FAMU hosts 2nd Annual State of the Black Student Summit
TALLAHASSEE — The Second Annual State of the Black Student Summit will be held Friday, Feb. 23, in Gaither Gymnasium from 6 to 9 p.m. Coinciding with the University’s celebration of Black History Month, panelists, students and surrounding communities will gather to discuss the circumstances that influence the status of the black student in America.
The event, sponsored by the Minority Leadership Academy, the Student Government Association and the Black College Alumni Hall of Fame, aims to provide enlightening, yet relative programming for the students at Florida’s only public Historically Black College or University.
The first summit was held in 2005, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and since then students from across the country have been looking forward to the next one. Unlike Tavis Smiley’s State of Black America symposium, the summit is targeted to African-American students with an interest in propelling their communities forward in the fast-growing global market. Last year’s panel included: Dr. Julia Hare, New York Times bestselling author Omar Tyree, ‘Extra’ TV’s AJ Calloway and BET’s Jeffery Johnson.
This year’s panelists include:
Thomas Dortch, panel moderator, president of the Black College Alumni Hall of Fame
Marshawn Evans, former competitor on “The Apprentice”
Andrew Gillum, Tallahassee City Commissioner
Hill Harper, author, cast member of “CSI: NY”
Jeff Johnson, BET personality
Jessica Larche, Hearst Award-winning student journalist
Kevin Powell, author, speaker, veteran of MTV's “Real World"
Sista Souljah, author of best-selling book, “The Coldest Winter Ever”
This insightful panel unites some of the campus’ dynamic leadership with a sampling of the nation’s top African-American thinkers, leaders and inspirations. The topics of discussion at summit will be the role of the black church, sexuality, economics, leadership development and academic achievement.
FAMU, the largest HBCU in the world and the No. 1 University for blacks in America as ranked by Black Enterprise, has for more than 100 years served as one of the top producers of African-American intellectuals and pioneers.
“Our University has traditionally been one that has housed many trailblazers that have been at the forefront of political issues and social justice,” said Monique Gillum, FAMU student-body vice president and panel moderator. “The State of the Black Student Summit provides a spirit of enlightenment and will assist us in our efforts to guide the movement to improve the state of the black student.”
The State of the Black Student Summit is free for FAMU students, $5 for FAMU staff and faculty, and $10 for the community-at-large.
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Contact:
Constance Rush
(850) 599-8611
sgalistens@yahoo.com
