Cornell College hosting Black Iowa Youth Conference

Students involved with The Black Awareness Cultural Organization/Umoja Living and Learning Community have organized the second annual Black Iowa Youth Conference, which runs March 7 through 9 at Cornell College.

The theme of the conference is “Kujichagulia”, the celebrated Kwanzaa principle of “self-determination: to define ourselves, create ourselves, and name ourselves”. Throughout the conference, we draw on this theme to inspire and empower African-American youth in Iowa towards academic success and cultural pride. The conference aims to encourage higher education and cultural awareness as a response to the stagnant achievement gap inhibiting the African and African-American communities in Iowa.

Participating students will stay for two nights on the Cornell College campus. Through academic workshops, keynote sessions, in-depth and candid conversations and much more, participants will explore various elements of cultural identity and academic success. The goal is to have students leaving the conference with a better understanding of who they are as individuals and the assets necessary to succeed in a road toward higher education.