Greetings,

I am delighted to serve as your president for the 2012-2013 academic year, which is an exceptional year for NBGSA as it commemorates a quarter of a century anniversary for the nation’s largest interdisciplinary Black graduate student organization. Twenty-five years ago, NBGSA was founded at the University of Michigan and we are going back to our roots, precisely in Dearborn, Michigan from March 6-10, 2013 to celebrate the achievements and continuous successes of this organization as well as defining new horizons to strengthen the development of emerging Black scholars. Hence our theme this year carried that message through “Honoring the Past, Defining the Future”.

With the assistance of my hardworking and wonderful leadership team, we promise you an exciting and memorable conference. Indeed, this 25 year milestone celebration of Black Graduate Students' Leadership and excellence promises to be one of the best. Conference attendees will participate in poster and stand-up presentations, paper competitions, hear inspiring speeches from the nation’s leading Black academics from all disciplines, and engage in workshops designed to aid with the overall graduate experience. You don’t want to miss it!!!!

In the meantime that we meet in Dearborn, MI, I strongly encourage you to get involved in the 25^th national conference preparations. We need volunteers in the different committees ranging from sponsorships and fundraising to Public Relations, speakers, programming and community service. Please email Janine Franklin at vpconference.org if you are interested in volunteering for any of these committees. I thank you in advance for joining us in this memorable journey. In addition, we have five regional conferences (North Central, Northeast, South Central, Southeast, and the West) that are scheduled in October, November 2012 and January 2013. These are great opportunities to present your research, network, and develop strong leadership skills. Feel free to visit the website for more information. Also, get involved on the national level by becoming a state representative by emailing Jeffrey Fleming at vpmembership.org.

As many of us begin a new academic journey or pursuing one, I would like to wish you much success and best of luck on your papers, projects and final exams. Let me also add that your dedication and contributions to NBGSA has made us a much stronger organization. I thank you for your continuous support and involvement in NBGSA activities. If this is your first interaction with NBGSA, I strongly encourage you to become a member.

I hope to meet you in Dearborn!  Feel free to email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Peace and Blessings,

Anta Sane, MBA, MSL

Howard University, PhD Political Science

National President, 2012-2013

National Black Graduate Student Association