September 2017

The Black Lens Spokane
www.blacklensnews.com September 2017
Page 17
UNIFIED BLACK AGENDA - SPOKANE
While nazis and white supremacists were marching in
Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, a small group
of African Americans were gathered in a room at the
Emmanuel Family Life Center, focused on identifying
the issues of importance to the Black community and
starting a conversation about how best to address them.
The Washington State Commission on African American
Affairs joined with the Spokane NAACP, the
Spokane Minister’s Fellowship, the Spokane chapter
of the Links, and the Spokane chapter of the Deltas
to host what was called a Unified Black Agenda, with
the intention of acting as a catalyst to bring members
of the African American community together to work
collaboratively on identifying ways to uplift the Black
community.
Pastor Walter Kendricks, Pastor of Morning Star Baptist
Church and President of the Spokane Minister’s
Fellowship offered a welcome, followed by Ed Prince,
Director of the Washington State Commission on African
American Affairs, who explained the thought process
behind the meeting and what the Commission was
hoping to accomplish, before turning the meeting over
to Sandy Williams, Eastern Washington’s representative
on the Commission, who acted as facilitator.
The goal was for the group was to identify and come to
a consensus on four priority areas that the community
should focus its attention on. After a good deal of lively
and thoughtful discussion, five priority areas were
decided on: Relationship Building/Communication;
Education – from cradle to grave (both formal & informal
education; Political Engagement; Economics; and
Youth & Young Adults/Strengthening Families.
Barriers were then identified as well as concrete action
steps. The group decided that it wanted to continue the
conversation and future meetings are in the works.
For more information or to attend the next meeting,
contact Sandy Williams at 509-795-1964,