N.C. A&T Alumni Times

N.C. A&T Hosted Famous Alumnus, Entertainer and Activist for Male Empowerment Summit Panel

For the closing event for its first Male Empowerment Conference, the Aggie Male Empowerment Network (M.E.N.) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University hosted alumnus Terrence Jenkins, entertainer David Banner, and television host Jeff Johnson for a candid panel discussion on Saturday, Sept. 22, in Harrison Auditorium.

The interactive conference was designed to give Aggie M.E.N. the necessary skills to be successful in and out of the classroom. Aggie M.E.N. is a residential learning community and mentoring program designed to help students overcome obstacles that have the potential to keep them from progressing to their sophomore year and obtaining a four-year degree. The program is comprised of 500 male students who are mentored by male campus administrators and staff.

As individual celebrants in entertainment, Jenkins, Banner and Johnson collectively offered a wealth of knowledge and personal experience to delve into the complex area of male empowerment. Each of the panelists had an opportunity to elaborate on topics given by host Eric Hart, associate athletic director and executive director of major gifts in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at N.C. A&T.

Jenkins ’04 is a charismatic TV and film actor, philanthropist and author. After graduating from A&T, he quickly became one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. He is currently the host of MTV’s “Safeword.” The three-time Emmy nominee is certainly no stranger to hosting. Prior to MTV, he served as co-anchor of the international news program “E! News” and spent seven years as co-host of BET’s “106 & Park.” While in Hollywood, he has proven himself to be a “jack of all trades” -- acting in blockbuster films such as “Think Like a Man” and “Think Like a Man Too” and hit TV shows “The Game” and “All of Us.”

A Grammy award-winning producer, recording artist, philanthropist, activist and actor, Banner is in his second season as Pastor Green on Bounce TV’s “Saints and Sinners” and is the current host of Aspire TV’s “ABFF Independent Film Series.” He is also the founder of A Banner Vision (ABV), a multimedia company specializing in providing emotional engaging music for iconic commercials, video games and films for brands like Pepsi, Paramount Pictures, Marvel, Capcom, Mercedes-Benz and others.

Throughout his career, Banner has been a prominent and passionate voice in the face of social injustices and activities. He is currently touring the country with his thought-provoking “The God Box Lecture Series.”

Johnson, an award-winning journalist, communications specialist and social architect, is the president of the Baltimore-based strategy firm JIJ Communications. In this role, he provides strategic insight and messaging consultation to clients in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

He is also the CEO and co-founder of Elite Voices Speakers, a premier bureau he founded with journalist Marc Lamont Hill, and the host of BET’s “Mancave.” For much of his personal and professional life, he has been committed to the development of young people and youth leadership. He serves on several boards including the Morehouse Research Institute, The Cleveland Foundation’s African-American Philanthropy Committee, and the historic Lincoln Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.