Commitment to Purpose
This past weekend I had to pleasure to travel to Montgomery, AL and Selma, AL. The trip was initiated by Rev. Dr. Bernice King, daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have the pleasure of being a part of the 2020 Leadership Atlanta Class, which happens to be the 50th class, and Dr. King is a fellow classmate. Our year began with a 2-day session focused on issues of race which was led by Al Vivian, son of the great civil rights activist, Dr. C.T. Vivian. After that session, a revelation came to Bernice that we needed to visit these two cities and dive deeper into the history of slavery and economic injustice that African Americans have faced for centuries in our nation. The trip was sponsored by The Atlanta Falcons and Truist Bank. It was an amazing weekend where the stars were truly aligned for all of our class members and their guests.
We started our trip watching the documentary “King: A Filmed Record….Montgomery To Memphis.” It depicted MLK’s journey through the civil rights movement to his untimely death at the Loraine Hotel. We visited the Legacy Museum and Lynching Museums in Downtown Montgomery and then concluded our trip being led by Bernice King and Al Vivian across the Edmund Pettus bridge in memorial of the anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
It was MLK’s commitment to his purpose that changed the lives of millions. Think about how his journey parallels to yours. Yes, we have our responsibilities to our families. But I believe our purpose extends beyond our immediate loved ones and special interests. We are here to uplift our communities, we are here to be change makers, we bridge resources to those in need. That’s what MLK did and so many others who have followed in his footsteps.
It’s programs like Leadership Atlanta, Leadership Georgia and all of the leadership programs that draw us into the matters that affect each of our communities that are so critical for the advancement of our state. It’s in these programs where we gain our understanding and build lasting relationships. If you haven’t applied to your local, state or regional leadership program, I strongly encourage that you do.
We as leaders of this state are called to enhance our local and regional economies to ensure that we are creating opportunities for everyone. As I wrote in last month’s column, I firmly believe that economic inclusion and equity should be at the core of your economic development strategies. As we come out of Black History Month and now celebrate Women’s History, it’s important that we continue to remember those that may have been overlooked on our boards, staffs, leadership circles, etc. A diversity of thought is key.
My hope is that we don’t only think of the struggles and history of others for a designated month, but we ensure that diversity is top of mind in our personal and professional lives. One way to do this is host civic dinners. To learn more about this check out www.civicdinners.com. And if you want to learn more about my trip to Alabama see this article here. https://saportareport.com/confronting-our-past-and-present-in-serendipitous-montgomery-selma-trip/
I’ll see you all at our next luncheon and don’t forget to register for the Spring Workshop!