ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan Association of Black Graduate Students will host a free, public conference on the experiences of African American scholars, Oct. 17-18, in the East and West Conference Rooms, Rackham Building.

” ‘Keepin’ It Real’: Authority and Authenticity in the Performance of African-Americanist Scholarship” will explore the work of Black scholars, whose intellectual and artistic endeavors are usually carried out in mainstream, mostly white, domains.

” As Black graduate students, we feel it is vital to create opportunities such as this to dialogue with others who are trying to establish meaning and identity in these spaces,” says conference organizer Niki Dickerson. ” As we see it, Black leaders must balance the power implicit in the authority of representing a Black collective, and the commitment and responsibility that authenticity or ‘keepin’ it real’ demands.”

The conference, which begins at 2 p.m. Oct. 17 and at 9 a.m. Oct. 18, will feature panel discussions, a poetry slam, a film and rap session, and an art exhibit/reception. It is co-sponsored by the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, the Rackham School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives.

To pre-register or for more information, contact Dickerson at (313) 995-3716 or by e-mail at keepitreal@umich.edu.

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