Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, 105 Dinkins St. in Manning, will hold the Black Male Summit, "Restoring the Legacy of the African American Male," starting 7 p.m. Friday with convocation at the church, and continuing 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the summit at Manning High School, 2155 Paxville Highway in Manning.
"The summit is designed to expose participants and attendees to highly competent African American presenters that will provide them with knowledge and strategies to empower themselves, social institutions and their communities," said the Rev. George P. Windley, pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.
He said summit objectives will be to:
Examine policies, programs and services designed to reduce poverty;
Share strategies for enhancing social competence and empowering individuals and families to become self-sufficient;
Identify programs and services that assist in enhancing the revitalization of communities;
Review pervasive conditions that impact negatively on the emotions, spirit, health and resilience of African American people;
Inspire and motivate a desire to restore the legacy of a proud people.
U.S. Federal Marshall for South CArolina Kelvin Washington will be Friday's speaker. Registration will begin 8:30 a.m. Saturday, with the Opening Plenary Session from 9-10:30 a.m., with 3rd Circuit Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III as guest speaker.
Workshops will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the effects of illicit drugs on individuals, families and their communities, with presentations from state and federal probation and parole agent Dickie Brunson and retired Clarendon County Sheriff's Maj. Freddie Nelson; basic principles of mathematics, with a presentation by U.S. Federal Government mathematician Ahmad Ridley; and anger management and bullying, with a presentation from Terrance Wells and Gerod Gore, licensed social workers and counselors.
Lunch will be provided from noon to 1:15 p.m., with a presentation from Turbeville Correctional Institute Senior Chaplain Keith Braddy.
Afternoon workshops will be held from 1:15-2:30 p.m. on financial empowerment, with certified public accountant Herbert Warlker as speaker; how young men should treat young ladies, presented by social worker Ernest Shaw; and reading with comprehension, presented by Dr Ghussan Greene.
The closing plenary session will be held from 2:30-3:30 p.m., with Dr. Tony Graham III speaking.
Social worker Willie Bethune and Action Council President James Starnes will wrap-up at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
The registration fee is $10, and checks may be made payable to The Action Council, P.O. Box 1965, Columbia, SC 29202.
For more information, call Bethune at (803) 468-1002, Starnes at (803) 754-5569, Michael Haynes at (803) 460-3643 or Windley at (803) 968-9466.
