Oct. 19, 2007

2007 Florida Classic Symposium Agenda

On November 15th and 16th, top professional athletes, scholars and athletic directors from the nation's top colleges and universities will gather at the 2nd Annual Florida Classic Symposium. The symposium addresses topics regarding sport, academia, and their influence on African Americans. This year's symposium is a series of discussions regarding the recruitment, retention and return of the Black athlete to the Black community. The aim is to begin a national dialogue on the impact of society on the Black athlete.

We're in an era when the NBA has become close to 80% Black, the NFL and WNBA are two-thirds Black, yet the population of the United States is only 13% Black. This begs the question...do Black children succeed athletically because sports is the only avenue for them to succeed, or has society placed a premium on their physical gifts while remaining uninterested in their academic and social development? The symposium, sponsored by Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Minority Opportunity Athletic Association (MOAA), will bring light to these issues in hopes of identifying strategies to improve the performance of minority children and instilling in generations to come a social and civic responsibility that comes with the blessings of being physically gifted.

The first Florida Classic Symposium dealt with the State of the Black Athlete: athletically, socially and financially. Dozens of experts gathered with hundreds of students and scholars to discuss this issue in a challenging and stimulating exchange of ideas and theories. The star-studded panel of speakers included Floyd Keith of the Black Coaches Association, Super Bowl-winning QB Doug Williams, NFL Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow, and many more.

The expectations for this year are even greater! The 2007 Florida Classic Symposium will be held at The International Plaza Resort and Spa on Thursday November 15th and Friday November 16th, 2007. Interested participants are encouraged to register here.

About The Walt Disney World ® Florida Classic presented by State Farm: This year, the Walt Disney World ® Florida Classic presented by State Farm will celebrate twenty-eight years of being a major player in the arena of intercollegiate athletics at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The annual football weekend, featuring Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University, has developed into the nation's largest gathering of African-Americans for a sporting event. The Walt Disney World ® Florida Classic presented by State Farm delivers an annual crowd of over 75,000 fans and in excess of over 26 million dollars in economic impact on central Florida. Proceeds from the game and all official ancillary events support the mission of Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University to provide educational opportunities through scholarships for all students.