For the first time in the NCAA’s 101-year history, the Association will pause during the 2008 NCAA Convention to reflect and publicly celebrate the achievements of historically black colleges and universities and the students and student-athletes who walk their halls.

An Association-wide session at the Convention will provide an opportunity for attendees to take part in the celebration and learn more about the challenges HBCUs face. The session is titled "Emergence of Excellence, a Celebration of the Rich Tradition of Intercollegiate Athletics at Historically Black Colleges and Universities."

Despite limited resources and media exposure, as well as other challenges, these institutions have been the cornerstone in the education and development of the African-American community for more than 150 years. 

Today, HBCUs continue to face many challenges associated with low resources and limited funding.  However, these institutions continue to meet the demands of educating and preparing generations of students and student-athletes of color for great leadership and citizenship; including many national and international leaders from the African-American community, such as Thurgood Marshall, Oprah Winfrey, and of course, Martin Luther King Jr.   

The forum will include a panel of standout former student-athletes with ties to the HBCU community. These individuals will share their experiences as students and student-athletes at their respective institutions and how those experiences helped shape them both professionally and personally. 

The forum will also feature a video-based historical perspective on the contributions of HBCUs, and will honor the memories of some of the great athletics pioneers like Eddie Robinson, Walter Payton, Althea Gibson and the Tennessee State Tiger belles.

Panel participants include:

          Rochelle Stevens, former Morgan State University track and field student-athlete. An Olympic medalist, Stevens holds a bachelor's degree in telecommunications and sales.

          Mamie Rollins, a former track and field student-athlete at Tennessee State University and a two-time Olympian. Rollins later served as head women's track coach at Hampton University and Chicago State University.

          Jackie Slater, a former football student-athlete at Jackson State University. Slater played 19 seasons in the National Football League and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

          Doug Williams, former Grambling State University quarterback and the only black quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl. Williams currently works as a personnel executive for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

          Harry Carson, a two-time captain of the South Carolina State University football team. Carson earned an education degree and played in the NFL for 13 years, including an appearance in Super Bowl XXI with the New York Giants. He is a member of the professional and college football halls of fame.

          Willis Reed led Grambling State to an NAIA men's basketball national title and was an accomplished NBA player. He is a member of the basketball hall of fame.

          Melvin Johnson, president of Tennessee State, will moderate the panel. Johnson worked in administrative positions at Winston-Salem State University and in an academic capacity at North Carolina S&T State University. He has a military background, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force.