breakout sessions with various speakers and will act as a subtle reminder for students to become who they were created to be through the daily commitment of healing and empowerment.