Hundreds of student leaders from around the country are gathering at Texas A&M University for the 29th Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC) for a weekend of addressing societal issues.
The three-day conference, which extends through the weekend, will use this year’s “Activating the Vision”-themed conference to encourage young professionals to be leaders in three core areas: economic empowerment, civic engagement, and political involvement.
“We want students to become more dynamic leaders, to create their own visions and go back to their communities to set about change, said Brianna Lilly, a Texas A&M senior and SBSLC associate chair of administration. “We hope students leave the conference empowered to set in motion whatever plans that they have.”
In addition to a full slate of workshops, networking sessions and social events, the conference will feature two speakers who will bookend the weekend. Brian Banks, a former high school football standout who was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault, will share his message of the “power of choice” to kick off the event. And Angela Rye, a CNN political commentator and board member of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, will wrap up the conference with a keynote address on Saturday.
SBSLC adviser Varselles Cummings said approximately 600 students from as far away as Oregon and the West Indies are expected to attend.
“Many students look forward to the conference as a way to rejuvenate, regroup and share ways to activate their visions on their campuses,” Cummings said. “Considering the current climate of our country and world I think it’s an opportunity for empowerment for these young black leaders.”
For additional information about the conference, visit the SBSLC website.
###
Media contact: Crys-chelle Tate, SBSLC 2017 Chair, Sbslc.chair@gmail.com, 979-845-4565
