There is a laughing group of professionals moving through the halls of the first floor at Madison College’s Truax Campus. Adults and teenagers, friends and strangers, guests and speakers hailing from across the state of Wisconsin, with a handful of folks from neighboring states, even a young woman with a backpack lugging around a grey kitten that bobs its head, taking in the busy scene.   

The crowd is dressed sharply in black blazers, suits and ties – all headed to the 26th annual National Black Student Union Conference.   

While their attire is strictly business, their attitude is anything but. The group is full of enthusiasm and excitement, coming off the high from their latest activity and with the intention to carry this energy forward into the next event.   

From Nov. 22 through Nov. 23, the National Black Student Union Conference was hosted in Room D1630, with a schedule packed with insightful and educational lectures, workshops and breakout rooms, as well as chances for meals and refreshments.   

The theme for this year’s event was “A New Way Forward.” The focus of the conference, which was open to high school and college students, was leadership, connections and community empowerment.  

Over two days, the conference managed to cover a broad range of relevant topics such as financial planning and the right to read. Also discussed was goal setting and how this relates to actionable steps community members within and outside the Black Student Union (BSU) can take to remove barriers and support the African American community both locally and internationally.   

Professors, business professionals, authors, managers and directors with valuable information and opportunities came together to share their lived experience and research.   

Wayne Hyler, President of The HYLECO Group’s talk, “Financial Planning for Personal and Professional Success,” perfectly illustrates how the conference acted as an intersection of topics.  

Hyler spoke on some of the ways the African American community in the Madison area and across the United States have been systemically excluded from accessing certain financial opportunities, specifically that are crucial to building generational wealth. Hyler cited redlining, a discriminatory practice that involves denying or limiting financial resources to neighborhoods with large populations of racial or ethnic minorities, as one of the chief reasons why African Americans have struggled to purchase valuable real estate.   

Investing in real estate as an asset has traditionally been very lucrative and a key investment to preserving and improving wealth. Criteria as to whether a piece of property is valuable include neighborhood location, its development and potential future improvements, determining whether that property’s value will be maintained and eventually go up.  

Historically, redlining has put people of color at a disadvantage by disproportionately limiting their access to properties, resigning them to own real estate in unsafe neighborhoods, with little chance of development and improvement that would qualify them as valuable tools in building wealth.   

Hyler spoke about educational opportunities such as online courses and internships that specifically cover entrepreneurs’ financial planning. Hyler’s work involves helping Black business owners ensure they have access to adequate education, training, legal protection and resources to ensure business success.   

Starting, running and owning a business is another solid pathway, combined with smart investments, to build generational wealth. Hyler works to make financial resources and knowledge more accessible to Black entrepreneurs in the Madison area and internationally.   

With each guest speaker’s talk, each breakout room’s topic of discussion and even the side conversations born at tables across the room were rich in depth and complexity.   

Hyler’s talk was one of the many over the course of the conference that stood out. 

Other presenters at the conference included:   

• Mandela Barnes, 45th Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor.  
• Donald D. Dantzler Jr., Fitchburg City Council and Madison College District Board chair.  
• Joe Maldonado, Fitchburg City Council.  
• Dana Pelebon, RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center.  
• Tiffany Tardy, PEARLS for Teen Girls, Inc.  

With so much opportunity for learning, connecting, networking and participating, this year’s Annual Black Student Union Conference was certainly impactful and well worth attending.