The first African American Male Summit (AAMS) was held at Tallwood High School and was attend by 50 to 60 students. Fast forward nine years and the AAMS has become a divisionwide event having attracted more than 550 students and parents Jan. 9, 2016.
At the core of the event are the teachings and celebration of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was Dr. King who once stated “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?”
Student leaders keep that question in mind as they organize the annual summit. One of the forces behind this year’s AAMS is Delmarcus Talley, a senior at Salem High School. Talley led organizing efforts, served as host of the opening and closing ceremonies and took fifth graders on a tour of the school. His quiet but confident form of leadership speaks volumes to his peers in the classroom, in the bandroom where he plays saxophone for Salem’s jazz and concert bands and on the baseball field, where his abilities have landed him a scholarship offered by Virginia State University.