Calvin College Multiculturalism Conference 1997

Conference to emphasize multiculturalism not minorities.

The ninth annual National Christian Multicultural Student Leadership Conference will find a home at Calvin College this November.

Rhae-Ann Booker, Calvin coordinator of multicultural student development, hopes that the conference entitled "Beyond Celebration: Embracing God's Justice" will be well received.

"It's an opportunity for our students to learn more about the many different ways we all view the world," said Booker.

And not just the minority students.

"I want people to understand that this is not just a `minority folks' issue," she said. "This is a people issue. I'm hoping to get a lot of white students out to this conference."

The conference, which runs Nov. 9-12, features Keynote speaker Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III, pastor, the Azusa Christian Community co-chairperson of operations for the Ten Point Coalition.

Rivers is known for his work with the Azusa Christian Community, an intentional community of black men, women and children who are committed to the complete renewal--spiritually, culturally, intellectually and politically--of the black poor people in inner-city Boston.

Other workshop leaders at the conference, well known in their particular fields, will focus on the progress of Native Americans, challenges confronting Asian-Americans, cultural sensitivity and increasing multicultural understanding, to name a few.

"I think the problem with this conference in the past is that publicity has only gone out to multicultural directors," said Booker. "Any time something comes to a college that has the word multicultural on it, it immediately gets sent to the office of multicultural affairs. It's hard to get people to see past that. This is about more than addressing the concerns of minority people."

Booker is hoping to see the conference strongly supported by Calvin students, faculty and staff.

"There is no purpose in hosting a conference if students from the host site don't attend," she said. "We're very excited about hosting this conference and I think that it can have an impact and lasting impression on Calvin's campus."

Lynn Rosendale