2025 Advancing Black Intellectualism Conference Recap

The 2025 5th Annual Common Ground Consortium Advancing Black Intellectualism (CGC-ABI) Conference, virtually held on May 15-16, 2025, successfully brought together professionals, thought leaders, and innovators from across the continental United States and from around the world. Hosted entirely online, the 2025 Conference explored the intersection between technology and culture and how it impacts various communities within diverse industries. The event leveraged a fully virtual format to create an accessible, engaging, and dynamic experience for attendees around the globe.

Conference Highlights 

The 2025 CGC-ABI Conference opened to the words of Dr. Michael Rodriguez, then dean of the College of Education and Human Development (now chancellor of University of Minnesota-Morris), followed by Assistant Professor of Marketing at Virginia Tech, Dr. Broderick Turner, whose keynote challenged listeners to interrogate the racial capitalistic origins of technologies and how these terrains come to define the Black Diaspora’s social positioning. 

Panel sessions featured expert speakers who offered timely insights, practical strategies, and thought-provoking perspectives relevant to the confluence of technology and culture. Session themes included ‘Cultural literacies and the freedom struggle’, ‘Building Cultural Capital and Institutions of Black Humanity’ and ‘Politics of Movement Injustice’ to name a few. Attendees actively engaged through live Q&A and chat discussions, creating a sense of community.

Overall Impact and Looking Ahead

Across both days, the 5th Annual CGC Advancing Black Intellectualism Conference successfully fostered timely and effective strategies to wrestle with the weight of technology and culture in our collective journey toward the advancement of Black intellectualism. 

The 2025 Conference demonstrated the power of bringing people together—regardless of location—to exchange ideas and drive progress. As the event concluded, participants left with new insights, strengthened connections, and renewed motivation to apply what they learned. Planning is already underway to build on this success and continue delivering impactful experiences in future events. 

If you are interested in attending the 2026 CGC Advancing Black Intellectualism Conference: Black Displacement, please sign up here.