Thomas Sowell One of the organizers of the 1980 Black Alternatives Conference, economist Thomas Sowell played a key role in bringing Black conservatism to wider attention. (more) Fairmont Conference United States history [1980] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Fairmont-Conference-1980 Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Black Alternatives Conference Written by Written by Nick Tabor Nick Tabor is a freelance journalist and the author of Africatown: America's Last Slave Ship and the Community It Created. Nick Tabor Fact-checked by Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Oct. 24, 2025 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot The Black Alternatives Conference, often called the “Fairmont Conference,” was a symposium on African American conservative thought held at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel in December 1980. It was organized by the economist Thomas Sowell and the activist Henry Lucas and was financed by the Institute for Contemporary Studies (a think tank founded by Edwin Meese, who became Ronald Reagan’s attorney general). The conference helped make Black conservatism more visible to the public (even if it...

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