Culture, History and Current Affairs Take Center Stage at Black National Conference in Virginia

Pat Patterson, an AARP volunteer from Savannah, Georgia, was so excited to attend this year’s ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History) Conference in Norfolk, Virginia, that she happily made the 1,000-mile round trip by car. A longtime educator, Patterson looks forward to the annual gathering, which brings together networking, education, cultural events and social activities. This year’s conference, co-sponsored by AARP, marked the organization’s 111th anniversary.

“Especially with a focus this year on education and the resurgence of Freedom Schools,” Patterson said, she was eager to be part of the conversation. Freedom Schools were established during the 1960s Civil Rights era as temporary alternative schools designed to educate and empower Black students. After attending a session focused on public education, Patterson found the renewed interest in the Freedom School model particularly timely. “In recent years, we’ve seen some removal of African American history, and it’s important that all history is reflected and included in our curriculums,” she said.

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That emphasis on inclusion is also central to AARP’s involvement in the conference. Philisa Johnson, AARP Virginia’s Community Outreach Director, said AARP joined several dozen other organizations in sponsoring the event because of its broad community focus.

“We are committed to serving everyone at AARP,” Johnson said. “We have programming outreach that touches all our communities, including Hispanic/Latino, African-American and Black, among others, in order to understand and better assist with everything from housing and health needs to academic affairs.”

For many attendees, however, one of the conference’s biggest draws was something that can be difficult to replicate online: being together in the same room. Dr. Charles McKinney, a featured speaker and history professor at Rhodes College, emphasized the importance of face-to-face connections. Speaking on a panel about “Black Political Power,” McKinney acknowledged the enormous reach of the digital world but cautioned that the internet alone cannot replace strong community institutions.

“We can’t run our lives on social media,” he said, adding that “we need to rebuild vibrant, Black institutions for authentic self-preservation.” McKinney pointed to the historical Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) as an example of how organized, community-based institutions have helped underrepresented groups create meaningful change on a national level.

“Now, more than ever,” said ASALH Executive Director Sylvia Cyrus, “we need to ensure an intergenerational approach to Black history, culture and current affairs, and that’s truly at the heart of this annual meeting of the minds.”

More than 1,000 people from across the nation took part in this year’s gathering, bringing together educators, historians, community leaders, advocates and others for five days of conversation, connection and reflection.

The 2027 ASALH Conference is scheduled for September 22-26, 2027, in Baltimore, Maryland.