Cornel West to be keynote speaker at WFU Multicultural Summit for minority men

By Vanessa Urruela Willis
(336) 758-5237
April 1, 2002

Wake Forest University will host a Multicultural Male Summit April 12-13 for 150 minority male students at North Carolina universities. Author Cornel West will be the keynote speaker for the summit that will be sponsored by the Wake Forest Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Minority men attending several North Carolina universities were invited to participate in the summit. Two of the sessions, featuring speakers Cornel West and Sandra Guzman, are open to the public.

Men from the following universities will participate in the summit: Wake Forest, Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina A&T University, Johnson C. Smith University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Elon University, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, Shaw University, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Asheville and Appalachian State University.

“We are honored to have Cornel West and all of the presenters speak at Wake Forest because the topic of cross-cultural appreciation is especially relevant for today’s young men and women who will become future leaders,” said Lamaya Covington, assistant director of Multicultural Affairs at Wake Forest.

Summit co-sponsors are the Wake Forest Thomas J. Lynch Philosophy Fund, the Black Student Alliance, the Wake Forest Divinity School and the Office of Student Life.

Sandra Guzman, former editor of Latina magazine and an Emmy Award-winning journalist, will present “Accountability in Relationships” on April 12 at 8 p.m. in Benson University Center, Room 401. This event is open to the public.

Dr. Illya Wilkerson, an internist with Greensboro Medical Associates, will present “Men’s Health” on April 13 at 10:15 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. in Greene Hall, Room 145.

Duane Davis, founder of the Coalition of Black Investors, will present “Planning Your Financial Future” April 13 at 10:15 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. in Greene Hall, Room 162. Davis is the host of “Ticker Talk Live” on Black Entertainment Television (BET).

Eric Watts, assistant professor of communication at Wake Forest, will present “Strategies for Post-Graduate Success” on April 13 at 11:15 a.m. in Benson University Center’s Pugh Auditorium.

Jeff Yang, founder of A. Magazine, will present “Diversity and Cross-Cultural Appreciation” on April 13 at 3 p.m. in Pugh Auditorium. A. Magazine is the largest publication for English-speaking Asian-Americans. He also collaborated with Jackie Chan to write the star’s autobiography, “I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action.”

Cornel West, professor of Afro-American studies at Harvard University, will present “Accountability, Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” April 13 at 8 p.m. in Wait Chapel. West’s books include “Race Matters,” “The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country” and “The Cornel West Reader.” This event is open to the public.

For more information, call the Office of Multicultural Affairs at 336-758-5864.

Editor’s note: This release contains updated information about the upcoming Multicultural Male Summit. Two of the programs will be open to the public. Please contact the News Service in advance to arrange interviews with the speakers.