Introduction Daring to Educate for Equity and Excellence

The National Association For Multicultural Education held its 7th Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico October 29-November 2, 1997. The Conference theme, Daring to Educate for Equity and Excellence: A Multicultural and Bilingual Mandate for the 21ST Century, generated excellent scholarship in the form of keynote speeches and conference papers and stimulating discussions among the membership. The Southwest provided an excellent back drop to discus the interconnections between Multicultural education and bilingual education, as well as provide an opportunity for proponents of both of these important ideas to engage in useful and important discussions.