Members of the African American and Latino coalition formed during Harold Washington's tenure as mayor will gather at a DePaul University symposium on Saturday, May 9 to discuss the history, current status and future directions of African American-Latino relations in Chicago.

The symposium, titled "African American and Latino Politics in Chicago: Revisiting the Harold Washington Legacy," will be held from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at DePaul's Msgr. John J. Egan Urban Center, 243 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 9100. The forum is sponsored by the Egan Urban Center, the Center for Latino Research, and the Center for Culture and History of the Black Diaspora at DePaul.

"This is an opportunity for African American and Latino community activists, students, scholars and educators to reflect on our common history and experiences, to identify our shared interests, and to lay the foundation for future collaborations," said Michael I.J. Bennett, executive director of the Egan Urban Center.

Former coalition members will participate in a 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. discussion of the African American-Latino coalition during the Harold Washington era. Panelists include: U.S. Congressman Danny Davis, State Senator Miguel del Valle, DePaul University associate professor of political science Maria de los Angeles Torres, Transportation Coordinator of Center of Neighborhood Technology Jackie Grimshaw, cultural historian Tim Black, and University of Illinois Chicago urban planning professors Doug Gills and John Betancur. Gills and Betancur recently co-authored a book on African American and Latino political coalitions.

Juan Andrade, president of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, will present a noon address on the current status of African American-Latino relations, and columnist Vernon Jarrett will speak at 4 p.m. on "Implications for a Broader Community in the 21st Century." Break-out session topics include "The Current Status of African American-Latino Relations: Economic, Political and Social" and "Mobilizing Forces for Future Collaborations."

The forum is free and open to the public. An optional lunch is $10 and requires preregistration by May 1. For more information and to register, call Cynthia Milsap at 312/362-8990.