'MEN OF HONOR' NAVAL HERO IS BLACK MALE SUMMIT SPEAKER

Carl Brashear, the first black master chief diver in U.S. Navy history and the subject of the motion picture "Men of Honor," will be the keynote speaker of Black Male Summit 2001 Friday and Saturday, Jan. 26-27, at Old Dominion University.

Brashear, a Virginia Beach resident, will speak at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the North Cafeteria of Webb University Center. A question-and-answer period follows his talk.

A native of Kentucky, Brashear enlisted in the Navy in 1948. While assigned to a salvage ship in 1966, he was badly injured in an accident; as a result, surgeons amputated his left leg below the knee.

He refused to submit to medical survey boards attempting to retire him as unfit for duty. After demonstrating that he could still dive and perform his other duties, Brashear in 1970 qualified as the first black master diver in the history of the U.S. Navy.

The Black Male Summit's opening ceremony will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday. A series of workshops on topics including HIV/AIDS, motivation, health trends and issues, and leadership skills will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in Webb University Center. Speakers include Walter Kimbrough, vice president for student affairs at Albany State University in Georgia and former director of student activities and leadership at Old Dominion.

The summit is free, though pre-registration is required. For more information, call 683-5490 or consult the event's Web site at http://www.odu.edu/blackmalesummit2001.