Meek Mill’s Dream Chasers Summit returns to Temple University after 13 years

Hundreds of students darted from School District of Philadelphia buses and climbed Temple University’s Liacouras Center steps on Thursday, anticipating the arrival of multi-platinum artist Meek Mill.

The North Philly native, who grew up just blocks away from the venue on N. 18th and Berks St., was equally excited to hit the stage. But there was no concert or setlist on the agenda.

Instead, Meek welcomed high school seniors and Temple students to the Dream Chasers Sports and Entertainment Summit, a day-long event of moderated discussions with industry leaders across sports, business, and entertainment.

Thursday marked the second iteration of the summit, and the first since the inaugural event at Temple in 2013. “It feels good to be back in the city,” Meek said in the media room hours before his keynote address.

While he said this could’ve easily been a rap show, Meek was determined to put on an event that combined youth engagement and education.

“I was looking at the events and things that were going on, and I [didn’t] see a lot of these types of events taking place,” he said. “I wanted to do this just to add another type of motivation to the city. We need more inspiration here in Philadelphia, and I thought this would be the right thing to do.”

Speakers included Temple athletics director Arthur Johnson, Live Nation Urban president Shawn Gee, D.C. United president of business operations Danita Johnson, SDP superintendent Tony B. Watlington, Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast host Wallo267, and others through the day.

Attendees ranged from teens to Temple students and administrators, who remained engaged from the event’s opening until the ending “Dreams and Nightmares” session featuring Meek, Wallo267, and Larry Miller, chairman of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board.

The themes of their discussions were based on popular Meek records such as “All Eyes on You,” “Dreams Worth More Than Money,” “Respect the Game,” and others. But for second-year Temple student Amira Haynesworth, the summit offered more than just musical references.

Haynesworth, a second-year Temple student who grew up in North Philly, said hearing Meek, Wallo, and other speakers retrace the obstacles they faced in their journeys gave her and other attendees a sense of self-empowerment.

“They came from such hardship and still made a name for themselves,” Haynesworth, 19, said. “Being young, people tend to doubt themselves, and many feel like they’re not going to make it somewhere high in life. But they didn’t let that define them.”

Meek said recruiting a mix of sports leaders, music executives, justice reform advocates, and athletic department heads was paramount, given how transformative this time period is in their young lives.

“[The summit] is for everybody, but these people are already in that direction, so that was important,” he said. “When I was 17 and 18 years old, those were the most important years of my life when it came to decision-making. I just thought that we have to make sure we touch on the kids first or the younger adults.”

That was the mission that inspired Meek to develop the summit, and inspired Temple leaders to partner for a second iteration.

Temple athletics director Arthur Johnson, who helped steer the summit’s return to Temple, said Meek’s mission aligns with the university’s goals for student success and place-based impact for those who are integrated in both the Temple and North Philly community.

“We’re the wind underneath the wings of all of our students who come and chase their dreams and their goals,” Johnson said. “Helping them understand they can be accountants, attorneys, a compliance person, CFOs, and explore many different careers and opportunities is important.”

City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who greeted event speakers, attendees, and media members throughout the summit, said Meek’s decision to bring the event to North Philly speaks to his commitment to change young people’s lives in his community.

“It shows the resiliency of Meek Mill, in terms of who he is as a person, the things that he has overcome, but most importantly, his heart and his passion and commitment to giving back,” he said.

Arthur Johnson said the goal is to bring the summit back to Temple next year and to attract a wider swath of students whose upbringings and career ambitions mirror those shared by Meek and the other speakers he recruits. “Next year, I need double,” he said. “But we’ll plan for it. We’ll have a whole strategy around how do we do that.”

Meek also shares the Temple leaders’ ambitions. While he intends for North Philly to remain the home base for future summits, he wants the event to expand in attendance and impact, as long as students leave with an endless sense of possibility.

“My whole brand is Dream Chasers, like chasing a dream to live a better life,” he said. “If you could take something from here that could get you to the next level, or get your ideas sparked in your mind, that’s good enough for me.”

While a concert wasn’t advertised for the day, Meek decided to surprise the crowd with a brief performance. Students descended onto the arena floor, pulling out their phone cameras and rapping the lyrics to Meek’s “Dreams and Nightmares.”

“If you want it, you gotta see it with a clear-eyed view,” students yelled at half-court, bringing Meek’s message full-circle.