UNM's first Black Cultural Conference will raise awareness among University students about black culture, event organizers say.
"We are doing this to build a sense of community and pride in our heritage," said Jocelyn Gamble-Mims, senior program adviser for UNM's African American Student Services.
The conference will take place this weekend and is co-sponsored by African American Student Services and the Black Student Union.
Blacks make up 3 percent of the student population at UNM, Gamble-Mims said; roughly the same percentage of blacks in New Mexico.
"With these numbers it is easy to lose a sense of your culture," Gamble-Mims said. "The conference's purpose is to make African American students and other students more aware of black culture."
The conference was UNM senior Gary Allison's idea.
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He said every year members of the Black Student Union attend several black leadership conferences at other universities.
"I wanted to put a spin on these conferences and start one here at UNM," Allison said.
He designed the conference around cultural aspects instead of leadership components common at other conferences.
Allison said eight aspects of black culture would be explored at the conference: art, music, language, dress, values, food, history and unity.
"I chose these elements because they are the elements that make all cultures unique," Allison said.
Allison said he wants the conference to become a tradition at UNM.
"I want the conference to be a success," he said. " This year is a trial. I hope that each year the conference can get bigger and better."
The conference will feature workshops and guest speakers.
"Our main theme is to acknowledge the black person in the Southwest," said Mary Winborn, the event's coordinator. "Most workshops will focus on the eight aspects of the conference."
The workshops will be presented by students, faculty, alumni and outside black organizations, Winborn said.
Winborn said workshop topics will include reparations and inventions, among others.
Conference committee chairwoman Angela Green said speakers were chosen based on conference themes.
"We have heard three of them speak at conferences before," Green said. "We felt the influence they had at those conferences would be great to have at ours."
Conference speakers and topics include:
Bakari Kitwana will deliver his speech "Translating Hip-Hop's Commercial Success into Political Power," today at noon.
Frederick Gooding Jr., a UNM law school alumnus, will talk about reparations and police misconduct today at 6 p.m.
Steve Birdie will present his speech "I'm Black and I'm Proud" on Saturday at noon.
Tajuana Butler will speak Saturday at 6 p.m.
All speeches will be in the SUB Ballroom.
There will also be a diversity career fair today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Johnson Recreation Center Auxiliary Gym.
Tickets for the conference and lectures can be purchased outside of the SUB Ballroom today starting at 8 a.m, Green said. Tickets cost $50 for general admission, $45 for high school students and $10 for individual lectures.
