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	Vol.7, No 41, November 8, 1999
	Black issues explored By Johnna Walker Daily Forty-Niner The demands on students today are tougher than the demands on previous generations, said professor Amen Rahh during an on-campus speech at the 20th annual Black Consciousness Conference over the weekend. Rahh, a founding faculty member and current professor of the black studies department at Cal State Long Beach, was one of the keynote speakers at the event, which featured black scholars from around the country. The consciousness conference, organized by the CSULB Black Student Union, consisted of three days of workshops and lectures dealing with issues in the African-American community both on and off campus. "The purpose of the conference was the same as it has been for the past 19 years, which is to raise consciousness of black people and to preserve black life, culture and history," said David Love, president of the BSU. This purpose was met through holding various activities and lectures, Love said. During the conference, there were keynote speakers each day and a total of eight workshops, with topics such as black organizations and changing the roles of blacks in the media. "Maintaining Our Past, Sustaining Our Present, Committing to Our Future" was the theme of the conference this year, which was dedicated to both Nap Harris, senior director of Student Life and Development, and Kwame Ture, a black activist and author who recently passed away. Harris was chosen because of his role in planning and supporting the conference throughout its history, with Ture being picked for helping to the increase the recognition and progression of African Americans, Love said. These men were honored throughout the weekend, along with many others, including Maulana Karenga, creator of the Pan-African holiday Kwanzaa, author and chairman of the black studies department at CSULB. Karenga and Rahh were keynote speakers at the conference on Sunday evening. All the keynote speakers discussed the importance of education in the lives of African Americans. One aspect of education that was covered throughout their lectures was research of African history, which the speakers encouraged African Americans to study. "The common thread I got throughout all of the workshops was spirituality, and I believe that's important," said Diahann Clark, a CSULB alumna who attended the conference. Speaker Derrick Chase,  graduate of Morgan State University and artist of political poetry, opened the conference each day with his workshops that dealt with spirituality and personal exploration. During those workshops each attendee examined their lives though various aspects, such as plotting events that happened at certain points in their lives and the significance of those events in their lives today. Each day attendees shared something about their lives, including obstacles they've faced. These obstacles included being denied the opportunity to advance educationally and economically. Another keynote speaker, Oba T'Shaka, former chairman of the black studies department at Cal State San Francisco and expert in ancient African history, shared spiritual experiences with the audience during his lecture on the African family.		Vets celebrated in L.B.   Black issues explored   Campus art museum receives gift   Professors show their works at seventh annual book fair   Asthmatic children compete at CSULB   Conference discusses college preparation Boxing fights fixed   Customer service not any help Ash creates a simple Brit-pop masterpiece   Live falls short of credibility Team gets two wins   Basketball teams get feet wet   Women's volleyball team prepares for showdown against Pacific Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.