Durham College hosts The Cypher: Black Male Empowerment Conference Posted on May 25, 2017 at 3:46 pm. Durham College (DC) was proud to welcome 300 guests to campus on May 24 as host of The Cypher: Black Male Empowerment Conference. The conference, an initiative of the Durham District School Board (DDSB), provided black male students from grades 8-10 with the opportunity to learn about future academic pathways and positive transitions, while also experiencing the college’s unique learning environment. Students also met with community leaders, including award-winning spoken word poet and conference keynote speaker, Dwayne Morgan and DDSB alumni youth speaker, Francis Asheri who won the TD Scholarship for Community Leadership in 2014. Throughout the day, students participated in a variety of presentations from DDSB alumni, teachers and community members. SHARE: