Colorado State's Fifth Annual Black Issues Forum Reflects Pertinent Issues In Town Meeting Performances
Friday, June 6, 1997
FORT COLLINS--Police brutality, Afrocentric curriculum,
affirmative action and unity are some of the topics that will be
discussed during Colorado State University's fifth annual Black
Issues Forum June 12-14.
The program brings together more than 60 high-school
students from Colorado, California, Illinois, Arizona, New York,
Texas and Pennsylvania to discuss important issues currently
facing the African-American community.
The three-day program will require students to discuss and
research a case study that highlights a particular issue facing
the African-American community. The students will be given roles
to play based on the scenario and will actively participate in a
town meeting format in their assigned roles, ranging from a
community member to a concerned parent. The weekend will
culminate in a final presentation at 1 p.m. June 14 in the Lory
Student Center Theatre.
"The planning committee selected the town meeting format for
this year's Black Issues Forum because we felt it was the most
engaging way to have students understand the real-life effects of
these issues on people's lives," said Tracey Raiford, coordinator
of the forum and assistant director of admissions at the
university. "It's important for students to become active
participants in pertinent issues and recognize how different
philosophies and proposed solutions can affect the African-
American community."
African-American community leaders from Denver and Fort
Collins will serve as panelists and special guests during the
weekend.
Reynelda Muse, award-winning anchorwoman from NEWS 4, KCNC-
TV, will play a key role in the town meeting forum. Muse became
the first woman chosen as "Broadcaster of the Year" by her peers
in the Colorado Broadcasters Association. In 1993, she also
received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" of the Colorado Black
Journalists Association.
Thandabantu Iverson, a lecturer from the department of labor
studies at the University of Indiana, will serve as keynote
speaker for the forum. Iverson received his master's degree from
Clark Atlanta University, where he also has taught courses in
political science and sociology. Iverson is board member of Men
Stopping Violence Inc. and helps organize and facilitate
workshops on domestic violence and sexism. Iverson also is a
member of the steering committee for Black Workers for Justice.
"We are pleased to have African-American leaders, like Ms.
Muse and Mr. Iverson, serve roles in this year's forum because
they believe in the importance of young people in our
communities," said Raiford. "We are fortunate to have community
members and university representatives provide a wonderful
example for these high school students in their own leadership
journeys."
Raiford added that student participants gain exposure to the
college campus setting with direct interaction with university
faculty and students, which makes higher education a more
comfortable and intriguing choice.
For more information on this year's Black Issues Forum, call
Raiford at (303) 573-6315.
This page © 1997-1998 World Wide Express, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Many news stories on RamLine.com come from the Colorado State University Public Relations Office. You can get copies of the news releases directly by filling out this form.