Men of Color Leadership Conference expects about 350 students

Men from throughout the region will gather at IU this weekend to celebrate their heritages and focus on their futures.

More than 350 students from eight states are expected to visit campus for the fifth annual Men of Color Leadership Conference at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.

The conference, themed “Realizing the Possible: Changing Tomorrow by Reflecting on Yesterday,” is designed to bring black, Latino, Asian and Native American men together to address issues pertaining to their demographic and create solutions to the problems they face.

“These are issues that are overarching, that are far-reaching throughout all communities, not just communities of color,” said conference chairman Patrick D. Smith. “These are very important issues that we have to address.”

Smith said there are a limited number of men of color pursuing higher education or leadership positions in the work force. He said he hopes people leave the conference with practical ideas and strategies to create positive changes in those areas and others.

“We’re not just here to talk about the problem, but we’re also here to discuss solutions to those problems,” Smith said.

The conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center with a session for high school students, three panels and two workshops, according to an IU press release. Activities for college students will begin at 2 p.m. and conclude at 7 p.m. with a reception.

On Saturday morning, the conference will continue at 8 a.m. and feature its two main guest speakers, Bobby Fong, president of Butler University, and Omar Tyree, a New York Times best-selling author.

Smith said he had expected to bring BET and CNN correspondent Jeffrey Johnson to speak at the conference, but Johnson had unexpectedly been assigned to cover a story overseas.

Smith said Tyree will speak about using Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages to create solutions for today’s issues, as well as what the election of Barack Obama means for men of color.

People at the conference will also have 15 workshops to choose from Saturday, most of which will focus on the past struggles for men of color and how to analyze these struggles to create present and future solutions.

“It will allow us the opportunity to look at past experiences of those who came before us and determine how we can incorporate those experiences into an agenda that will assist us in moving our communities forward,” Smith said. “We’re looking at the past, present and more importantly, we’re considering the future.”

Smith said the conference has traditionally taken place solely at the Neal-Marshall Center, but this year’s events will span different campus locations to give guests insight into the average IU student’s daily routine.

Though the conference aims to address men of color, Smith said women and white students are also invited.

“We all have an obligation to increase our diversity awareness,” he said. “It’s important to get involved in activities in which you can learn about the struggles of others.”

Smith said he thinks IU could do more to promote diversity and added that he and the office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs are trying to help the University do just that.

“Diversity has to be a universal effort in respect to the overall institution from top-down to bottom-up,” Smith said. “The University can always do more. I don’t think there’s any bar, and if there is, we need to go beyond that.”