Ledger

Issue date: 5/19/05 Section: Opinion

The Leadership for the 21st Century was the most informative and interesting session I attended at the Student of Color Conference. The facilitator was one of two African American vice presidents in the area of higher education within our region.

He spoke on real issues facing minorities and choices we need to make in order to maintain and grow socially and economically mobile. He asked pointed questions and challenged the lack of minority participation in higher education.

He also stated clearly the barriers that exist for minorities desiring upward mobility, but he did not just commiserate with the state of our nation. He provided ideas, suggestions and tools to overcome and deal with the barriers that exist and that may develop.

The African American Caucus provided an opportunity for participants to engage in conversations within small groups. The groups were meant to facilitate the personalization of shared experiences and backgrounds in a manner that encouraged interconnectedness, understanding and support among the group. While there were intelligent and thoughtful insights gathered from among the group, there existed a daunting amount of evidence that action was required in some way, shape or form to proceed further and successfully down the path we were pursuing.
What left me dissatisfied was the lack of a formalized strategic outline that would have provided less experienced students with a starting place for action and reconciliation on their campus.

Minty Jeffrey was the final keynote speaker. She was down to earth, vibrant and warm in her presentation. From adoptee to gang-banger to teen-age mom and entrepreneur, Jeffrey brought it hard, fast and "kept it real". The overall theme of the conference was "Keepin' it Real and Givin' it Back."

Jeffrey did just that; she was an awesome, creative speaker who let down any personal barriers she might have had to speak from her heart and share her life experiences. She engaged us with funny yet heartbreaking anecdotes that left one in awe of her journey.

I left the conference encouraged by the number of students who were self motivated and who proved it by networking without the help of facilitators.

I think the majority of students recognize that if we are to see and lay a hold to change and progress on our campuses, we will have to become the initiators and producers of the outcome we desire.

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