Colorado Black Round Table in conjunction with numerous Black community organizations, businesses, corporations and concerned citizens will hold its annual Gaining Ground in the Black Community Social Equity Summit from Thursday, Oct. 19, thru Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.
The CBRT Gaining Ground in the Black Community Social Equity Summit will be an opportunity for the Black Community to have positive discussion on community issues, do inspirational and aspirational community visioning as well as hear proposal and recommendation for action and real community change.
The focus of this year’s summit is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Looking Back and Moving Forward. The main purpose of this year’s summit activities is to reclaim the Black community’s advocacy history in Colorado, build on CBRT’s organizational priorities and leadership as well as promote social equity voice, vision and viability to address the disparities impacting African American citizens in the Denver metro area and throughout Colorado.
The CBRT Gaining Ground in the Black Community Social Equity Summit will be four days of community building dialogue and provide sessions and presentations on diversity, equity and inclusion, banking services and products, how to do business with DPS, Xcel Energy, local municipalities, State of Colorado and the federal government, youth violence and youth diversion, Black community and philanthropy, a statewide roundtable with Black elected officials and community organization leaders on building Black political influence, an intergenerational discussion on identifying and supporting future Black leadership, a Committee To Recognize Recognition Reception for Community Service honorees, new Black leadership to Colorado and an acknowledgement of Colorado corporate leadership and Black business leaders and organization who have shown demonstrated social equity efforts. Further there will be a series of Gaining Ground in the Black Community discussions on DEI, education, public safety, housing, economic development, health and mental health, cannabis, the Black Family, CO 150 – US 250 Celebration, a Do Black Lives Still Matter panel and a November Candidates forum, Fireside Chats on Black Community hot topics plus an art exhibit, music, soul food and a voter education activation program called “Operation Black Vote” and more.
The CBRT Gaining Ground in the Black Community Social Equity Summit will be posthumously dedicated to the memory of Former Colorado High School Athletic Association Commissioner and Nationally Recognized Sports Official Tom Robinson, Faith Leader and Community Advocate, Rev. Leon Emerson, Writer and Denver Urban Spectrum Editor, Alfonzo Porter and Community Photographic Chronicler of Black Life, Ansar El Muhammad. In addition, each day of the CBRT Gaining Ground in the Black Community Social Equity Summit will be named after persons, organizations or businesses that have left a legacy of public service in the Black Community and each day will have a corresponding theme associated with those being acknowledged.
The Acknowledged and Themed Days are as follows:
Thursday, Oct. 19, Kujichagulia Day (Self-Determination)
In Memory of Charles Cousins, Businessman | M&D’s Restaurant(Mack and Daisy Shed)
Friday, Oct. 20, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Day
In Memory of Honorable Colorado Lt. Governor George Brown | Honorable Colorado Secretary of State Vikki Buckley
Saturday, Oct. 21, Gaining Ground in the Black Community Day
In Memory of Honorable Rachel Noel, Former DPS Board Member & Former Member, CU Board of Regents | Honorable Omar Blair, President, DPS Board of Education
Sunday, Oct. 22, Operation Black Vote Day
Rev. Wendell T. Liggins, Zion Baptist Church | Rev. John Morris, Macedonia Baptist Church
Further, on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30pm CBRT will recognize businesses, individuals and organizations who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity equity and inclusion in partnership with the Black Community. They are First Bank (John Ikard & Jim Reuter), Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce (Malcolm Evans), DEN (Phil Washington), Xcel Energy (Robert Kenney), Denver7 (Kristin Stork), Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance (Rev. Thomas Mayes), Colorado Black Women For Political Action (Bianka Emerson), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc – Denver Alumnae Chapter (Janice Satchell), NAACP State Conference (Portia Prescott) and Special Community Service Salute to Terry Nelson, Dr. Carroll Watkins Ali and Imam Abdur Rahim Ali, Syl Morgan Smith, Les Townsend, Jim “Dr. Daddio” Walker, Walter Jones, Dr. Dorothy Hayden Watkins, Rev. Dr. Marjorie Lewis, Moses Brewer, Ivan Burwell, Cleo Parker Robinson, Allegra “Happy” Haynes and Beth McCann.
There will also be a Committee To Recognize Community Reception on Friday, Oct. 20, acknowledging individuals that have recently been elected to political office, have received significant promotions or appointments and/or are new to Colorado and the Denver Metro Area. Those to be acknowledged are the President of the Iliff School of Theology, Rev Dr. Lee Butler, President of Aurora Community College, Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, Superintendent of Aurora Public Schools, Michael Giles, City of Denver Chief Operating Officer, Janel Forde, City of Denver Chief Equity Officer, Rev. Ben Sanders, CSU Distinguished Alumni of the Last Decade, Nigel Daniels, Grassroots Media Initiative, Colorado News Collaborative (COLab), Denver East High Schools and Colorado’s Winningest High School Boys Basketball Coach, Rudy Carey and the NBA World Champions, Denver Nuggets Basketball Team.
For more information on the annual CBRT Gaining Ground In The Black Community Summit contact John Bailey at johnbailey062@gmail.com or 720.629.0964.
This article has been paid for through an in-kind partnership.
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