of the black
familv
66
(The theme of the conference is) so deeply
rooted in everything
Donny White
APU president
to divide us as a people. ...
“... (The walls) have broken apart the
Black family - our extended Black Family
— the force that had once been a source of
strength within our Black communities.”
Other workshops include: ACTION! A
Common Sense Approach to Improving
Your Campus Climate; Ethically
Speaking; and Afri-Technology Advances,
Inc. Toward Stabilization and Salvation.
Shanks hopes participants gain an
understanding of the theme by the time
they leave on Sunday morning.
“I hope they gain the idea of together
ness, the idea of how to build coalitions on
their respective campuses (and) build a
love for the arts.”
Photos by
Jay Calderon
Another
page
history of
diversity
Conference evolved from
common goal to build unity
By Josh Funk
Senior Reporter
Common problems brought
Big 8 Universities’ black student
leaders to the University of
Missouri’s campus in 1977 hop
ing to build unity.
They have.
And, somewhat accidentally,
they kicked off the inaugural
Black Student Leaders
Conference.
At that first meeting, students
established the Big 8 Council
and Conference on Black Student
Government - a forum for
addressing the problems, con
cerns and ideas of black students
attending the predominantly
white colleges and universities in
what was then the Big 8.
“They found a lot of common
ground with the lack of diversity
and other problems,” said Leslie
Bell, logistics team leader for
this year’s 21st annual confer
ence, which will be held in
Lincoln today through Sunday at
the Cornhusker Hotel, 333 S.
13th St.
The conference works to
build leadership and communica
tion skills, promote academic
success and political awareness
and reinforce educational and
cultural developments of aspir
ing black scholars.
“The conference sought to
unite all the black student orga
nizations,” Bell said.
The conference also provides
a strong support system for black
leaders, Bell said.
Conference speakers, many of
whom are nationally recognized,
share their insights with and
motivate students.
The council, established at
the first conference, meets four
times a year to address problems
black student leaders are facing
on their respective campuses.
Both the council and the con
ference rotate from school to
school each year.
This weekend will mark the
third time the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln has played
host to the event.
This year will also be the first
Big 12 Conference on Black
Student Government.
“The conference brings young
leaders together to challenge the
boundaries,” said Jimmi Smith,
director of multicultural affairs.
Black leaders hope for the
opportunity to contribute to soci
ety, Smith said.
“Society is moving forward,
and we want to make sure it does
n’t leave black people behind.”
