Showing posts with label NSBE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NSBE. Show all posts

Friday, July 07, 2023

National Society of Black Engineers pulls conference out of Florida because of DeSantis' attacks on DEI

The National Society of Black Engineers is moving its annual convention out of Florida, citing the state's attacks on diversity and inclusion as the reason.

The National Society of Black Engineers announced its 2024 convention will no longer be held in Orlando next spring after participants voiced their concerns about the state's political climate and safety.

The following message was sent to NSBE members:


Dear Members, 

Shortly into our journey to celebrating 50 years of NSBE’s annual conventions, we were faced with the responsibility of deciding how to convene in a way that is authentically us, and that honors the basis of our organization’s existence and mission. 

After careful deliberation, our National Executive Board voted to move #NSBE50 out of Florida and relocate to Atlanta, GA where we will be able to provide the full NSBE convention experience. The context of what this decision entailed is detailed below. 

Unified Voice for Social Impact & Change + Sustaining NSBE’s Legacy

Our Society originated during the Black Power Movement, a time when racial pride and truthful expression of the Black experience were amplified and at the forefront. Since then, NSBE members, advisors and staff alike have carried the torch with a goal “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community."

With such a longstanding history, we had to take into account that the political climate in Florida seeks to undermine what we stand for and would prohibit us from existing and congregating the NSBE way.

The Pivot 

These occurrences were catalysts to the #NSBE50 location pivot, and were compounded by logistical 1 challenges, which altogether created a circumstance that would inevitably hinder us from providing an expansive, complete, and authentic NSBE convention experience. Indeed, because of the referenced occurrences and other actions – on May 20, the NAACP issued a formal travel advisory for Florida, which states, in part, “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.” Other civil rights organizations, among them the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Equality Florida and the Florida Immigrant Coalition, have expressed support for the NAACP’s action and/or have issued travel advisories of their own. Florida is at the forefront of efforts across the nation to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and therefore it is important that these unified voices be heard loudly there. 

As a Black organization working towards equity for Black STEM students and professionals, we stand in solidarity with efforts and advisories from Black legacy organizations like the NAACP, especially on matters that directly affect NSBE and our mission – such as the aforementioned.

Refocusing on Celebrating NSBE50 

As we begin to shift our focus back to the joys and meaningful impact of #NSBE50, we will have a centralized focus to (1) maintain a unified voice for social impact and change; (2) support Region III and all members of the NSBE family – right where they are as well as on a national and international level; and (3) remain true to NSBE’s legacy and mission. 

We are also actively working to help our members who are directly impacted by attacks on DEI. For those of you who need assistance, we encourage you to apply for NSBE’s Chapter Relief program which is in place to address and mitigate issues like these. 

Please know that this decision was not made lightly – we approached it with thoughtfulness, care and all things considered – but ultimately with you, our stakeholders, and the integrity of NSBE in mind. We will share more details about relocating as they become available.

Sincerely, Avery Layne, 
NSBE National Chairperson 
Janeen Uzzell, NSBE CEO

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Northrop Grumman Gives $2 Million Grant to National Society of Black Engineers &HBCUs

National Society of Black Engineers announced a three-year, $2 million program funded by the Northrop Grumman Foundation designed to expand the nation's engineering workforce through a partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Northrop Grumman Corporation/NSBE Integrated Pipeline Program will provide 72 engineering students with $8,000 scholarship grants, internships with Northrop Grumman and year-round academic and professional development support. The program's three HBCU partners - Florida A&M University, Howard University and North Carolina A&T State University - will receive grants, technical assistance and a package of programs researched and managed by NSBE.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide.

[SOURCE]

Sunday, March 29, 2015

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Hosts 41st Annual Convention in Anaheim

The 2015 NSBE Technical Professionals Conference (TPC) was recently hosted in Southern California on March 25–29, 2015, at the Anaheim Marriott and Convention Center as part of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 41st Annual Convention. The annual convention convened over 7,000 participants and this year's convention theme is “Innovation & Excellence: Reimagining Your Future”.

The Technical Professionals Conference packed more than 12 events into the conference including executive roundtables, career panels, industry workshops, networking sessions and premier special events. Conference highlights included the TPC Executive Roundtable series featuring a dynamic lineup of 18 executive leaders covering a variety of global topics and the “Comcast NBCUniversal Experience” a special event powered by Comcast NBCUniversal featuring a showcase of media, technology and creative content. NSBE also partnered with global security company, Northrop Grumman, who hosted two signature luncheons and an executive breakfast featuring fireside chats with several top-level executives from the corporation. Lastly, the conference closed out with an evening extravaganza entitled “Empire Saturday” presented by Fox Networks with custom footage and branded items from the hit television show along with a few special surprises.

“The conference is a chance for NSBE members and industry professionals to network, explore opportunities, gain professional development, support future STEM leaders and learn best practices from successful executives,” Amilcar Aaron, TPC Conference Chair said.

The NSBE Professionals have engaged a strong roster of participating conference partners including Accenture, Campbell Soup Company, Cargill, Caterpillar, Cummins, Dell, Eaton, Electronic Arts, FBI, Georgia-Pacific, IBM, Kelley School of Business, L-3 Communications, Lenovo, Lockheed Martin, Qualcomm, RWJF New Connections, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Co., Starbucks, United Technologies Corporation and US Marines.

“This conference would simply not be possible without the support of these local, national and global companies,” Aaron said. “We truly value our partner relationships and really appreciate their commitment to recruiting diverse talent, sharing their expertise and supporting the NSBE mission.”

About NSBE: The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is owned and managed by its members. With more than 30,000 members around the world, NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE’s mission is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community." The organization is dedicated to the academic and professional success of African-American engineering students and professionals. NSBE is governed by an executive board of college students and engineering professionals and is operated by a professional staff at its World Headquarters, located in Alexandria, Va.