NORMAN, OK – Representatives of universities and colleges from across the United States will meet Tuesday, May 27 through Saturday, May 31 in Orlando, Fla. to continue the work of creating a more perfect union on college campuses at the 21^st annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE).

The event is the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in higher education. Professionals from all areas of academia, as well as community and state leaders, attend the conference, which each year attracts more than 2,000 participants from around the globe.

NCORE is a community of committed change agents who gather to explore emergent issues of racial equality, cultural understanding and social tolerance. It is also a movement toward enhanced access, social development, education, positive communication and cross-cultural understanding in culturally diverse settings.

 The conference program offers a comprehensive series of learning opportunities, consisting of more than 200 workshops, keynote speeches, special features and film previews. NCORE is designed for authentic interactions, and the result is a significant  forum for discussion, critical dialogue and the open exchange of information.

Keynote speakers for this year’s event include:

·         Gerald Torres, J.D., professor, author and a leading figure in critical race theory, who’s latest book, “The Miner’s Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy,” was described as “one of the most provocative and challenging books on race produced in years.”

·         Angela Davis, Ph.D., professor, author, lecturer and social activist who is deeply committed to our nation’s quest for social justice.

·         Shawn Wong, Ph.D., professor and award winning writer, recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship and a Rockefeller Foundation Residency in Italy.

·         Morris Dees, co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center and chief trial counsel combatant of hate groups and domestic terrorism.

Also participating will be Juan Williams, national political correspondent and actor Danny Glover, who will be participating in three film screenings and subsequent discussions.

Since its inception, NCORE has become the most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity. NCORE continues to build on its tradition of groundbreaking dialogues and cutting edge programming, providing institutions of higher education valuable tools and effective models to help create more inclusive campus environments, enhance access to traditionally underrepresented groups and prepare students for citizenship in a global society.

            NCORE 2008 is made possible through its sponsors including Walt Disney World Resort’s Minority Business Development Network, the College Board, California News Reel, and the Public and Community Services Division of the University of Oklahoma Outreach.

NCORE is organized by the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies, a part of the Public and Community Services Division of OU Outreach.

For more information on the conference, visit www.ncore.ou.edu.