Black Student Leadership Conference

Conference Details

Date: Friday, February 27, 2026

Location: West Village Ballrooms 

This year’s theme, Rooted & Rising: Where Culture Meets Power, celebrates the ways Black students draw strength from culture, community, and collective memory to lead with confidence and purpose. Rooted & Rising: Where Culture Becomes Power invites students to claim their stories, honor their identities, and recognize themselves as vital shaping forces on campus. Through dialogue, reflection, and creative expression, participants will explore how culture fuels leadership, inspires advocacy and builds community.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

• Recognize how cultural identity, shared history, and community storytelling shape Black student leadership and collective power on campus.
• Describe how Black students use communication—storytelling, social media, creative expression, and public voice to influence campus culture.
• Identify strategies to strengthen community connections rooted in cultural values and collective purpose.
• Reflect on their own leadership narratives and articulate how their lived experiences contribute to community-building at Towson and beyond.
• Reflect on personal ownership of ways one shows up in the community.

Registration Link: https://bit.ly/BSLC26.

For general information visit www.towson.edu/studentdiversity. For specific questions regarding the conference, email Dr. Keiwana Perryman at kperryman@towson.edu. 

Conference Session	Facilitator	Considerations
Community Bunch: Rooted in Connection	Office of Student Activities	Students will engage in a reflective activity focusing on storytelling and consider how they contribute to Towson's story.
We Are the Movement: Alumni Perspectives on Community, Leadership & Legacy	Allyyah Aali, Moderator Jensy Claude Elijah Rhea Khouri Lassiter	Alumni will highlight how their experiences as student leaders shaped their identity, purpose, and power. They will share lessons learned, the impact of campus movements on their journey, and what it means to stay rooted in community while rising into new chapters.
Solidarity as Salvation: Yesterday's Lessons as Tomorrow's Blueprint	Ray Baker	This session will speak to the legacy of Black student activism on college campuses and why continuing that tradition strengthens future generations of leaders.
Fueling the Movement: Wellness, Balance, and Community	Jensy Clyde	Students will learn and practice strategies that sustain leadership and collective wellbeing
A new Age of Community & Activism	Elijah Rhea	Students will explore how community spaces can be creatively reimagined as civically engaged spaces of activism.
Student Voices at the Center	Khouri Lassiter, Moderator, Shannon Bache, Benedict Adjoyi	Current student leaders will reflect on how they are shaping culture, building community, and carrying forward a legacy on Towson's campus. Students will share how they stay grounded, what fuels their rise, and how they’re transforming their organizations, classrooms, and peers through culture, creativity, and collective action.
Closing Session		Conference recap, announcements & mixer

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Conference Schedule

Sponsors and Partners

The Center for Student Diversity is excited to partner with Be Your Own Brand for BSLC 2026.  Special thanks to this year's sponsor, Student Government Association.

For questions or accommodation requests, contact us via email at DiversityWorks AT_TOWSON or by calling us at 410-704-2051.