I have the pleasure of serving on many external boards, including my role as an advisory board member of Future Black Leaders, Inc. Their mission is to radiate excellence, promote racial equity, and to empower Black leadership. This organization is incredibly special to me, since it is led by former students.

When I served as a chief equity officer in Indiana, I immediately connected with diversity organizations within my school district to conduct a needs assessment. Black high school students shared their struggles and challenges while operating in a predominantly white institution. They faced blatant racism and encountered racial microaggressions, which prompted them to develop an affinity club known as Future Black Leaders (FBL). I worked closely with those students, and we would often freedom dream, reflecting on how we could use our collective power to create identity affirming environments.

The students had a brilliant idea that led to the planning and creation of a Black Student Leadership Summit. As a district administrator, I worked on the logistics and provided funding to bring this dream to life. FBL invited Black students from surrounding school districts to be a part of the summit, which took place during the instructional day. The first summit was held in a local community center in 2018. Nearly 100 Black high school students attended. The following year, the number of attendees tripled.

When the leadership team of FBL graduated from high school, they were determined to maintain the annual summits. By this time, I was working in another district, yet the students reached out and inquired how they could start a business. They developed Future Black Leaders, Inc., which aims to unite Black student-based organizations across the country. The students believe that Black organizations are stronger together and value the power of collective advocacy to evoke societal change. I was asked to serve on their advisory board. It is an honor to work with my former students, who are now college and graduate students (some who are pursuing their PhDs.)

FBL has an extensive list of Black advisors who are national and community-based leaders (e.g., CEOs and VPs of companies, radio personalities, etc.). The advisors offer guidance and help to organize as well as support FBL initiatives or service-based work. FBL hosts their Black Leadership Summit annually. I am often asked to speak to discuss how this work began. This is a time of fellowship where Black Student Union members come together across college campuses to cultivate leadership skills and practice solidarity. The summit offers workshops, keynote speakers, and provides resources to help students with their career goals. This year's 8th Annual Black Leadership summit happened on February 21, 2026, in Indianapolis, IN, at the NCAA Hall of Champions Conference Center. There were several students who left the summit with connections for internship opportunities.
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Erica Buchanan-Rivera is an assistant professor in the Leadership, Language & Curriculum of the College of Education. She joined COE faculty in 2026.