The Syracuse University African-American Male Congress will host its fourth annual Baccalaureate Ceremony in Hendricks Chapel today at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will include a musical introduction by two students, the induction of seven new congress members and a keynote address by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

The program is open to the public and is a business-attire affair. Hendricks is expected to be filled to capacity, with SU students, faculty and community members, including local high school students and teachers, in attendance.

‘They’ll be provided with an example of where black leadership can be,’ said Anwar Nasir, secretary of the congress. ‘(Sharpton’s) a former presidential candidate and has the ability to provide direction in life as a strong black man in a position of power, not only nationally but internationally.’

The purpose of the annual Baccalaureate Ceremony is to induct the new members into the congress, which is an honors society. To qualify for membership, congressmen must have at least a 3.0 grade point average.

‘We want to be a premier student organization for African-American male leaders on campus,’ said Joel Patterson, public relations director for the congress. ‘Our mission is to discuss economic, social and political issues … to provide a support system for these males as well as grow and support student leadership.’

Sharpton’s speech will be the culmination of a leadership training institute the inductees have participated in during the past few months.

‘What I’m looking for is a sense of direction in terms of where my next steps should be,’ said Rotimi Paul, president of the congress. ‘A small sense of guidance is something I’m looking to get from this.’

A keynote speaker of influence in the community has typically been present at this event. Past speakers have included Cornel West, a professor of religion and African-American studies at Princeton University and Michael Eric Dyson, a famous author and humanities professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

In terms of Sharpton, ‘He’s an influential leader in the African-American community,’ Patterson said. ‘Hopefully he can give us some knowledge to help us in the future to reach a career of his success.’

Though no specific topic has been decided upon yet concerning Sharpton’s speech, he will be speaking generally about issues pertinent to black men.

‘Sharpton is a very good speaker,’ Paul said. ‘The message we’re going to have him present is going to be powerful for not only our students, but for the community as well.’

The event has been publicized on local radio stations, various e-mail lists and posters hung up around campus.

‘He has the ability to inspire people in general, but especially young black men,’ Nasir said. ‘You’ve seen in his addresses when he was running for president – he’s a dynamic speaker. I think he will not only inspire incoming members of the congress, but community members as well.’

Published on April 26, 2006 at 12:00 pm