Black Issues Conference At Knoxville

 KNOXVILLE — The sixth annual Black Issues Conference, titled “Black in America: Honoring the Past … Enhancing Our Future,” will come to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on Saturday, Feb. 5.

The event, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center Auditorium, offers a forum for research and a discussion of matters affecting the African-American culture. 

The conference will consist of interactive workshop sessions, a local area career expo, lunch and a keynote speaker. This year’s Charlie Lemmons Endowment keynote speaker will be professor, author and activist Marc Lamont Hill. Hill will speak at 2:15 p.m. There will be a book signing and reception following his keynote address.

Hill is one of the leading hip-hop generation experts in the country. His work covers topics such as hip-hop culture, politics, sexuality, education and religion and has appeared in numerous journals, magazines, books and anthologies. Hill has lectured widely and provides regular commentary for media outlets such as NPR, the Washington Post, Essence magazine, CNN and Court TV. He is currently a political contributor for Fox News Channel, where he appears regularly on programs such as “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Huckabee.” He is a member of the faculty at Columbia University’s Teachers College and holds an affiliated faculty appointment in the university’s Institute for Research in African-American Studies.

The Black Issues Conference is made possible through the efforts of the Black Issues Conference Planning Committee, UT Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Charlie Lemmons Endowment, Black Cultural Programming Committee, Office of Minority Student Affairs, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Office of Student Affairs, Office of the Dean of Students, Office of Disability Services, Office of Student Activities, UT Bookstore, Office of Equity and Diversity, Commission for Blacks and the UT Black Alumni Council.

The Black Issues Conference is just one of many events on the UT Knoxville campus in February to celebrate Black History Month. Other events include:

Black History Month Celebration featuring the theatrical performance “One Race, One People, One Peace,” 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, in the University Center Auditorium;
African-American Scholar’s Bowl, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Black Cultural Center;
Mahogany Soul Café, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, at the Black Cultural Center.