NJIT to Host 36th Annual Black Leadership Conference Oct. 4 – 5

The New Jersey Black Issues Convention (NJBIC) will convene in the Campus Center Ballrooms on the NJIT campus to hold its 36th Annual Black Leadership Conference Oct. 4 – 5 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (registration begins at 7 a.m. on both days).

Organized in 1983 to establish a network of communication and cooperation among predominantly Black organizations in New Jersey, NJBIC sponsors the conference to discuss the critical issues affecting the community, public policy recommendations that can be adopted and a plan of decisive action with strategies for implementation.

This year’s theme, “Rooted in Our Past: Building a Landscape for the Future,” highlights a bevy of pressing issues — from social justice, job creation and housing policy to health disparity, fair law enforcement and voter registration — all of which will be addressed during two-dozen workshops and forums taking place over the course of the two-day conference.

New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and NJIT President Joel S. Bloom will speak during the opening day of the conference. Day Two will feature remarks from New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver.

“Our university is one that believes in diversity and takes very seriously its mission to serve a student population that mirrors New Jersey’s,” said Bloom. “NJIT is proud to be one of the Top 10 universities nationally awarding engineering master’s degrees to African-American students. We are ranked No. 1 in the United States for the upward economic mobility of our students, who come from families in the lowest income classifications, and we are committed through our pre-college programs to prepare students of all backgrounds for college and careers that can transform their lives and the lives of their families.”

The conference will conclude with a chairman’s reception saluting top appointed and elected New Jersey officials from the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, New Jersey Urban Mayors Association, New Jersey Black Elected Officials Policy Alliance, South Jersey Legislative Black Caucus and NJBIC Black Mayors Alliance for Social Justice.

NJBIC also will honor NJIT Educational Opportunity Program Executive Director Tony Howell.

For additional information, visit NJBIC.com. You can also contact NJBIC Conference Director Clyde Allen at 908-400-8877 or NJIT Event Coordinator Angeline Sosa at 555-775-0490.