Black Meetings and Tourism

March/April 2010

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AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND THE PURSUIT OF HIGHER EDUCATION BY PENELOPE BLAIR N umerous reports have documented the impor- tance of pursuing high- er education in keeping pace with a global and technological world. We witnessed this topic being foremost on President Obama’s agenda. And for some, the message is clear; higher edu- cation is no longer optional, it is a necessity. The National Black Graduate Student Association (NBGSA) has understood the importance of Blacks pursuing higher education, since its inception in 1989. The future of high- er education among African-Americans will be one of many topics discussed at their 22nd annual conference at the Hilton Del Mar in San Diego, CA. The conference will take place March 10-14, 2010. President Obama was actually the catalyst for NBGSA’s theme this year, “Pioneering the Change Within.” NBGSA president, Tina L. Ligon explains, “The theme came to mind because everyone saw President Obama as the change that we all needed, to make things different within our own lives.” She continues, “I on the other hand thought that although his accomplishments were to be motivated by, it is and always should be our goal especially as individuals in academia to seek change.” Ligon also acknowledges that a recession is not the time to shy away from furthering your education. “More and more, companies are looking to get more “bang” for their buck. This usually translates to educated and expe- rienced candidates. This makes a graduate degree more of 12 an asset than ever before. We are in a fast-paced global economic environment where the goods being exchanged are less about manufactured goods and more about ideas. It is no longer adequate to compete in a global context with a limited education.” According to Ligon, statistics shows that African- Americans are often underrepresented in the race for ideas. She explains, “there are many unaddressed con- cerns that continue to persist in our communities. Research and theory on the causes and consequences of problems in the fields of health, education, economics, criminal justice, etc. is limited. If we as African- American’s do not ask questions and seek answers through empirical research, many of the solutions will go undiscovered. Education is still the pathway toward progress in the United States.” This year’s conference will feature several distinguish keynote speakers, workshops, seminars, networking opportunities and a graduate school and career fair. For additional information, visit www.nbgsa.org. Engineers Unite in Canada – The 36th annual conven- tion of the National Society of Black Engineers will meet in Toronto, Canada from March 31-April 4, 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. It will be the organi- zation’s first convention outside of the United States and the largest Black professional event ever held in Canada. More than 10,000 attendees are expected. Go to www.nsbe.orG to learn more. Getting the Goods – The Travel Goods Association will host their 2010 Travel Goods Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 2-4, 2010. The Travel Goods Show is known to be one of the largest trade shows of travel goods, accessories and gift items. Last year’s event showcased more than 200 exhibitors and hosted over 2,000 attendees. This year’s event is gearing up to attract even more with a variety of activities and events. Options slated for this year includes an awards ceremony honor- ing the best in the travel goods industry, networking opportunities, as well as their popular Lunch and Learn sessions to name a few. To learn more visit www.travel- goods.org. E-mail me your upcoming events at pblair_assnnews@- yahoo.com. Black Meetings & Tourism March/April 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com

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