ATLANTA – The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, chaired by State Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah), will offer free workshops and break-out sessions to the public during its annual conference in Savannah from Friday, July 21, 2023 – Sunday, July 23, 2023. Georgians are invited to participate in free workshops on health care, voter education, the criminal justice system, agriculture and the economic impact of the African Diaspora.
“This year, we really want the public, especially future Black leaders, to be able to participate in the conference at no-cost,” said Rep. Gilliard. “These free sessions aim to remove barriers from citizens getting to interact with legislative and policy experts. Hopefully, this will enable more participants to enjoy traveling to Savannah for this unique educational experience.”
On Friday, July 17, the free events will kick-off with the Urban League of Atlanta’s presentation on the “State of Black Georgia” at the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. Later that day, the “Black Roundtable” will also feature lawyers, judges and district attorneys at Savannah State University’s Elmore Auditorium.
During the second day, several panel sessions will be available to the public. The Southern Center for Human Rights will host the “Decriminalizing Race & Poverty in the Criminal Legal System” break-out session. Other break-out sessions include “The Role of Young Leaders,” “Pathways to Progress: Building Healthier Rural Community Through Partnership” and “Agriculture in Georgia: A Health Emergency.”
The public is also invited to join the caucus for a Sunday morning worship service at First African Baptist Church. Rep. Gilliard will serve as a guest speaker during the service.
Additionally, the GLBC will present awards to the following individuals at the conference: Georgia Supreme Court Justice Verda M. Colvin, East Point Mayor Deanna Holiday Ingraham, Nancy Flakes Johnson with the Urban League, Yvonne T. Brooks with AFL-CIO, Deborah Scott, Audraine Jackson and Tina Tyus-Shaw.
Recognized as one of the largest Black caucuses in the nation, the GLBC is a group of elected officials dedicated to advocating for the needs and concerns of Black Georgians. The caucus includes 74 members who represent more than three million residents.
Participants can register for the free workshop sessions and learn more about other events for the conference at https://gablackcaucus.ticketleap.com/.
For more information, please contact Rep. Gilliard at 912-436-5325.
*Editor’s Note: The preliminary agenda for the conference is attached.
Representative Carl Gilliard represents the citizens of District 162, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development and the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, Natural Resources & Environment, Reapportionment and Redistricting, State Properties and Transportation committees.
###