Do You Hear Me Now Black Male Vulnerability Don Cornelius Soul Train

Award winning writer, counselor, and activist Edward M. Garnes, Jr., founder of From Afros To Shelltoes (FATS), a community based organization focused on bridging generation gaps between youth, elders, and the hip hop community, will join some of the nation’s most innovative leaders in education, arts, and entertainment at the 9^th Annual Georgia Tech Black Leadership Conference (BLC) Youth Forum/Town Hall Meeting presented by the African American Student Union.  The event will take place on March 3, 2012 from 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. on the campus of Georgia Tech at the College of Management (800 West Peachtree St. N.W. Atlanta, Ga 30308) and is part of a two day schedule of events.

Garnes will highlight “HBCU’s & PWI’s: Breakdown Black Leadership and Identity,” an interactive town hall /youth forum that will explore the myths rumors, and adversaries that surround Historically Black College & University students and their peers at Predominantly White Institutions.  Moderated by Georgia Tech Alum Luqman Abdur-Rahman  (Teach For America), Garnes (Adjunct Professor of Public Speaking at Spelman College ) and fellow panelists Shade Lawal (Emory University), and  Dr. Kamau Bobb (Geogia Tech Alum & Research Scientist) will lead discussions on developing leaders, positive self images, and communities of change.

Besides the town hall meeting, Toure’, a multi-media journalist and author of “Who’s Afraid of Post-­Blackness? What It Means to Be Black Now,” will deliver a keynote address with industry veterans Wonya Lucas, President and CEO of TV One, and Guy Primus, Chief Operating Officer at Overbrook Entertainment , serving as guest speakers.

For more information, and to view a full listing of the conference events, visit http://www.gtblc.org. To register and purchase tickets, click here  http://gtblc2012.eventbrite.com/ .

About the 9^th Annual Georgia Tech Black Leadership Conference

Approaching its ninth anniversary, the Georgia Tech Black Leadership Conference (BLC) is an annual event hosted by the African American Student Union (AASU) that promotes leadership and diversity in professional and community life. Since it began in 2004, the BLC has helped to host such prominent and prolific speakers, such as Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin, Dr. Maya Angelou, (then) Senator Barack Obama, and most recently, Dr. Cornel West.

The Black Leadership Conference (BLC) is an event which focuses on the professional and personal development of students. The idea for BLC was a result of the complaints and issues heard in meetings called the Black Think Tank, which took place in 2003. Participants had noticed what they believed to be a lack of campus involvement among African American students at Georgia Tech. They believed students could find the encouragement they needed if they could attend an event focused on celebrating the accomplishments of successful African Americans while teaching about the benefits of leadership. Thus, BLC was born.

Through participation in town hall forums, themed workshops and networking events, BLC student attendees are exposed to topics ranging from financial empowerment to the history of their African origins. Every day of the conference features one or more speakers, culminating with a keynote speaker on Sunday who is a notable Black leader and inspires conference attendees to take what they’ve learned back to their communities and put it into action!

About Ed Garnes

Atlanta native Edward M. Garnes, Jr. is an award winning journalist, counselor, educator, editor, producer, and activist. He is the founder of From Afros to Shelltoes, a community based organization uniquely focused on cultural productions that bridge generation gaps between youth, elders, and the hip hop community. The Atlanta Tribune Man Of Distinction holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and a M.A. in Counseling from Michigan State University where he studied as a Competitive Fellow in Urban Counseling.

As a highly sought after commentator on hip hop, black identity, manhood, and popular culture, Garnes has appeared on the Fox’s MY TV Network, Sirrus Radio, CBS Radio, and allhiphop.com. Revered for his work as a literary artist, Garnes has opened for icons Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, and The Last Poets. A longtime music contributor to Creative Loafing, he has profiled and interviewed such cutting edge artists as Spike Lee, Outkast, Gerald Levert, Erykah Badu, Divinity Roxx, Raphael Saadiq, TBoz( TLC) and DMC (Run DMC). A recognized expert in black male development, Garnes launched the State of Black Men Tour with Kevin Powell in 2004 and has worked as consultant for Men Stopping Violence, The National Urban League, and 21 st Century Foundation. Garnes has also worked as a diversity and leadership development consultant for the Washington D.C. firm Woodard & Associates executing projects with the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Housing & Urban Development. On the forefront of institutional change, he co-founded DePauw University’s Student Coalition for Awareness, Revolution and Education (S.C.A.R.E.) and assisted university administration and legal counsel in the drafting of DePauw’s formal Hate Crime Policy. Garnes is currently penning In Search of Dr. Garnes, a provocative book of essays on black leadership, hip hop, and higher education. Garnes is the co-owner of Babuke Brothers, LLC, a media relations, entertainment, and arts programming firm.

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