By Lindsey Frazier, Editorial Assistant
Three hundred and fifty people attended the Parent Symposium held in Gadsden last year at The Venue at Coosa Landing. The intention was to move the event to different areas of the state, but due to the overwhelming engagement of the community, the decision was made to hold it in Gadsden again in 2024.
The symposium offers a collaborative environment for parents, elected officials, clergy, small business owners and concerned citizens to gather and support Alabama students. The free event will be held Saturday, August 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Venue. Registration is appreciated for lunch preparation but not required.
“No one who wants to learn will be turned away,” said event organizer Neonta Williams.
Williams established Black Alabamians for Education (BA4E) in 2013 after serving in the U.S. Army and working as a counselor for alcohol and substance abuse and with prison inmates with HIV. Williams currently serves on the Board of Education for District 2 in Birmingham.
For Williams, being well-informed is vital for the success of students and their families. One of her main goals for the event is to encourage parents and community members to become engaged in community boards that can make a difference for students.
“Of all my years of advocacy and community building, one of the greatest takeaways is too often things are done in the community and for the community, but not with the community,” said Williams on her website. “I chose to have a pyramid approach of parents, policy and partnership.”
This year’s symposium theme is “#Pressing,” which reflects the commitment of advancing education and advocacy for children. The event will explore pressing issues in education and empower parents to be effective advocates for their children’s education.
The Gadsden event will feature four panel discussions with community leaders from different backgrounds; keynote speakers and vendors; informative sessions where attendees can participate in interactive activities; networking opportunities; a resource fair and a self-serve lunch.
The day will begin with a prayer followed by a welcome from Gadsden Councilwoman Tonya Latham.
The first panel session starts at 9:25 a.m. “Root Work with UNCF” will feature a Q&A portion with a K-12 education panel with United Negro College Fund employees Casi Ferguson, Birmingham area development director; William “Bill” Brown, senior community outreach manager, K-12 advocate and Ashlyn Thomas, education pioneers research fellow.
The second panel at 10:15 a.m. is “Who Runs It?” and will feature school leaders Patrice Maxwell from Ray Thompson Elementary; Meredith Davis from Empower Community School; Jessica Wedgeworth from Birmingham City School Virtual Academy of Learning and April Jackson from Pass Pod, an Atlanta based micro school offering individualized learning experience.
Following a lunch break at 11 a.m. that will include a live band, attendees will also have the opportunity to network and browse vendors, which is a new addition this year. Vendors will act as a resource fair for parents to “explore a variety of resources and services available to support [their] child’s education journey.”
Keynote speaker Bishop Joseph W. Walker III, will address attendees At 12 p.m. Walker is the senior leader of Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Nashville, Tenn., where he has served as pastor for the last 30 years. Walker also serves on the board of directors for Citizens Saving Bank and Trust and the Greater Nashville chapter of UNCF.
“Free Your Mind” Mental Health and Wellness panel will begin at 1:15 p.m. This will serve as a question-and-answer forum with LaShonda Kidd, a behavioral health specialist/psychologist at Mississippi State Hospital; Tiffany Sayles, the psychology program director and an instructor at Talladega College and LaSharron Harris, the director of TRIO student support services at Lawson State Community College.
The last session of the day will be at 2 p.m., and it is called “Everyday I’m Hustlin” workforce panel. This panel will feature local business owners who will address question about workforce development. The panel will include Anthony Oliver from Joiner Sprinkler Company; Olandus Eason with Spec 9 Commercial Flooring, Inc. and Emefa Butler with Perry County Workforce.
For more information, contact Neonta Williams by email, at neonta@blackal4edu.org.