Tacoma conference looks to empower black men

TACOMA, Wash. -- This Black History Month, organizers of the first annual Northwest Black Male Academic Achievement Conference are hoping to have a big impact on the community.

“This is the first and only conference in the Northwest dedicated to the success, empowerment, and academic achievement of Black Men engaged in higher education,” said event co-organizer Jahmad Canley.

The conference will bring together more than 250 college students, educators, higher education administrators, and business and civic leaders from throughout the Pacific Northwest network and discuss ways to overcome some of the challenges black men face in higher education.

“The percentage of Black men earning a bachelor’s degree has slowly increased over the years, up from 5.2 percent in 1977, but their dropout rates remain higher than those of their counterparts,” Canley explained.

The conference’s keynote speaker will be Antwone Fisher, the focus of a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington.

The conference will be held February 11-12 at The Greater Tacoma Convention Center. For more information click here.