Welcome to the 14th Annual Community Empowerment Through Black Men Healing Conference being held virtually on September 22 & 23, 2022. This year's objective is to make an honest attempt to answer the following question. "How does a community heal when it feels like it's under attack?" The community experience with COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd became a nationwide eye-opening experience that spurred protests against police brutality, health disparities, oppression, racism, and hope for a reckoning for past trauma. This reckoning appears to be short-lived with increased racism, community violence, and a call for increased policing, which leaves the community feeling unsafe and under attack. We realize that a more robust, thriving community improves the community's health. We will take a critical deep dive into strategies to address these issues both internally and externally and, at the same time, explore practical trauma-informed, culturally sensitive outcome-driven approaches that lead to community empowerment and healing.

This conference called “Groundbreaking and Visionary” from the 1st conference held in 2009, goal has been to provide an opportunity for meaningful community engagement and access to national and local educators, and community practitioners to discuss and introduce practical culturally sensitive trauma informed initiatives leading to the improved health and wellness of African American men and their families. We realize that a stronger, thriving African American community improves the health of the community and the society as a whole.