As Americans prepare for the unveiling of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., Chevrolet held its second of four “Table of Brotherhood Project” forums, at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn.,this past weekend.
“When Chevrolet was asked to help bring awareness to the unveiling of the King National Memorial in Washington, D.C., we were truly honored and wanted to put a program together that brought the community together to honor Dr. King’s legacy,” said Ayana Jordan, Chevrolet’s diversity advertising manager.
The panelists consisted of leaders in the Memphis community from the business, politics, education and media arenas, as well as local clergy. This diverse panel discussed problems that continue to plague urban America in disproportionate numbers.
CNN national correspondent Roland Martin moderated the forum and asked the tough questions in an effort to shed light on solutions to current problems that African Americans are facing.
“The Table of Brotherhood is all about the concept of Dr. King who had his people of diverse backgrounds sitting around the table having civil, important and critical conversations,” said Martin.
The people of Memphis braved the soaring temperatures, as they lined up outside the National Civil Rights Museum to be a part of this historical event. There was an air of hope and faith that this distinguished panel of Memphis leaders could come together and begin a discussion on how to solve some of the problems that exist in their city. Topics covered education, health care, the economy and cultural and racial tolerance.
As the forum came to a close, best-selling author Lisa Nichols challenged the audience to channel their inner Dr. King spirit, and not just talk about what needs to be done, but to go out and do something to make a difference. “If each one of you could mentor a child in your community four hours a month, the impact on Memphis would be tremendous,” she said.
The fortunate people of the Memphis community who did attend the “Table of Brotherhood Project” were enthused and were happy to know that this Saturday afternoon they had participated in a monumental historic event, in their hometown.
–al weems
