Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 3 May 2001 — Page 22

The Muncie Times, May 3, 2001, page 22

Over 200 black mayors meet in Atlanta

ATLANTA— The National Conference of Black Mayors Inc., (NCBM) held its 27th annual convention in Savannah, Ga. with nearly 200 of the nations’s 480 African American mayors in attendance. The 4 day meeting hosted by Mayor Floyd Adams, Jr., brought together a unique political power that, collectively, represents more than 25 million con-

stituents.

About 1,750 conventioneers, including 50 women mayors, attended the workshops and festivities which incorporated seminars on subjects such as “New Dimensions on Housing Partnerships,” “Planning and Implementing Economic Development,” “Update of Environmental Justice,” “Environmental Problem Solving: Resources and Opportunities,” and “Financial Education in the Workplace.” The Town Hall Meeting, a featured event during the mayor’s convention, provided a bipartisan panel of mayors with an opportunity to engage in dialogue with President Bush’s representative for Economic Policy, Dylan Glenn. During this ex-change of ideas, mayors from 27 states talked about various problems, such as voter reform and the 2000 Census undercount. Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb, president of NCBM and one of the panelist at the Town Hall Meeting, said, “We are calling for a meeting with President Bush. We want to work with the president and we

know he will need us (mayors) as he tries to implement his programs. We will take a position on key issues we will be

asked.”

Other Mayors on the Town Hall panel included Mayor Jack Ellis, of Macon, Ga., Mayor Marcia L. Fudge, Warrensville Heights, Ohio, Mayor Ralph Moore, Union City, Ga., Mayor Allan A. Thompson, Spring Valley, N.Y.; and Mayor John Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Emanuel Cleaver, II, former mayor of Kansas City, Mo. And past president of NCBM, received a Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom Award. The “Tribute To A Black American Award” was presented to Alexis M. Herman, the first African American to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. The President’s awards were given to C. Michael Armstrong, CEO of AT&T, and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African American to represent the 30th Congressional District in

Dallas.

During his remarks at the president’s luncheon, Webb said “We will work together with Congresswoman Johnson in supporting those initiatives of the Congressional Black Caucus which support our cities and our communities. The Historical Legacy Award, initiated at this 27th Convention by Mayor Web, was presented to Mayor James Perkins, Selma, Ala.; Mayor Harvey Johnson,

Jackson, Miss., Mayor Church Burris, Stone Mountain, Ga. All three are the first African American mayors elected in cites and towns, historically associated with bigotry and hatred. This years convention was enhanced by the appearance of several special guest speakers, including Maynard Jackson, former mayor of Atlanta, and newly

appointed national development chairman for the Democratic National Committee; the Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, chairman of the People s agenda, Dr. Patricia Rus-sell-McCloud, professional orator and author,

and actor Tommy Ford. Officers elected to

serve a second NCBM term for the year 20012002 included Mayor Webb, president; Mayor

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Marilyn Murrell, Arcadia, Ok., vice president; Mayor Marcia Glenn, Lithonia, G^., second vice president, and Mayor Roosevelt Dorn, Inglewood, Calif., third vice president. Mayor Harvey Johnson and the City of Jackson, Miss, will host the 2002 annual convention April 24 to 27,

2002.

^OOt&Y’ Pastor Robert Harris Jr. and members of First Missionary Baptist Church reach out to minister to a growing community. When they recently outgrew their church, they turned to Nelson Boehms at Old National... and found a bank that believed in them. Now this community of believers has a new church, that’s almost as big as their spirit

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