Events

Institute on Black Life Annual Conference

Black Life in the Military: History, Struggles and Moving Forward

Director's Welcome

Fenda Akiwumi

Welcome to the 20234 annual conference of the Institute on Black Life (IBL) at the University of South Florida. This year we are proud to be holding the event on our Tampa Campus and co-hosting with The USF Office of Veterans Affairs. We will focus on black life in the military and discuss the history, struggles and moving forward.    
 
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.   
 
Thank you for joining us and look forward to a productive and enlightening event.     
 
Sincerely,   
Fenda A. Akiwumi, Ph.D.  
Director, Institute on Black Life 

Event Date & Time

Date: Thursday, Feburary 1, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Event Location

Marshall Student Center (MSC)
Third Floor - Room 3707
4103 USF Cedar Circle
Tampa, FL 33620

Register Now

About the Event

The USF Institute on Black Life (IBL) will co-host its annual conference with the Office of Veteran Success. The conference theme is ‘Black Life and the Military.’ Topics specifically address the historic role of the military in Black life, addressing successes such as career and professional development opportunities, and upward mobility and challenges with racial injustice, health and mental well-being. The theme aligns with the University of South Florida’s research commitment to global and national security. USF is home to a robust Office of Veterans Affairs, a pioneering Military Leadership Center (JMLC), Army, Naval, and Air Force ROTC programs, a Global and National Security Institute, and a USF Institute of Applied Engineering (IAE) in collaboration with the Department of Defense. The university also liaises with several National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense at historically black colleges and universities.

Agenda

Time Activity
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Morning Session
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch Break
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Afternoon Session
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Reception

Special thanks to our community partner, Office of Veterans Affairs

PARKING

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Guest parking is available in Lots 3A, 3B, and 3C with additional parking in Crescent Hill Parking Garage (CHG). Please look for signs to indicate Frontier Forum Parking.

For more information about guest parking options, please visit Parking Services.

USF Campus Map (PDF)

Directions

From I-275

  1. Take exit 52, Fletcher Ave/CR-582A and head East for 2.5 miles.
  2. Turn right at USF Palm Dr.  
  3. Turn left at USF Holly Dr.  
  4. Follow N Palm Dr/USF Palm Dr around the corner to find Parking Lots 3A, 3B, and 3C.  
  5. Additional parking: Crescent Hill Parking Garage (CHG) at 4119 USF Cedar Drive, Tampa, FL 33620 

From I-75

  1. Take exit 266, Fletcher Ave and head West on Fletcher for 4.0 miles.
  2. Turn left at N Palm Dr/USF Palm Dr.
  3. Follow N Palm Dr/USF Palm Dr around the corner to find Parking Lots 3A, 3B, and 3C.  
  4. Additional parking: Crescent Hill Parking Garage (CHG) at 4119 USF Cedar Drive, Tampa, FL 33620 

 
For reasonable accommodations or other questions, please contact CAS RSVP.