Dear Alumnus:

Morgan State University’s Center for Civil Rights in Education, in partnership with The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, invites you to participate in a national dialogue on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, during a two-day conference on November 12-13, 2009, at the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center on Morgan’s campus. This national conference will address “Comparability and Competitiveness: The Unfinished Business of Civil Rights and Equal Educational Opportunity in the Adams States.”

This national two-day conference will bring together former and current HBCU presidents; college faculty and administrators; civil rights and human rights lawyers and advocates. The conference will feature Keynote Address, titled “Hell or High Water at HBCUs, “ by noted author, television and radio personality, social commentator and educator, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; a Roundtable Discussion by present and former HBCU presidents of their personal experiences.

We hope that you will be able to join us in this important national conversation. The below information provides more details about the conference, it’s agenda, and procedures for registering for the conference.

THE CENTER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION
 

The Center for Civil Rights in Education at Morgan State University, in partnership with The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, invites you to participate in “A National Dialogue on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Twenty-First Century—Comparability & Competitiveness:  The Unfinished Business of Civil Rights and Equal Educational Opportunity in the Adams States” on November 12-13, 2009, in the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center on the Campus of Morgan State University.
 
This national two-day conference will bring together prominent television and radio personalities, former and current HBCU presidents; college faculty and administrators; civil rights and human rights lawyers and advocates; government officials; business leaders; religious, cultural and social organizations; and students to discuss one of the compelling and critical issues of the 21st century.  It will focus on issues that continue to impact the desegregation of colleges and universities in the states that operated de jure as well as de facto dual systems of higher education for black and white students. Although court cases such as Adams v. Richardson and United States v. Fordice reflect the standards of desegregation required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, Historically Black Colleges and Universities continue their quest to be comparable to and competitive with their peer Traditionally White Institutions.  This conference will explore how the “New Era” for HBCUs rests on the unfinished business set forth in Adams and subsequent cases.

THE CONFERENCE

On Thursday, November 12, the conference will feature:
·      At 11:00 a.m.:  “Reflections of an Out-going President” by Dr. Earl S. Richardson, eleventh president of Morgan State University, who will end his 25-year presidency on December 31.
·      At 2:30 p.m.:  a Roundtable Discussion by present and former HBCU presidents of their personal experiences with the impact that Adams and Fordice have had on their institutions—including current Presidents Mary Sias ( Kentucky State University), Dorothy Cowser Yansey (Shaw University), and Julianne Malveaux (Bennett College for Women); and former college Presidents Fred S. Humphries (Florida A & M University) and H. Patrick Swygert (Howard University).
·      At 6:00 p.m.:  a Keynote Address, titled “Hell or High Water at HBCUs,” by noted author, television and radio personality, social commentator and educator, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson;

On Friday, November 13, the conference will conclude with:
·      At 10:00 a.m.:  a Panel Discussion on Comparability and Competitiveness  by prominent civil rights lawyers and advocates, about the law and the reality of  desegregation in higher education—including Tricia G. Jefferson (Senior Counsel for the Educational Opportunities Project Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law); Theodore M. Shaw (Professor of Professional Pract5ice at Columbia University and former President and Director-Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.); Raymond C. Pierce (Dean and Professor of Law at North Carolina Central University School of Law and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U. S. Department of Education) and Pace J. McConkie (Director of Morgan’s Center for Civil Rights in Education); and

REGISTRATION  

All activities for the Conference are free, except for the Luncheon (on Thursday, November 12, 2009, at 12:45 p.m.), and are open to anyone who has completed on-line or mail-in registration. Guests are encouraged to register for the Conference and pay for the Luncheon on-line at the following address:  www.123signup.com/register?id=jsvyj <http://www.123signup.com/register?id=jsvyj> .  Please note that participation in the November 12 Luncheon requires the payment of a $30.00 fee for non-students and a $10.00 fee (with identification) for students.  Registration for the Luncheon is strongly recommended, since there are few dining facilities near the Morgan State University campus. The deadline for registration on-line or by mail-in registration is November 6, 2009.  On-site registration, especially for the Luncheon, will be limited by space availability.  
 

HOTEL

The host hotel for the Conference is The Sheraton Baltimore North, 903 Delaney Valley Road, Towson, Maryland (suburb of Baltimore, only a few miles from the University), 410-494-0863.  The rate is $99.00 (plus tax and fees) per night for single, double, triple, or quadruple occupancy. When making reservations, guests should refer to the group name, “Morgan State University HBCU Conference.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you need additional information, you may contact Morgan’s website for the Conference at  www.morgan.edu/Documents/news-events/RJ-Pres/RJ-PresidentsConference.pdf. , or call:  443-885-3090.

THE CENTER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION

Morgan recently established the Center for Civil Rights in Education to unite research, teaching, training and advocacy on integral civil rights issues in education at the pre-kindergarten, elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels. The Center’s mission and purposes are national in scope, providing critical leadership, resources and focus to the relevant educational issues at home and in communities throughout the nation. The Center is established for the identification and study of current issues and challenges related to equal educational opportunity, particularly with respect to low-income African-American and other minority students seeking real and meaningful opportunities for educational excellence and advancement. Its purpose is to develop and promote substantive research and collaboration of research, strategies, remedies, solutions, programs, public policy initiatives and appropriate advocacy necessary to overcome obstacles to educational achievement, eliminate continuing policies or practices that foster discrimination or perpetuate segregated conditions in education, and enhanced educational opportunities for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or background.
 
The Center for Civil Rights in Education at Morgan State University appreciates your interest in this conference and looks forward to hosting you on the campus of Morgan State University on November 12-13!

Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Chapter

Membership Form

Period 2009 — 2010

Name                                                                                                                                 

Name:

Class Year:

Spouse:

Former Student:

Friend:

Address

Street:                                                                                      Apt:

City:                                                                                         State:

Zip Code:

Contact Information

Home:                                                                                      Work:

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Interests

What alumni committees or activities are you interested in?

Dues

Local: $25 per year                    

National: $25 per year                                                            

Life Membership: $400 (May be paid in installments.  Indicate if dues paid directly to the National office.)

Extra contribution: $            (Will be designated for scholarships)

Total Amount enclosed: $

Make check payable to MSUAA-DC Metropolitan Area Chapter and mail with membership form to

Mr. Charles “Chuck” Pollard, 53(Fifty-Three) 54^th Street, SE Washington, DC  20019.

Hello all.  A couple special events coming up:  

• November 19, 2009: The date is fast approaching for the Remarkable Journey Tribute Banquet celebrating Dr. Earl S. Richardson’s retirement after 25 years as president of the Morgan State University.  Contact me today to reserve a seat at the Washington, DC alumni chapter table.  Only 4 seats left! The banquet is at 6:30 p.m. at the Valley Mansion,
  
  594 Cranbrook Rd, Cockeysville, MD21030-3702

  .   Ticket price is $100.  For additional information about Dr. Richardson’s remarkable journey and the tribute, go to http://www.morgan.edu/Remarkable_Journey.html.  Also, to view photographs of the September 12 Victory Tour reception hosted by the Maryland and Washington, DC alumni chapters, visit www.victorytour.org.

• March 8-13, 2010: MEAC Basketball Tournament in Winston Salem, NC.  We expect the Bears to be victorious again this basketball season, so plan early to go.  For lodging and other tournament information, go to http://www.morgan.edu/About_MSU/News/2010_MEAC_Tournament.html.

 Also, remember to renew membership for the 2009-2010 term.  A membership form is attached to this email.  Mail in your dues today!

Thank you and I hope to see you soon,

Jacqueline Lawson

Chapter President