This week, everyone can partake in African-American culture and learn about the future of today’s society during the 8th annual African-American Leadership Conference, themed “Uplifting the Souls of Black Folks in the 21st Century.”

The Center for Black Studies, graduate school members, the Black Graduate Student Association and the Student Association will sponsor the conference, which is one of the largest student-run conferences around, scheduled with speakers and events like Step Africa, said Darcy Clarke, office manager at the Center for Black Studies. The conference runs today through Friday.

“We will learn about the role of African Americans in today’s society,” Clarke said.

Unlike last year, the schedule will include a larger variety of speakers.

“The whole conference is something to look forward to,” Clarke said. “I can’t even explain all the educational learning that will be going on.”

Ronnie Wooten will perform a wind ensemble concert at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom.

“The concert is relating to Rosa Parks and other African-American heroes,” Clarke said.

Marimba Ani, a retired professor in the Department of Black and Puerto Rican Studies at New York’s Hunter College, will speak today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Center for Black Studies.

Ani also will lead a commemoration of the Maafa, the African Holocaust, remembering the slaves that were bought to America.

DePaul University professor Michael Dyson will speak at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium about hip-hop’s influence on society.

Speakers Denene Millner and Nick Chiles, a husband and wife team who co-wrote the book “What Brothers Think, What Sistas Know: The Real Deal on Love and Relationships,” will discuss male and female perspectives on relationship issues. They will speak at 1 p.m. Friday in the Holmes Student Center’s Heritage Room.

The conference will end with a keynote speech by Minister Ava Muhammed, an attorney and national spokesperson for the Nation of Islam who has authored five books and is a frequent writer for Essence magazine. She will speak at 7 p.m. Friday in the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom.

“All the speakers will talk about our heritage and are all influential people,” Clarke said.

Clarke encourages students and adults to attend the conference’s events, all of which are free.Denene Millner and Nick Chiles, authors of “What Brothers Think, What Sistas Know: The Real Deal on Love and Relationships,” will speak at 1 p.m. Friday at the Holmes Student Center’s Heritage Room during the African-American Leadership Conference.