DuBois Bunche Center To Host Global Black Futures Summit at Medgar Evers College
On April 28, 2026, the DuBois Bunche Center (DBC) of Medgar Evers College will host the Global Black Futures Summit, a dynamic one-day event focused on advancing unity, power, and strategy for Black communities in an increasingly interconnected world. The day’s theme is “Black New York: Power & Strategy for a Changing World” and will feature myriad voices from across sectors to examine critical issues including global economic shifts, technological transformation, political polarization, community safety and opportunities for collective advancement from across the African diaspora.
Driving these messages home will be guest speaker Simone Castillo, founder and principal of Velvet Canary Advisors, a mission-driven advisory firm launched in 2019 to support women-led and underrepresented founders, operators and ecosystem builders through financial resilience, operational strategy and institutional partnerships. For Castillo, this engagement gives her the opportunity to share relatable information while meeting the audience where they are at.
“In VCA (Velvet Canary Advisors], we know there’s going to be actionable takeaways and some type of resource that’s going to be committed to closing the financial wellness gap in our nation’s underinvested communities,” she said. “Our team personally prioritizes the financial wellness gap and economic empowerment because we not only believe health is wealth, but money is seeds.”
She added, “Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does give optionality and provides safety and quality of life that allows for health. You can build upon whatever foundation you wish. Every single engagement and speaking opportunity that I have, we believe in the power of threes. There are going to be three actual takeaways. There are going to be three resources that people can explore further. There are going to be three springboards for people to build upon.”
Attendees will get to explore the following program highlights:
The State of Black People in a Rapidly Changing World
The summit will open with a timely discussion examining how global forces—including the rise of the Global South, advances in technology and artificial intelligence, and increasing political polarization—are reshaping opportunities and challenges for Black communities. The session emphasizes the need to move from reactive responses to proactive, strategic planning. It’s a worldview Castillo shares.
“It looks no different than the legacy of our people in this country and this state It’s incremental, it’s daily, it’s holistic, it’s in community and it’s interdependent.”
Youth Leadership: The Next Generation Shaping Black Futures
This segment will spotlight emerging young leaders driving change through activism, innovation, and global engagement. Topics include technology and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, cultural influence, and strengthening connections across the African diaspora. Having just returned from an international conference in Geneva, Castillo saw these efforts of fighting for equity first-hand.
“There are examples of everyone across the world, people of African descent and people not of African descent, who are economically disadvantaged that don’t necessarily have access to tech,” she said “They don’t necessarily have access to digital banking and they’re collectively building, nurturing and growing resources for the community, jobs for the community and also municipal law for their community. I’m going to be sharing examples with folks of how there is still so much being planted, seeded, grown, share and multiplied.”
Prevention & Community Safety: Building Safer Futures
A dedicated conversation will highlight the importance of prevention and safety in strengthening communities. This session will explore community-based approaches to violence prevention, public safety strategies, and the role of local leadership, technology, and partnership in creating safer, more resilient neighborhoods. The idea of pragmatically using tech in a way that safeguards activists and community members is a point Castillo will be driving home.
“For safety, we have Signal, we have WhatsApp and things that dissolve,” she said. “Then we also have Survey Monkey and Meet Up. Before we get to the TikToks, LinkedIn’s and Instagrams of it all, we’ve got a Survey Monkey to find out when everyone can meet. And we’ve got Meet Up for everyone to use—it’s a great app I feel that allows people to drop a pin without necessarily risking their IP address. Meet Up is used across the board for so many different things. You can have a Meet Up group, use a Survey Monkey and use a Signal Room.”
Global Black Solidarity: From Local to International Action
A series of discussions will focus on building a unified global Black agenda, emphasizing diaspora alliances, trade and economic partnerships, cultural diplomacy, and lessons from international movements. The goal is to foster coordinated action and long-time collaborations across borders.
“I just spent a week with some of the most optimistic, resilient, global community-builders of Black people in my life,” Castillo said. “Everywhere a Black person lives on this Earth was at this conference at the UN. To have people, especially our Canadian cousins, reflect and say to me that as much as Black America is fighting for their life right now given who is sitting in the White House, it was a balm and familial to hear folks say, ‘You are still a community that can still mobilize and effectively do things even if it is to resist.’”
Economic Power & Wealth Building
This session will explore strategies for building sustainable Black wealth, including cooperative economics, real estate ownership, access to capital, and opportunities in technology and artificial intelligence. Discussions will also highlight pathways to engage in international markets and expand global business partnerships. With a maternal side hailing from Jamaica and a paternal lineage from Belize that are Garifuna, Castillo grew up learning financial wellness and investing in a way that shaped her future path.
“It first started with a family of women who know how to make a dollar out of 15 cents,” she said. “I used to serve the Ritz crackers at my mother’s investment club meetings. My aunts ran the sou sou, [an informal, community-based rotating savings club where a group of people contributes a set amount of money regularly.] I became an angel investor in 2012. I first freelanced and then became an entrepreneur. I started investing before I started building businesses or my people.”
Building Black Political Power
Leaders will examine the future of political strategy focusing on protecting voting rights, strengthening political infrastructure, and increasing influence at local, national, and global levels. The session will also address key policy priorities, including economic development, education, and housing.
“I’m so happy this summit is in Brooklyn,” Castillo said. “There is history in Brooklyn in terms of advocacy, great leaders and builders we have. People must never forget that some of the highest concentration of Black ownership on the value of property in New York City is in Brooklyn. That’s another good thing we can look to—the history of the work of our ancestors and elders. We are living and seeing it. There’s a saying—if you can see it you can believe it. We have that good fortune here in New York.”
Celebrating Culture & Community
The summit will conclude with a celebration of Black culture featuring artistic performances, storytelling and creative expression. This closing segment aims to honor cultural contributions while fostering deeper community connections.
“We’ve got the Langston Hughes Library in Corona which is a U.S. Landmarked Historical Site,” Castillo said. “It’s a very large library that comes with tech-enabled resources that includes free SAT and ACT prep courses for the. We already have many great things and sometimes we maybe have to find a way to put a couple of heads together.”
The Global Black Futures Summit will be held on April 28 at 1638 Bedford Avenue and starts 9 a.m. Register Now