The Institute on Black Life (IBL), in collaboration with the USF Office of Veteran Success, presents the 2024 IBL Annual Conference on Feb. 1 at the Marshall Student Center.
Attendees onlooking panelists during the 2022 IBL Annual Conference. (Photo by Dakota Galvin)
The IBL serves as a resource center dedicated to the history and culture of the Black experience in Africa and the African diaspora. Its goals include fostering knowledge through research initiatives, addressing community issues affecting Black communities, and supporting the academic success of USF through enrichment activities aligned with IBL’s mission.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Black Life and the Military.” Throughout the event, speakers and panelists will delve into the historical role of the military in Black life, share insights on professional development successes and opportunities, discuss challenges related to racial injustice, health, and mental well-being, and explore issues of upward mobility.
This year’s conference theme aligns with USF’s research commitment to global and national security. Beyond this event, USF collaborates with entities like the Department of Defense, houses Army, Naval, and Air Force ROTC programs, and maintains partnerships between National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security at historically Black colleges and universities. This reinforces USF’s ongoing commitment to this research area.
“This year we are proud to be holding the event on our Tampa campus and co-hosting with The USF Office of Veterans Affairs. In support of student success, IBL also maintains a robust scholarship program that awards several scholarships each year and supports student organizations and mentoring programs. We look forward to a productive and enlightening event,” IBL Director Dr. Fenda Akiwumi said.
The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. and is free and open to the public. To register or to learn more, visit the event website.