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Dignity Institute of Technology (name changed to "African Scientific Institute" in 1975) sponsored its Third Annual International African Science Conference on October 6, 1973. The theme of the conference was "Effort Consolidation." This theme was selected out of consideration of the numerous existing organizations with similar objectives, but perhaps different methods of obtaining such objectives.

This conference hoped to start a dialogue among the various organizations interested in minorities enhancing themselves in scientific areas. Additionally, the lay community and the Black technical community was shown a multiplicity of ways they could cooperate with each other. For instance, the local Council of Black Professional Engineers might like to conduct a scientific tutorial program; it would be helpful to this group to know that there exists a local Black Professional Engineers Council that could assist.

This conference represented an extension of our belief that a technical organization should do more than just promote the development of only its membership. In pre-industrial times, a technical association functioned primarily as a guild or a union. Its sole purpose was to protect the social and economic positions as well as the technical secrets of its members. During the past, science and technology was an art. Today, science and technology are each a profession. To advance either, means that new approaches to their enhancement must be sought A technical association should provide a framework where new ideas can be explored, and where members and non-members can interface and make contributions to society.

The conference represented one such framework that we provided for the public. The conference was initiated, under D.I.T. (ASI) auspices, by a group of physical and life scientists to accomplish several goals. They wanted Black scientists and engineers to play a more important role in the area of science. Therefore, they formulated the idea of a conference that was broad in subject matter, international and interdisciplinary in scope, and whose format would allow for both formal and informal contacts among the participants and audience.

At the AFRICAN SCIENCE CONFERENCE, the public met Black Scientists face to face. The public, at least once a year, saw how together Black people are in the areas related to science. Through the efforts of the participants, images are built among the citizenry to gain respect for Black people in general. Respect from your fellowman is a necessity for survival. As long as we lack that respect, we will continuously be on the bottom. In contemporary society, people only respect those who have made scientific/technological accomplishments. This conference is a small stepping stone to show the world that Blacks have, can, and will achieve scientific prominence in the world!!