The Black Midwest Initiative hosts a biennial symposium that features artists, activists, academics, and other community-involved people to discuss issues related to Black life in the Midwest. Past symposiums have been hosted in Minneapolis and Detroit.

The next symposium, Adaptive Reuse: Reimagining Black Futures in the Midwest, will take place October 17th-19th, 2024 at the Dayton Metro Library in Dayton, Ohio.