The African American Male Congress (AAMC) will culminate the yearlong
celebration of its 10th anniversary on Friday, Sept. 26, with a keynote address from
broadcaster, author, advocate and philanthropist Tavis Smiley. The event will take
place at 6 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.
Paid event parking will be available at the the Irving Garage. Free tickets are
required and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting Friday, Sept.
12, at the Schine Box Office, with a limit of four tickets per person.
Following his address, Smiley will receive an honorary membership, joining Barry L.
Wells, former senior vice president and dean of student affairs at SU; Francis
McMillan Parks, former director of Students Offering Service (SOS) and African
American Programs at Hendricks Chapel; Michael Eric Dyson, University Professor
of Sociology at Georgetown University; Henry Louis Gates, W.E.B. Du Bois Professor
of the Humanities at Harvard University; Cornel West, Class of 1943 University
Professor at Princeton University; Al Sharpton, political activist and candidate for the
Democratic presidential nomination in 2004; and Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and
candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.
"The core of Tavis' consistent message has been accountability and transformation,"
says Larry P. Thomas, AAMC founder and president of the AAMC Alumni Society.
"Over the last decade, the AAMC has transcended and transformed the stereotypes
associated with African American males. We represent scholarship, productivity and
success. Our hope is that Tavis' address will inspire Syracuse University to invest
more in its high-achieving, African American male students, so that they can
continue to thrive, overcome obstacles and return to their communities as better
men."
The AAMC's 10th Anniversary Convocation is sponsored by the Division of
Institutional Advancement, the Division of Student Affairs, the AAMC Alumni
Society, the Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and the
Student Fee. The convocation is held annually and officially commences the AAMC's
Talented Tenth Leadership Institute, a semester-long personal and development
training for aspiring members.
"Our Talented Tenth Leadership Institute provides information and training that, in
most respects, levels the playing field for us on campus and then in the professional
world," says Tari Wariebi, AAMC president. "Like we say in the Congress, we can
and will do better only so long as we continue to learn, to strive toward greatness and
to give back. Tavis has done that, and I look forward to personally thanking him for
serving as an inspiration."
Smiley started his career in 1991 as a radio commentator for a Los Angeles radio
station, broadcasting minute-long radio segments on "The Smiley Report." In 1996,
he became the resident social and political commentator on the "Tom Joyner
Morning Show" and continued to hold the position for the next 12 years. During this
time, Smiley developed a friendship with Joyner and in 2000 the two began hosting
annual town hall meetings called "The State of the Black Union," which were aired
live on C-SPAN. These meetings focused on specific problems that were affecting the
African American community. African American leaders, educators and professionals
assembled before an audience to discuss these problems and propose potential
solutions. Smiley has since built a national reputation as a leader in political
commentary, with numerous appearances on political discussion shows on CNN,
MSNBC and ABC.
Smiley currently hosts his own late night television talk show, "Tavis Smiley," on
PBS and "The Tavis Smiley Show," distributed by Public Radio International, thus
making Smiley the first American to simultaneously host his own talk shows on both
public television and public radio. In addition to his radio and television work, he has
written 11 books, including his memoir, "What I Know For Sure: My Story of
Growing Up in America" (Doubleday, 2006), which was a New York Times best
seller, and a book he edited, "Covenant with Black America" (Third World Press,
2007), which became the first nonfiction book by a black-owned publisher to reach
#1 on The New York Times Best Seller List.
The AAMC was founded in 1998 with the vision of becoming the premier
organization for high-achieving, African American male undergraduates of Syracuse
University. The mission of this honor society is to stimulate intellectual growth, to
engage members in personal and professional development, and to cultivate a diverse
network of domestic and global partners. AAMC members actualize this mission by
1) encouraging, supporting and celebrating the scholastic, personal and professional
achievements of its members and alumni; 2) promoting and fostering the cognitive,
cultural, social and emotional development of African American male
undergraduates; and 3) cultivating strategic, interdependent alliances with campus,
city, state, domestic and international leaders.
For more information, contact Cameron Etheredge, AAMC director of public
relations, at cjethere@syr.edu.
