Study abroad will actively influence the attitudes of our nation's future leaders. The result will be leaders who care about justice, respect and equality for all people. This enriching experience outside the American classroom will enable students of all ages to connect larger social issues and their own life experiences. 

On the subject of international racism, we must remember that for the past fifty years, everything that Euro-peans have learned about us has come through the mass media and ironically through the presence of our art that was transported all over the world. William H. Johnson, a South Carolina born artist, traveled throughout Europe and Scandinavia before returning to America and contributing to the ebullience of the Harlem Renaissance. Henry 0. Tanner, well known for his art, immigrated to Europe in 1891. Artists, musicians and writers who went to Europe to escape racism in America found a safe haven there. Jazz, another art form that originated in the United States, is now univeral. Jazz concerts occur during the summer musical festivals in Helsinki, Finland with the same urgency that one finds at summer music festivals in New Orleans and New York or on the island of St. Lucia. And, who would expect to find Ray Charles in Salzburg, Austria, the music capital of the world? Everywhere in Europe from museums to concert halls, signs indicate that the contributions African Americans made to the world made it better. 

To debunk the myths and eliminate the prevailing stereotypes, we must see the world and experience the social interaction that changes attitudes and misconceptions about African Ameri-cans. Then we can actively participate in destroying the walls of prejudice and discrimination that separate nations and people. 

Diversity exists among us. We live in small towns and big cities. We are doctors, lawyers and community leaders. While there is a definable subculture, we reflect the cultural norms of a larger society. Our world is rapidly changing politically, socially and economically, yet the vast majority of African- American students believe that study abroad does not have any relationship to their career. This thought process is reinforced by the fact that the study abroad literature does not reflect inclusion. 

When we consider the fact that in the next decade, 33 out of every 100 children in American classrooms will be children of color, it's time to talk inclusion. The future workforce will be made up of today's K-12 children. The attitudes they learn today will stay with them when they become managers in the workforce of the 21st century. Will they be sensitive to cultural diversity issues? Will they perpetuate racism and prejudice or talk openly and honestly about the merits of diversity in our society? American educators today must provide the guidelines for our future workforce remembering that one does not become globally competent without acquiring multicultural competency skills 

My list of the top ten reasons for African -American students to study abroad include the following: 

Expand employment opportunities. The spring edition of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN highlights job opportunities for the Class of '98. THE BLACK COLLEGIAN targets African-American students for career and self-development purposes. The job outlook for this years graduates reflects the growing trend in global economics. The top 10 employers are seeking graduates who can think critically and have a global perspective. 

Increase one's understanding of the world and our society. We can no longer afford to rely on CNN to tell us what we should know about the world. Changing demographics in the United States alone dictate that we must not only acquire a global competence but we must develop an understanding and an appreciation of diversity in our own country. According to the Channing Betes college handbook, Understanding Diversity, for centuries, American education, business and government have reflected the culture of the vast majority: White people of European descent. By the year 2000, however, we will see big changes. For example, out of every 100 workers: 10 will be immigrants; 16 will be U.S.-born Hispanics, African Americans or other people of color; 47 will be women (including 12 women of color); and 32 will be U.S. born White men. Note: the total is more than 100 because immigrant women and women of color are counted twice. Out of every 100 children in American classrooms, 33 will be children of color. While study abroad can be a vital link to global competence, it is also an integral part of multicultural competence. Understanding diversity begins with understanding how you see yourself, your place in the world-and your own uniqueness. 

Business Week featured a report on The New Economics of Food (May 20, 1996 issue). This article gives the most practical example of how the U.S. economy is interlinked to other nations. Some food for thought: the demand for rice and other food products in China is not keeping pace with the supply driving up prices around the world. The United States will be the major supplier of food products that China cannot produce. At the same time, China has monopolized most of the markets in supplying dry goods. (check the labels of the textiles, clothing and shoes on your next shopping trip to the mall). Our President often speaks about the global market economy; however, I cannot give you anything more practical than this to explain the significance of his constant reference to a global market economy. 

Broaden your experience in life. Travel abroad can be an education in itself. At the same time many African Americans who have lived, worked and traveled abroad, report that travel outside the United States can be a liberating experience. Paris is truly an international city with a mosaic of many different cultures with people from Asia, Africa and the French West Indies. William Patterson felt liberated as a young graduate student walking down the streets of Paris. It suddenly occurred to him that nobody knew his name or seemed to care about his race. He had come to Paris to learn French before beginning a research project that would take him to French speaking Senegal. Before going on to Dakar, he participated in an intensive language program in Paris. This was the first of many visits to Paris, the City of Lights with a mosaic of many different cultures and people from Asia, Africa and the French West Indies. 

Intensive language is designed to prepare students, business men and other travelers with language skills necessary for a cultural immersion experience in a country where English is not the official language. They are especially popular in France and Germany. Many college students participate in intensive language programs before beginning a course of study in Europe. It is possible to become proficient in a foreign language during the three months before beginning the academic year abroad. 

Meet people from different backgrounds and cultures. A period of study outside the United States enables you to meet students not only from the host country but other nations as well. It is an opportunity to forge many international friendships and understand the values of cultures and societies. It is an opportunity to adopt some of the behaviors, customs or beliefs important to the host culture while getting rid of old stereotypes. Learning the cultural nuances can make the American businessman more effective when he must negotiate a contract in a foreign marketplace. 

Increase your income potential. Study abroad on your resume definitely gives you the competitive edge. This is especially so when many employers seek individuals who can accept overseas assignments. Black Enterprise highlighted the African -American presence in the global marketplace (May 1996). The entire magazine discloses numerous career and business options for African Americans who can set their sights on the Big Emerging Markets (BEMs). BEMS are the 10 areas designated by the Clinton Administration as the most attractive markets for U.S. exports and investments. The areas include the Peoples Republic of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The others are Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the Association of Southeast Asian nations, India, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey and Poland. A compelling case is made for African-American students to acquire the competencies necessary for living and working in a foreign environment. Students are encouraged to think globally as they define their future careers. 

Dr. Johnetta Cole, former president of Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga., speaks to the concept of thinking globally in her book Conversations. She tells us that it is far more profound knowing that your car was made in Germany and your shoes in Brazil. It is a keen awareness that there is a world community, and as a citizen of the world, for better or for worse, your life and life circumstances are connected to and affected by that of your fellow citizens on this planet. 

Explore new interests. I am compelled to tell you about the experience of one student who studied abroad during her senior year. After completing all of the requirements for a degree at her home institution, she was told to go to Mexico, learn the language and have fun! And, have fun she did. She enrolled in the basic Spanish course for internationals, psychology, modern dance and ballet. She learned to salsa and meringue and play the drums. And at the end of one day, the professor suggested that she remain in Mexico and join his dance troop. This student, however, opted to see the world and upon graduation immediately signed up for the 'WORK ABROAD program.' 

Learn specific skills that are career related. Learn a second language or do an international internship. Language and cultural immersion experiences are available at more than 100 different universities worldwide but if you are an aspiring young educator and you want to teach Spanish, why not choose a program in Latin America or the Caribbean. From Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga., I met several young women who had come for a variety of different reasons. Outside of the classroom, they lived with host families and enjoyed excursions to the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean. They combined their course work with internships at the local schools, hospitals and the Haitian refugee camps.  

Gain new insights and outlooks, while enjoying new relationships. A cultural immersion experience gives you a close up view of people and places that you may have simply read about or seen in a television movie. By living in the country, you get an insider's perspective of the social and political structure of your host country. You might come away with a better understanding of the academic system, the government, class and ethnicity, the economy and the history of the host country. 

Gain control of your future! While the debate still continues on the preservation of affirmative action, you will be in a position to compete and fully participate in a global, ethnically diverse workforce! 

Find out what you want to do in life. While taking a semester off from your regular studies may seem a luxury, it is indeed a wonderful opportunity to redefine your career aspirations in the context of your new self-awareness and newly acquired skills. Many students report that study abroad can be a life changing experience. It can also open many new career choices. 

Before going abroad, I was an armchair traveler. I sat at my desk semester after semester doing my job as an international student advisor organizing special events for my students and counseling them about their new university environment. I traveled vicariously through my students often wondering what motivated them to come to America. Although, the students with whom I worked with came from every continent, I was fascinated with the students whom I met from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Cameroon, Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa. 

My challenge to every African- American student pursuing a degree is to begin immediately to chart a new course for the future. Visit your study abroad advisor for guidance, but know that it really doesn't matter where you go. It matters to me that you go! Go with the knowledge that someone like you has been there before. Go with the knowledge that people around the world know about the legendary Michael Jordan and the NBA, but they also need to know you! People around the world know Black contemporary artists and musicians. Hip-hop is on the European scene and so is reggae rock. Check the itinerary of your favorite artists, because you just might see them in concert when you travel abroad! 

A West African proverb says, the world is like a mask dancing, if you want to see it well, you cannot stand in one place. Thus, as the saying goes, I urge American students to see the world from many different angles through the variety of study abroad programs.