THIS WEEK: Celebrities, Scholars & Policymakers Announce Historic Congressional Committee & Discuss "The Black Male Experience"

Online, September 17, 2012 (Newswire.com) - This year's Annual Legislative Conference, held by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, will be abuzz with a multitude of events catering to an array of inquisitive minds. A pair of Washington's leading young professionals -- Michael Hardaway and Ifeoma Ike, Esq. -- who also created this spring's Stars For Trayvon fundraiser -- have united again to host this week's "The Black Male Experience." The event will comprise an impressive roster of leaders, change agents, politicians, and celebrities who will provide their perspective of the state of black men, and how they have utilized their platforms to improve the lives of all disadvantaged individuals.

Professor, author, and MSNBC Contributor, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson-one of many notable panelists for "The Black Male Experience"- explains the uniqueness of the black male lens in American society. "The black male experience is a mirror of all the pain and possibility that shapes the black American experience. Black men have been the bellwethers for the emotional and spiritual health of a nation that tests its ideals against the durability and strength of black male survival and ingenuity. The highs and lows of black males reflect the effort of the race to grapple with the triumphs and tragedies of our common struggle for dignity. At our best, black males embody the quest for full humanity and noble existence that have propelled our race forward from the beginning of our pilgrimage on American soil."
The current state of the criminal justice system will undoubtedly be a major focal point of the discussion. Panelist Glenn Martin, Vice President of Development and Public Affairs for the Fortune Society, commented on this issue: "The criminal justice system has become so pervasive in the lives of men of color, that any form of criminal based discrimination serves as a surrogate for race based discrimination, whether intentional or inadvertent. The lifetime punishment that flows from being convicted of a crime means that the precious rights gained as a result of the Civil Rights Act are being increasingly eroded. Mass Incarceration and collateral consequences are the Civil Rights issue of our generation and our children will judge us on our response."

As a solution to the panel's topics of discussion, the event aims to register a new wave of mentors for the US Dream Academy--a non-profit that provides mentors to the children of incarcerated adults. The event will also serve as the launch for the Congressional Caucus on Black Men & Boys, a new legislative committee spearheaded by U.S. Congressman Danny Davis, an outspoken advocate of fatherhood and mentorship.

Opening Remarks

U.S. Representative Danny Davis (IL)

U.S. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)

Confirmed Panelists

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University

Maryland State Senator C. Anthony Muse

Dr. James Peterson, Lehigh University

Dean Everett Bellamy, Georgetown University Law Center

Glenn Martin, Fortune Society

Rev. Russell St. Bernard, Reid Temple AME

Moderator

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Executive Director, National Council of Negro Women

Special Guests

H.E. Ms. Tebelelo Seretse, Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the United States

Youth "Dreamers" from the US Dream Academy