Roundtable Discussion Gathers Congressional Black Caucus Members
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Five members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will convene on campus along with other distinguished African American figures for a symposium on "Leadership in the Black American Community: Reflections on the Past, Analysis of the Present, and Visions for the Future."The event will be held on Monday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. in Chapin Hall on the Williams campus. It is free, but seating is on a first come basis.
The Congressional Black Caucus formed in 1969, when newly elected African American representatives formed the Democratic Select Committee to address black and minority concerns with a collective voice. The committee was renamed in 1971, and is made up of 42 representatives. Its members have been at the forefront of legislative campaigns for human and civil rights for all citizens.
The Congressional Black Caucus, newly empowered through key committee chairmanships and through having a former member in the White House, seeks to clarify its legislative priorities in a post-Civil Rights world. The Williams symposium will discuss "What issues should the CBC use its newly enhanced power to focus on?"
To broaden their deliberations, CBC members have invited other prominent African Americans from outside politics to participate in the discussion.
Andre Carson (Ind.) Carson was voted in to his first full term in Congress last November. He serves on the Financial Services Committee.
John Conyers (Mich.) Conyers, a founding member of the CBC, is now in his 22nd term in Congress. He is the most senior member in the House of Representatives, and currently serves as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. John Conyers, Jr. is among the founding members of the CBC.
Bill Cosby – Activist, actor, and author Cosby is the star of 80's television series "The Cosby Show" and author of books such as "Fatherhood" (1986) and "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (1998).
Danny Davis (Ill.) Davis, a member of the CBC, was first elected to Congress in 1996. He serves in Congress as a member of the Committee on Government Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Ways and Means.
Barbara Lee (Calif.) Lee, first elected to Congress in 1998, was sworn in as Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in January 2009. Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Diane Watson (Calif.) Watson joined Congress in 2001 after a long membership in the California State Senate, where she worked with issues of education. Watson is a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and is chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.
And, Williams College alumni:
Wole Coaxum '92, senior vice president, JP Morgan Chase.
William Spriggs '77, assistant secretary for policy, Department of Labor, and chair of economics, Howard University.
The moderator is yet to be named.
The event was initiated by Bernard Moore, the W. Ford Schumann '50 Visiting Assistant Professor in Democratic Studies and is sponsored by Leadership Studies, Africana Studies, and the President's Office.
