 could be seen, throughout the years, with graduate students following behind them like ducklings behind a mother duck. They came to the conference to learn how to be scholars. As a mentor to the next batch of scholars, I want that to be my role. I want to bring those that I mentor along with me to conferences so I can introduce them to scholars in their field and to get them acquainted with the process of creating that professional persona that we all need when “conferencing.” Instead of taking years to earn how to interact with scholars whom I admire, and not feel intimated, I could have started forming relationships much sooner if I had mentors who consciously went out of their way to introduce me, whether at a conference or not, to people in the profession.
Keeping the idea of camaraderie alive, the CLA awards ceremony banquet highlighted students, scholars, and CLA executive members by recognizing their scholarship and service. The whole event showed an organization that strives to support the work done in African American and Africana studies in the academy, and to that effect, the whole evening became a celebration of the work being done, not only in books and articles but also through service to students and society as a whole. In this way, the ceremony only solidified my already budding appreciation for CLA and what they have been doing for the past 76 years.
The highlight of the ceremony, however, was Jesmyn Ward’s keynote speech. Ward’s speech expressed her familial lineage and the struggles they, and herself, encountered in Mississippi. As she spoke of her grandmother having to hide in the back of a truck when leaving a white neighborhood at night, her brother’s murderer (a white drunk driver) getting only five years in prison for fleeing the scene, and her own encounters with racist classmates during her adolescence, I could not help but glance around the room. When I did, I saw individuals with their eyes closed, listening intently as Ward told of these incidents. I cannot imagine going through these experiences, and I can never fully comprehend how they affected, and continue to affect, people. However, I can think back to incidents in my own life, with the separation of time, and see how people I know act the same way as some of the people who acted this way towards Ward, her family, and many others.
How do we counter this in a supposedly post-racial America? How do we confront the racism that still exists. For me, it comes through education; however, that does not always work because unless someone is willing to listen, they will fight tooth and nail to adhere to their beliefs. I do feel, though, that getting individuals to read, to provide diversity in literary texts, not just in college, would be a start to at least opening these conversations in the classroom. I still adhere to James Baldwin’s assertion that.”
I know that this post covers extensive amounts of ground, but I hope you find it useful. No matter what your academic discipline, or nonacademic profession, I hope that the things discussed here will be useful to you in some way. What are your thoughts? As usual, let me know in the comments below.
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Pingback: Networking and Conferencing: Part II | Interminable RamblingTold him I’m not happy

I told him I’m not happy but didn’t say divorce yet. He keeps making excuses for not closing down the businesses that don’t work or at least to get a job for the baby… I have to work at a new job tomorrow as a receptionist it’s soooooooo low paying compared to what I have a degree in and my previous job experience but I need the cash so whatever and the hours are flexible… he said “the job is pathetic” when he’s making nothing… he then texted me last night (we live in different countries because he failed to keep his green card status) I promise it will be better, then said I don’t know how to do it everything I do makes it worse, even though yesterday he went out to dinner for a “meeting” which I know leads to nowhere and then paid 100 bucks to be a judge in a beauty contest in a town over from him. I am soo tired. I haven’t slept longer than two hour intervals since 7 weeks ago… my baby has never met him and I doubt he’ll see him this upcoming year or the next if he keeps it up.  I don’t feel like I love him anymore. I am so unhappy and tired. He’s betting on me passing my dream job exam because if I do i know I will get the position and it’s well paid with benefits and lots of travel which includes my family and he said “I’ll gladly be your sugar baby” no. No. I feel so bad because I loved him when we made the baby, I loved him before he was born, but now I just don’t see it. I have two feet on the ground and he’s up in the clouds.

Edit: honestly kinda wondering how to end things? I haven’t ended things with anyone since high school and we literally got married out of high school. Well I did I was 18 and he was 25. But I feel older than him… whatever.<issue_start><issue_comment>Title: `CopyLog` working on iOS 12.2
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