COLUMBUS -- Kweisi Mfume, president and chief executive officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is the keynote speaker for the 7^th Annual Big 10 & Statewide Conference, set for Tuesday, May 1, at the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.  This year’s theme is “Racial Legacies and Learning…Rationalization or Legitimacy: An Inclusionary Code of Conduct for the 21^st Century.”

Mfume joined the NAACP in 1996 after being elected unanimously by its Board of Directors.  Prior to his appointment, he served as Maryland’s 7^th District Congressional representative for a decade, earning a reputation as an advocate for the disenfranchised.  Among his accomplishments, Mfume co-wrote and amended the Civil Rights Act of 1991, served as a chair for the Congressional Black Caucus and was influential in passing the Americans with Disabilities Act.  He is the author of a best selling autobiography, No Free Ride.

The purpose of the conference is to examine diversity through the overriding theme of “Racial Legacies and Learning” and to brainstorm methods of improving racial and cultural equity in all levels of society, including the academic, corporate, economic, political and social arenas.

The conference is co-hosted by Ohio State’s Office of Minority Affairs and the Division of Student Affairs.  See the conference Web site at http://www.oma.admin.ohio-state.edu/spprogs/big10/conference.htm for information about breakout sessions and registration information.  

WHAT:            The 7^th Annual Big 10 & Statewide Conference, “Racial Legacies and Learning…Rationalization or Legitimacy”

WHEN:           Kweisi Mfume, keynote address – 1:15 to 2:10 p.m., followed by a question and answer session.

WHERE:         East Ballroom, Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.  

WHY:             To facilitate dialogue about racial and cultural equity and to devise solutions to address concerns involving diversity.  

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