Community college leaders and students gathered Friday and Saturday for the 10th Annual Black Caucus conference to discuss issues facing society and to empower themselves to make changes.

In order to commemorate its 10th year, the caucus returned to its place of origin, where its first two conferences were held in 1999 and 2000, thereby reflecting the caucus’ theme, “Sankofa: Honoring our past, celebrating the present, building our future.”

“I’m just extremely happy the speakers eloquently helped the delegates reflect on the history, but also reminded them of the present,” Donald Dorsey, organizer of the Caucus and dean of student affairs and activities of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, said.

The caucus encouraged students to apply themselves after they received their education and to raise awareness, speak out and give back.

“Young people are the source of future changes. They have more challenges, especially since we have a distraction-filled environment,”Dorsey said. “We want them to take heart and to not be discouraged.”

The caucus was assembled in order to address the need to have a knowledge-based organization, to consider ideas and to increase the thought students give to those ideas.

“The more you know, the easier it is to find a solution,” Harold Tyler, director of student development, said.

Students were informed about the idea of open forums and were asked to disregard names and labels to keep stereotypes from discouraging them.

“The Black Student Union is not just for black students. Students need to be more aware of different cultures, different issues, and what’s going on in the world,” LaTonya Neal, LAC Cultural Affairs Chairwoman, said.

Speakers at the caucus included U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and Dr. Rev J. Alfred Smith, Sr., California Community Colleges Board of Governors member, who encouraged students to learn and to give back to the world around them.

“If you can’t get up early in the morning and find out what’s going on with the world, it’s going to pass you by. You have to know because it may dictate what you’re going to do that day,” Waters said in her speech.

Students also attended workshops about black history, dealing with societal issues, working together and making the most of their education in order to gain insight and a new perspective.

“I thought I had it all figured out. I’m getting a new point of view,” Moses Estrada, a student delegate representing Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, said.

“This isn’t like ‘I came, now I know.’ New ideas are going to emerge from people. We have to take the information back and make it work.”

Filled with enlightening entertainment and empowering presentations, the conference provided those in attendance with successful models and practices, which were presented in educational sessions and workshops.

“I like the idea that there is a caucus organization to help community colleges and to assist students in education. I think the organization is important because most people can’t do it alone,” Waters said.

Held annually, and scheduled during the President’s Day weekend, the caucus allows students to have “substantive leadership and a cultural experience without missing classes,” Dorsey said.

Proposition 92, a recent failed ballot measure intending to increase community college funding, was also discussed by the caucus to get students focused on their education and the economy, as well as how it affects them.

“There’s an economic situation going on right now and they need to understand it. They need to learn to talk and to articulate an agenda students believe is important,” Tyler said.

The leaders of the caucus hope that in the future, students will learn to band together with others to deal with important issues concerning themselves and their community.

“I hope community college students will be able to see the need to advocate for themselves,” Dorsey said.