today in black history

March 19, 2024

The all Black Texas Western University team made history, winning the NCAA basketball championship over Kentucky in 1966.

IBW Set to Meet in New Orleans

POSTED: September 08, 2008, 12:00 am

  • POST
    • Add to Mixx!
  • SEND TO FRIEND
  • Text Size
  • TEXT SIZE
  • CLEARPRINT
  • PDF

Plans are gearing up for the State of the Black World Conference November 19 through the 23 in New Orleans. Sponsored by the Institute for the Black World 21st Century (IBW), the conference will take place just weeks after the historic U.S. presidential election featuring the first Black candidate with a legitimate chance at winning the White House.

The Institute for the Black World 21st Century is expecting attendees to the conference to come from communities throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and Africa. The theme of this year’s conference is “Return to the Source, Restoring Family, Rebuilding Community, Renewing the Struggle.” IBW President Dr. Ron Daniels noted, “It is crystal clear that massive public and private investments in people, families and communities is what is required to rebuild communities like New Orleans in America and the Pan African World.”

According to Dr. Daniels a major goal of the conference is to focus national and international attention on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. IBW is advocating for the return of evacuees and displaced residents, and supporting their right to return to their homes and neighborhoods to rebuild. Daniels suggested, “The only way that is going to happen is if there is a massive national and international movement anchored by institutions like IBW to demand social justice and social change. The State of the Black World Conference will be a modest step in galvanizing such a movement.”

The conference will open with a National/International Town Hall Meeting on Thursday November 20 at the Ernest Morial Convention Center. The focus of the session will be “The Black Agenda and the Presidential Election” and will be moderated by radio personality Bev Smith, host of “The Bev Smith Show,” and Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree. Panelist include Marc Morial, President/CEO of the National Urban League; Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, President of Rainbow/PUSH; Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President of Bennett College for Women; University of Maryland political scientist Dr. Ron Walters; and Ben Jealous, President of the NAACP.

In addition to the National/International Town Hall Meeting, the State of the Black World Conference will include the Damu Smith Leadership Development and Training Institute; Katrina Policy Roundtables; a special session on Haiti; the Pan African Policy Forum; a Black Family Summit and a number of workshops on a wide range of public policy issues.

Rick Adams, Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, said, “The State of the Black World Conference will be our political convention, a time to collectively embrace priority policy proposals to present to the new administration.”

IBW has announced that information about the State of the Black World Conference can be obtained through a website http://stateoftheblackworld.org or call 888.774.2921.

Related References