Leaders Organize Community March, Townhall Meeting, And Worship Service On Race And Poverty In Chattanooga

  • Friday, July 22, 2016

Local clergy, resident leaders, community activists and business leaders will host a community march, townhall meeting, and worship service next Thursday and Friday.  

Participants will gather at the Southside Youth and Family Development Center recreation center on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and walk to Westside Baptist church. The town-hall conversation, “Keeping Race, Poverty and Equity on the Political Agenda,” will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Westside Church.

On Friday, Damien Durr, youth pastor of the Temple Church in Nashville and consultant with the Children’s Defense Fund, will speak at an event starting at 6:30 p.m. at Westside Church. A community choir, organized by Cleslie “Jo-Jo” Foster will be performing. "This conversation will deal with the root causes of poverty and gun violence and offer policy and community-oriented solutions on how to offer more inclusive economic opportunities for the African-American community," organizers said.

The host will be Pastor Timothy Careathers of Westside Baptist Church.  Panelists include:  Pastor Ternae Jordan Sr., senior pastor, Mt. Canaan Baptist Church; Corliss Cooper, retired captain, Chattanooga Police Department; Brother Kevin Muhammad, local representative- Nation of Islam; Anthony Pollard, youth pastor; Tim Baker, owner, Baker’s Barber College; Demetrus Coonrod, president Eastdale Neighborhood Association; Dr. Elenora Woods, president, Chattanooga-Hamilton County branch of the NAACP; Johnny Holloway, civil rights activist and former head of Operation PUSH; Satedra Smith, mother of Frederick Jordan Clark; Tenesha Irvin, Tenesha Irvin show; and Jermaine Harper will be the moderator. 

Organizers said, "One out of two Americans are in, or near, poverty—a paycheck or two from it. The new poor are the former middle class. According to the census, some 46 million Americans were classified as living in poverty. In fact, more than one-fourth of African Americans are living in poverty today. In Chattanooga, nearly 40% of the city’s African American residents live below the poverty line.  Black households make an average of $27,000 per year, while whites make $51,000. 

"Simply put, data shows that economic inequality continues to widen in the United States. Poverty is spreading at record levels across many groups. In fact, discouraged workers are simply giving up on the job market, leaving them vulnerable as unemployment aid begins to run out. 

"This thoughtful panel discussion will help bring together local clergy, community activists, resident leaders and business leaders together to answer the question that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked in 1965, ' Where Do We Go From Here?'"  

“It is our hope that we can start an important conversation about creating more equitable public policies by lifting up the wisdom and voices of community leaders, local residents and the church”, said host pastor Timothy Careathers.  “We want to hear from everyday people who wake up everyday going to work trying to make ends meet."


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