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Alice A. Huffman, Democratic National Convention Committee Chair, Is Keynote Speaker At Urban College of Boston Commencement Alice A. Huffman, keynote speaker at UCB's 2004 Commencement Boston, MA., April 30, 2004 - Ms. Alice A. Huffman will give the keynote address at the Urban College of Boston Annual Commencement Exercises, Friday, June 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Boston. As Chairwoman for the DNCC, Ms. Huffman is responsible for the planning and execution of the Convention in July 2004. As the Co-chair of the 2004 Democratic National Convention Site Advisory Committee, Ms. Huffman played a key role in the selection of Boston as the host city for this summer's gathering. At the Commencement ceremonies, Urban College President Dr. Linda Edmonds Turner will present degrees to the class of 2004, as well as a special recognition award to philanthropists Moses and Hannah Malkin. The Malkins have contributed $85,000 to the College to establish a scholarship fund and build a UCB alumni association. A list of this year’s Malkin Scholars will also be announced at commencement. Ms. Huffman's involvement in the 2004 Convention marks the latest chapter in her distinguished career as one of the Democratic Party's leading activists. Since 1999, Ms. Huffman has served as President of the California State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the nation's oldest civil rights organization. She was recently recognized by the California NAACP for 30 years of dedicated service. She is the first woman ever elected to the position, which oversees 67 local branches and over 30 college chapters in California. In 2002, Huffman was also elected to serve on the NAACP National Board of Directors. Huffman, who graduated from the University of California-Berkeley with an honors degree in Social/Cultural Anthropology and has completed extensive postgraduate coursework, is a tireless advocate on behalf of education issues. In July 2003 she was appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees by Governor Gray Davis. She has also served as the Associate Executive Director for Politics for the California Teachers Association. Ms. Huffman is founder and President/CEO of A.C. Public Affairs, Inc., a public affairs firm which specializes in public and grassroots advocacy. She also serves on the board for Capitol Focus and on T-CAP, a consumer advisory panel to SBC/Pacific Bell. The Urban College of Boston is a two-year college and the first in the nation to be established by an antipoverty agency, Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. (ABCD). The mission of the Urban College is to provide higher education opportunities to residents who are “underserved” by traditional colleges within a supportive environment and a curriculum that emphasizes career preparation and skill development. More than 700 students are currently enrolled at Urban College and the student body reflects the ethnic diversity of Boston’s urban neighborhoods. Many students are the first in their families to attend college. As one student stated, “Students at the Urban College are people who didn’t just assume they would go to college. They are here against all odds.”