African American Heritage Festival to host town hall meeting

COLUMBUS – A town hall meeting followed by a keynote address from Black Entertainment Television (BET) anchor Ed Gordon will kick off the 25th anniversary of the Ohio State African American Heritage Festival at 6 p.m. Monday, April 21, at The Ohio Union Ballrooms, 1739 N. High St. The event is free and open to the public.

“AHALI,” the Swahili word for family, is the focus of the 2003 celebration that runs through April 27 and the subject of a community-wide forum on “The Changing Face of the Black Family: What have we done? What can we do?”

Gordon, an Emmy award-winning journalist and host of “BET Tonight,” also will host a student leadership summit and networking dinner prior to the event.

Student event co-chair Bumi Gbadamosi said the town hall meeting starts the festival on a positive note.

“We thought a lot about the different topics we could feature but felt there was no better place to start than with a discussion about family,” Gbadamosi said.
“‘Bringing it Back to Family’ is our theme this year so a forum that focuses on maintaining the family unit seemed to be the best place to start.”

Gbadamosi added that Columbus was selected the best city in the United States for African American families by BET in October 2002 yet there are still many issues that threaten black families on a national scale such as crime, health care, employment and education.

Co-chair Troy Freeland said having Gordon’s participation is a unique opportunity.

“Mr. Gordon is respected nationally and has been extremely successful in his career,” Freeland said. “We are excited to have him as our workshop facilitator and keynote speaker.”

Gordon returned to BET in 1998 following three years as a correspondent for NBC and MSNBC. “BET Tonight with Ed Gordon” airs daily and features one-on-one interviews.

Throughout his career he has secured some of the most sought-after interviews and covered many of the country’s biggest news stories, including the only exclusive interview with O.J. Simpson; Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Cuba; President Clinton’s impeachment hearings; and Republican Senator Trent Lott’s interview and national address to African Americans in December 2002.

A native of Detroit, Gordon earned his bachelor’s degree in communications and political science from Western Michigan University.

Belinda Higgs, interim coordinator for African American Student Services and the festival’s program director, said student organizers really want this event to make an impact on the university and Columbus community.

“The students thought extensively and worked hard to find a prominent individual to kick off the 25th anniversary,” Higgs said. “Ed Gordon was selected as someone who could provide a national perspective and positive feedback regarding the family unit and young black males in particular.”

For additional information on the African American Heritage Festival phone (614) 688-8449 or visit