A number of alumni shared their perspectives during the annual Black Knowledge Conference, sponsored by Concerned Black Students and titled "Striving Toward Success," Feb. 24.

Ryan Gresham '03, linebackers coach for the Wittenberg football team, opened the conference with tips on performing well academically on a predominantly white campus. Shakeer Abdullah '99, director of multicultural affairs at Capital University's School of Law, discussed the social aspects of such a campus and encouraged conference participants to try things they aren't used to as a way to expand their world view.

Other conference activities included a Career Development Workshop led by Stephen Pope '03, Wendy Ford '76 and Latesha Clay '06, and a panel discussion titled "Our Image: The Black Brother, The Black Sister, The Black Bond," led by Erik Larkin '09, Kiara Heidenreich '10, Lamarr Lewis '05 and Mabel Jackson, associate professor emeritus of English. Topics included Barack Obama's candidacy for president, the role of the black family and media portrayals of African Americans.