By: Special to the Daily World
Is racism a thing of the past? Is it real or imagined? Is it behind us or still with us? Are we there yet?
We know racism is a reality in our society and while the “Whites only” signs that once hung over water fountains, bus waiting rooms and lunch counters are found only in museums, the ghosts of that past still haunt this nation.
The Trumpet Awards Foundation feels compelled to discuss the subject of race, providing an opportunity to express our views, opening up the channels for improved racial understanding.
The annual celebration of African-American achievement, the Trumpet Awards, will kick-off the celebration with a Race Relations Symposium sponsored by The Home Depot. An honest and open conversation on race and race relations.
“As a society, we can do better than we have done,” according to Trumpet Awards Foundation President and CEO Xernona Clayton. “We can eliminate our societal ills: we can start by talking openly about these issues. Join us as we attempt to make a better world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked the question in his 1967 book, ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ I answer: …. That’s up to all of us.”
The Symposium will take place Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011 at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel. It is free and open to the public.
Moderated by Bennett College President Dr. Julianne Malveaux, the Race Relations Symposium distinguished panelists include: Roger Bobb, Tyler Perry Studios executive; Judge Damon Keith, Circuit Court chief judge; Tim King, educator; Frank McCloskey, corporate executive; Eugene Patterson, former newspaper publisher; Sonya Ross, Associated Press editor; and Dr. David Satcher, former Surgeon General.