Author, radio host to speak at UofL conference

Author and radio host Michael Eric Dyson will deliver the keynote address for the University of Louisville’s annual Dr. Joseph H. McMillan National Conference on the Black Family in America, March 9-11. February 13, 2012

The theme for this year’s conference is “Strengthening and Empowering the Black Family for the Future.”

Dyson is the author of 17 books, including “Is Bill Cosby Right?” and “I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King Jr.” He is also a sociology professor at Georgetown University. His dinner address is at 7 p.m., March 10. Cost is $80.

Two addresses will also be held March 9. 

  • LaQuandra Nesbitt, the new director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, will deliver a luncheon address during the conference. The event is at noon  and costs $50.
  • A Community Forum Reception: A Conversation with Maxine Waters will begin at 7 p.m. The event, which features Waters, a U.S. Congresswoman,is free for those who have registered for the full conference and is $50 for non-conference attendees. 

Conference events will be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2735 Crittenden Dr., near Belknap Campus. Attendees can register for the full conference for a discounted rate of $200 through Feb. 23. Conference details, prices for specific activities and registration are online.

Among the free conference events are:

  • A pre-event community social featuring UofL’s Black Diamond Gospel Choir, March 8, 6 p.m.
  • The Salute to the Ascendants, a tribute to Joseph H. McMillan, a lifelong educator and community leader who presided as chair of the conference for 34 years, March 9, 7 p.m.
  • A youth summit for high school students featuring Harlina Churn-Diallo, founding artistic director of Imani Dance and Drum Company. Limited spots are available, so attendees must call in advance. March 10, 9 a.m.-noon.