A Lowndes County supervisor hopes to introduce future African American leaders to the community and vice versa with a day-long summit.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks will host the African-American Leadership Summit Feb. 5 at the Holiday Inn. The program is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature current black leaders and many of the community”s emerging young, black leaders.
Invited guest speakers include Mayor Robert Smith, District 39 State Rep. Jeff Smith and District 41 State Rep. Esther Harrison, both D-Columbus, who will speak about politics from the city, county and state perspectives. Capt. Fred Shelton of the Columbus Police Department has been invited to speak on combating drugs and violence. Dr. Pamela Skinner, a Columbus OB/GYN, will address teenage pregnancy. And Juliet Reese from Community Counseling has been asked to speak on low self-esteem and attitude.
A portion of the program focusing on black women may include Lowndes Emergency Management Agency Director Cindy Lawrence, Columbus-Lowndes Development Link Vice President of Economic Development Brenda Lathan and business owner Kegdra Gray.
Next generation participants include the Rev. R.J. Matthews, pastor of Kingdom Vision International Church, attorney Scott Colom, Columbus Municipal School District Outreach Coordinator Nadia Dale and Municipal Court Administrator Angela Verdell.
The majority of invited guests have confirmed their appearances at the summit but not all.
Brooks, a seven-term supervisor, said the summit is an ideal forum to bring together current leaders, future leaders and the black community all at one time to discuss a broad array of issues facing the black community. It will also kick off Black History Month.
“I hoped to bring leaders together in the community and establish a dialogue. There are some problems that are unique to the black community. And I see the emergence of these young, black leaders and wanted to lay the groundwork for a transition,” said Brooks.
The goal, he said, is not to offer solutions to complex problems after seven hours of dialogue, but only to get everybody”s minds focused on the same problems. Brooks does, however, hope to identify one undetermined issue to spur community action toward.
“I want to put in place a sense of teamwork. It”s not a politics thing,” he said.
Registration for the summit will be held from 8-8:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to participate.
Additional Black History Month activities Brooks hopes to organize include a Black History Bowl and a roundtable reception featuring past black leaders, such as the first black policeman in Columbus history and the first black to attend Mississippi University for Women.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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