Anxious students and staff filled the Teleconference Center as they waited patiently for the Black leadership discussion to begin.

More than 50 people attended this event that Cerritos History and Political Science Departments host every year.

There were five people on the panel, three professors and two students.

Our African American leaders were recognized from our former president Barack Obama to our famous quote maker of “I have a dream…” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

ASCC President Michael Barrita said, “Martin Luther King paid the way for Obama’s recognition.”

The students and staff were able to come together and reach out to one another on their points of view on both male and female African American leaders.

Fifteen minutes into the discussion and the intense hostility began.

Obama’s race was a huge issue amongst the crowd.

Some consider Obama post-racial others consider him black.

“I hope people continue to struggle to eradicate racism,”‘ Gialisa Gaffaney, professor, added to the closing of the topic.

Time went on and hands continued to fly high as students continued to shoot questions out to our leading panel.

You can be the change you want to see, you don’t have to feed into your society.

Many would agree but still do nothing about it.

As time has gone on, many of the people that have changed our society has been African American.

Not too many black women have been granted the honor of being rewarded for their leadership duties for many unknown reasons.

It was discussed in the conference as the topic of our women leaders went on Terrell Berry added “black women are the strongest in our society.”

Rosa Parks made it possible for blacks to sit in front on the bus.

Shirley Chisholm was the first black congresswoman and Harriett Tubman led blacks to the Underground Railroad.

It’s the ordinary people that have led the people.

Most come from poverty and were brought up in church.

Gary Cain, professor, who was in the audience, raised his hand to put his input on the final topic of the discussion, “Church is the founder foundation of leadership, it’s the basic common courtesy.”