    |
The Multicultural Lecture Series, the African American Cultural Awareness Association, and the Student Finance Board
present
Kweisi Mfume
"The NAACP in the 21st Century"
Kweisi Mfume, immediate past president and CEO of the NAACP, will be speaking on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 at 12:00 noon at the Kendall Performance Center! This lecture is also part of TCNJ's celebration of African American Cultural Awareness Month in February. Admission is FREE.
Kweisi Mfume (Pronounced Kwah-EE-see Oom-FOO-may)
was born, raised, and educated in Baltimore, MD, and it was there
that he followed his dreams to impact society and shape a more humane
public policy. Mfume became politically active as a freshman in college,
as editor of the school's newspaper and as head of the Black Student
Union. He graduated magna cum laude from Morgan State University,
and earned a Masters degree in Liberal Arts, with a concentration
in International Studies, from Johns Hopkins University.
As Mfume's community involvement grew, so did his popularity as an
activist, organizer, and radio commentator. He translated that approval
into a grassroots election victory when he won a seat on the Baltimore
City Council in 1979 by a margin of just three votes. During his seven
years of service in local government, Mfume led the efforts to diversify
city government, improve community safety, enhance minority business
development and divest city funds from the apartheid government of
South Africa. Later, in 1986, he was decisively elected to the Congressional
seat that he held for the next decade.
As a member of Congress, Mfume was active with broad committee obligations.
He served on the Banking and Financial Services Committee, and held
the ranking seat on the General Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
He also served as a member of the Committee on Education and as a
senior member of the Small Business Committee.
While in his third term, the Speaker of the House chose him to serve
on the Ethics Committee and the Joint Economic Committee of the House
and Senate, where he later became chair. As a member of the House
of Representatives, Congressman Mfume consistently advocated landmark
minority business and civil rights legislation. He successfully co-sponsored
and helped to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. He authorized
the minority contracting and employment amendments to the Financial
Institutions Reform and Recovery Act. He strengthened the Equal Credit
Opportunity Law, and amended the Community Reinvestment Act in the
interest of minority financial institutions. Mfume co-authored and
successfully amended the Civil Rights Bill of 1991 to apply the act
to US citizens working for American-based companies abroad. He also
sponsored legislative initiatives banning assault weapons and establishing
stalking as a federal crime.
Mfume has served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and
later as the Caucus' Chair of the Task Force on Affirmative Action.
During his last term in Congress, he was appointed by the House Democratic
Caucus as the Vice-Chairman for Communications.
Mfume became President and Chief Executive Officer of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on February
20, 1996, after being unanimously elected to the post by the NAACP's
Board of Directors. Mfume gave up his seat in the United States Congress
where he had, for ten years, represented Maryland's 7th Congressional
District, to assume the NAACP Presidency.
Since assuming the position of President and CEO of the nation's oldest
and largest civil rights organization, Mfume has raised the standards
and expectations of NAACP branches nationwide, and has worked with
the NAACP volunteers across the country to help usher in a whole new
generation of civil rights advocacy. His six-point action agenda,
which encompasses Civil Rights, Political Empowerment, Educational
Excellence, Economic Development, Health and Youth Outreach, has given
the NAACP a clear and compelling blueprint for the 21st century.
As of Novemeber 30, 2004, Mfume announced that he will be stepping
down as President and CEO of the NAACP effective January 1, 2005.
To help assure a smooth transition to a new administration, Mfume
has agreed to serve as a consultant to the NAACP until July 1, 2005.
Mfume was formerly a member of the Board of Visitors of the US Naval
Academy in Annapolis, the Advisory Board of the Schomburg Commission
for the Preservation of Black Culture, and the Senior Advisory Committee
of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. He
is presently a member of the Gamma Boule Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity,
Most Worshipful Prince Hal Masons, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
He is a member of People for the American Way, and serves on the John
Hopkins University Board of Trustees, the Morgan State University
Board of Regents, and the Meyerhoff National Advisory Board of the
University of Maryland.
Mfume's background in broadcasting includes thirteen years in radio,
and nine years of hosting the award-winning television show, "The
Bottom Line." He is the recipient of eight honorary doctorate
degrees and hundreds of awards, proclamations and citations. His best-selling
autobiography is entitled, "No Free Ride."
