They stated that many graduate students do not have the support of a mentor to give them the extra nudge they need to complete their degree. Support is especially needed at the final project phase. They feel that there may be psychological problems when it comes to completing the dissertation, thesis or research project. People are concerned about the amount of time they must contribute to this final project and they may also have a fear of failure. The Annual Conference is also a good place to identify possible mentors.
Fellows meet others that have lived through or are going through the process.
The Conference gives fellows a good networking opportunity. This tradition started in 1926 as the Negro History Week founded by historian Carter Woodson. He wanted the world to know that African Americans had a history,too. Before his effort, there were no organized attempts to publish the contributions of African Americans to U.S. history. This celebration eventually developed into studying the contribution of African Americans all throughout the year.