Northridge : CSUN Black Institute Sets Violence Seminar

Cal State Northridge’s new W.E.B. duBois-Fannie Lou Hamer Institute for African American Achievement is gearing up for its first major event, a two-day conference in April.

The institute’s director, Barbara Rhodes, is calling for input now from community leaders.

“It’s a call for any groups or organizations who have an interest in or are involved in programming that supports African American youths,” said Rhodes, a CSUN professor of Pan-African studies. “We’re seeking their participation.”

The conference, to be held April 25 and 26, will focus on the destructive forces of violence in African American and other communities, Rhodes said. Experts will present findings of studies on the impact of chronic domestic violence on those who witness acts of physical abuse, Rhodes said.

A scholar from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles also will report on his studies of urban violence.

In addition to seminars, guest lecturers and presentations from violence prevention and intervention agency leaders, CSUN students will perform a play called “Franz Fanon,” about the noted black psychiatrist’s work studying the psychological results of violence.

The main goal of the Hamer institute is to study issues and recommend policies to reverse the decline of college enrollment and bolster education opportunities for young black males, Rhodes said.

The institute, to be composed of CSUN faculty, students and community leaders, will also serve as a clearinghouse for education information, data and resources for African Americans and others studying African American issues.

For information call (818) 885-3312.