The Fifteenth National African American Student Leadership Conference continues its legacy of providing an intellectually stimulating, culturally enriching, and liberating experience for serious students interested in the advancement of the African American community. Conference workshops and scholarly presentations will address problems, causes, solutions and implementation strategies relative to political, social, educational, religious, physical/mental health issues of people of color.
The theme of the 2009 Conference is “Holistically: Reclaiming Your Greatness”. The Conference is scheduled to start at 8:00a.m. on Friday, January 16 and end late Saturday, January 17, 2009. The Conference will kick-off Friday morning with an opening keynote address by Dr. Jeffery Menzise, followed by all day concurrent workshops/panel discussions. A special Plenary session is scheduled for late Friday afternoon featuring Brotha Keepa. Friday’s activities will end with an after dinner keynote address by Dr. Joy DeGruy-Leary. Saturday morning will start with a keynote address by Dr. Safisha Nzinga Hill. The keynote address will be followed by series of student centered/lead breakout sessions focusing topics chosen by the participants. Saturday evening will feature a national Black Spoken Word/Poetry Competition. Dr. Julianne Malveaux will give the final keynote address Saturday evening, and the Conference’s formal program will conclude with African Drummers
.
Concurrent Workshop Sessions Topics will include, but not limited to:
The Role of Hip-Hop and the Liberation Struggle; Popular Culture and the Black Liberation Struggle; Progressive Black Leadership Models; Surviving and Achieving on the Predominately White College Campus; Black Greek Lettered Organizations; Identity, Development and Black Mental Health; The Affirmative Action Debate; Spirituality and/or Religion in the Struggle; Black Female/Male Relationships: Nutricide: African American Health Issues; Education v. Mis-Education? The College Student and the Black Community; and Africa and the African American Struggle; Presidential Politics and Blacks.
Keynote speakers
Dr. Joy DeGruy-Leary – an internationally renowned author and speaker is a professor at Portland State University. Dr. Leary is author of the book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Enduring Legacy of Injury and Healing, which addresses the residual impacts of trauma on African Descendants in the Americas. In addition to her book, she developed a culturally based educational model for working with children and adults of color. She has been interviewed for BBC radio (UK), C-Span, Essence Magazine, The Tavis Smiley Show, The Michael Baisden Show, Like it is, and many other local print, radio, television, and online publications. 
Dr. Julianne Malveaux – President of Bennett College for Women is recognized for her progressive and insightful observations on issues concerning race, culture, gender, and economics relative to African American people. She is an economics, author and commentator and syndicated columnist, her writing appears regularly in the USA Today, Black Issues Higher Education, Ms. Magazine, Essence magazine, and the Progressive. Her weekly columns appear in numerous newspapers across the country including the Los Angeles Times, The Charlotte Observer, The New Orleans Tribune, The Detroit Free Press, and the San Francisco Examiner. She appears regularly on CNN, BET, PBS, and has appeared on Fox News, O’Reilly Factor, C-Spann, MSNBC and CNBC on various occasions. Her authored or edited books includes Voices of Vision: African American Women on the Issues; Slipping Through the Cracks: The Status of Black Women; and The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism. 
Dr. Safisha Nzinga Hill – an Afrocentric Educator, lector, writer and activist is the creator and Director of the Act of Change, Inc. Instieute of Cultural Arts. She is the author of Afrocentric Perspective Towards Black Student Development: From Theory to Practice; Peace, Power, Love and Blessings: For Sistahs on the Journey to Black Womanhood; and Speak Sistah Speak: Notes from a Revolutionary Sistah. 
Dr. Jeffery Menzise – a lecturer in psychology and the former Assistant Director of the Race Relations Institute at Fisk University is a licensed School Psychologist (Washington, DC) and clinical psychologist (TN). He is a Kemetic priest that combines ancient traditions with modern concepts in his healing craft. He is the on-air host and executive producer of hit talk show “Mind on the Matter” and has appeared on several TV shows, radio programs, and newspaper articles. He is currently working on his first book entitled “The Experience of Blackness, Vol 1: Along the Color Line” due for release in Spring 2009. This edited volume features authors such as: Dr. Raymond A. Winbush, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Dr. Llaila Afrika, Joy Degruy-Leary, Dr. C.J. Harrell, Coach Powell and many more. He conducts trainings and workshops on a variety of topics and on an international scale. 
Brotha Keepa- Harder than any fictional gangsta rap, spoken word artists Brotha’s Keepa confronts its listeners with the unvarnished truths about being black in America today. J’malo Torriel and Ed Brittenum are the Memphis, Tennessee duo that makes up Brotha’s Keepa, a group dedicated to the enlightenment of Black people, especially young Black men. Brotha’s Keepa was a featured act during the Tuskegee University / Project EXPORT HIV/AIDS Health and Wellness Black Belt Tour in Alabama. Brotha’s Keepa also holds theatre camps, coat drives, food drives, and are involved in youth prison prevention programs.
wow this is awesome keep up the great work!!