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Young, Mathis to headline leadership conference
Published Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Black History Month Leadership Conference at Troy University has always featured outstanding speakers and this year is no exception.
The 2009 Leadership Conference Feb. 6-7 will bring to Troy University the dynamic combination of Judge Greg Mathis and former U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young.
The conference is sponsored annually by Troy University and the City of Troy and brings together civic and community leaders, clergymen and business leaders in a collaborative and educational forum to discuss a central theme. The theme for the 2009 Leadership Conference is “Responsible Citizenship.”
Catherine Jordan, tourism administrative assistance and publicity chair for the event, said having Mathis and Young together at this year’s conference is a once in a lifetime opportunity for participants to hear them share their success stories.
“They will tell how leadership can change lives and communities,” Jordan said. “We are extremely pleased and honored to have these two nationally recognized and admired leaders as the keynote speakers for the 2009 Leadership Conference.”
Mathis is known for his street-wise counseling sessions during his on-air court cases and describes his life as a gang-to-gavel story. His show received the 2004 NAACP Image Award and was nominated for the honor in 2005.
As a young man, Mathis was involved with gangs, dropped out of school and spent time in jail. As a promise to his dying mother, Mathis turned his life around, attended Eastern Michigan University, and earned a law degree.
Young, who was Georgia’s 5th District congressman from 1973-1977, was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 and served until 1979. He was elected Atlanta’s 55th mayor in 1982 and served until 1990. He co-chaired the committee to bring the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta and ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor at the same time.
A long-identified principal in the Civil Rights Movement, Young was appointed executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1964 and was with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. in 1968. He was a principal negotiator during the Civil Rights campaigns in Birmingham and Selma that resulted in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Mathis will be the keynote speaker at the Friday night session and Young will be the keynote luncheon speaker on Saturday.
Registration is $30 and the deadline is Jan. 22 and space is limited. To register, contact the Troy University Institute for Leadership Development at 334-670-3389.
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Comments
Posted by turtle (anonymous) on January 18, 2009 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish Greg Mathis could do a couple of lectures in our local high schools and middle schools while he is here (Troy City, Pike County, and Goshen). There are some kids that could truly benefit from his words and he might just save a few.
Posted by YEM (anonymous) on January 18, 2009 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is great that Troy is able to get two significant leaders to come to the community and speak. I wish there wasn't a registration fee, because I feel more people could benefit if it wasn't so expensive. I was not aware of Young's accomplishments and that would be very empowering for many young people to hear (not just the public schools). Just think of what people could do if they were shown that they could do it (and that hard work pays off).
Thanks to all of the people involved in bringing this opportunity to the community. Hopefully, there will be a large turnout to the conference and that many will leave inspired!
Posted by turtle (anonymous) on January 18, 2009 at 9:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, YEM all of the kids could benefit but I feel like if people want to pay to send their kids to a school that is 99.6% white (because they do have .01 black, .01 Puerto Rican, and .01 Greek), I don't think they would really listen and take to heart what two people of other races would have to say, and honestly if I were a person of color I'd have no interest in speaking to a school so blatently segregated. That's not to say PLA isn't a good school, maybe it is in some opinions, and maybe some people don't send their kids there to keep them away from other races but many of the ones I know, that is the exact reason they go to PLA.
Posted by elvis2 (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 12:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To me this is like the preacher preaching to the choir . The ones who can afford to pay the fee more than likely don't really need the message they'll hear while the ones who would truly benefit from it won't get to hear it due to the $30.00 fee . To get the message across they should as turtle suggested, be speaking at the public schools at no cost .
Posted by Jack_Bauer (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As a black man, I could care less what happens @ PLAS. However, I can't help but notice that turtle seems a bit hostile towards them. Is there anything that turtle doesn't know - or is it a case of knowing a little about a lot of things? If we don't send our kids there, who gives a rip what goes on there? As long as PLAS parents keep paying taxes and funding my kids education, then I am ok with them!
Posted by turtle (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 5:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No Jack, I'm not hostile to them and have some friends who send their kids there. I was just saying would those kids who don't have association with black people really care what a black man has to say about hard work, dedication, turning your life around, etc? And yeah, there is a lot I don't know, that is why I question so much. I refuse to be ignorant of things going on in and around my community because you never know when it may directly affect you.
Oh, and Elvis2 they didn't print this but TROY students with id can get in for 15.00 but they don't get the goody bags.
Posted by elvis2 (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
turtle do you really think many students will come up with fifteen dollars to go hear them . I don't think so plus if you don't let people know such things your defeating what your trying for .
Posted by YEM (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 7:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Regardless of race, Young's accomplishments are amazing and it would be great for everyone to get to hear about it.
At least the inauguration address will be televised tomorrow night. Maybe that will inspire many of the youth (again, regardless of race) that with hard work you can achieve many things.
Hopefully, some of the Troy students will go to the conference. It would be great to hear!
Posted by Jack_Bauer (anonymous) on January 20, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Turtle - as I have prev stated my son dated a white girl from PLAS. Do you really think that PLAS kids don't have assc with black kids...if so, you are kidding yourself.
Also, the fact that these speakers are black should be irrelevant. Thats why this country can't get over race - we should want to hear him based on merit & not just race + merit.
Posted by bdhs4 (anonymous) on January 20, 2009 at 2:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Turtle, for you not to be hostile towards them...you sure do ALWAYS have something negative to say about them.
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