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IOI110120

Commentary

Diversity Forum

Lee Brantley, the WTVM leadership and news anchor Barbara Gauthier and Jason Dennis provided this community with one powerful experience as articulated by the five participants on stage Wednesday night. The presenters, speaking from their own perspectives and from their own experiences broadened the definitions of "diversity" and “discrimination.”

The live show, with a potential viewership of 25,000 families in the Chattahoochee Valley, included moving and forceful stories from each of the presenters. Willie Coleman talked about himself seeking revenge for the discrimination that his mother received from the medical community in Texas and how he managed to, despite his resentment of the white people involved, learned to overcome his feelings and become a positive leader in the community. “Bunky” McClung found herself, out of dozens of potential candidates, being among the few that accepted Dr. King’s nonviolent approach to problem-solving and became involved with the civil rights demonstrations in Columbus. John Allen refused to accept the racist behavior of the military leaders while serving in the Air Force and found himself wrestling with his success that was unattainable by his African-American peers. Jorge Vega used to experiences of his grandfather in his native Puerto Rico to show that the interpretation we all give to discrimination has far wider boundaries that we think. Joey Loudermilk’s spiritual revelations led him to believe that neither ‘race, creed, physical or mental handicapping nor color’ are applicable characteristics when planning to adopt children.

If you have a community group or organization that would like to view a DVD of the forum, please call One Columbus at 706-315-0162.

Dare To Dream Summit

City manager Isaiah Hugley got a rousing ovation from the nearly 90 students, counselors, facilitators and volunteers who attended the Fourth Annual Dare to Dream Summit for teens at the Trade Center on Thursday.

The summit is one of many events that are taking place during the Martin Luther King Jr. week celebrations.

One Columbus and the Muscogee County School District are cosponsors of this event

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 – 6:30 pm. Dialogue Group

“Solutions From Other Countries” will be the topic for next week’s dialogue group presented by Dr. John Studstill.

The group will meet at the CVEM House at 1120 Lockwood Avenue from 6:30 to 7:30. All are welcome.

Contact: H Berrien Zettler – 706-324-6363

January 26, 7;15 AM Race Relations Breakfast meets at the Huddle House

This breakfast will be the first in the 2011 series titled “My Challenges with Race” where presenters offer honest commentary about the experiences through which they have gone during their earlier years.

One Columbus will continue to present the race relations breakfasts at the Huddle House on Victory Drive. Presenter for Wednesday will be Wane Hailes,

A preacher’s kid (PK), Wane was born in Richmond, Virginia and grew up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, New Brunswick, New Jersey, and the cities of Clifton Forge and Charlottesville, Virginia.

After graduating from Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas in 1978, Wane served fifteen years as Directors of YMCA’s in Missouri, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina and finally Columbus, Georgia as the CEO of the A.J. McClung YMCA from 1990-1995.

Wane has 31 years of cumulative sales, marketing and public relations experience in both radio and newspaper. He worked for the minority-owned Davis Broadcasting, Inc, radio station as an on-air personality and sales consultant followed by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer newspaper as the Real Estate, Employment and Automotive sales consultant and the minority-owned Columbus Times newspaper as Vice President/Advertising & Sales.

Wane became the President / Publisher and owner of The Courier / Eco Latino newspaper in March of 2005 which serves the African-American, Hispanic and other minority communities. Publishing bi-weekly in English and Spanish The Courier/Eco Latino is the only bi-lingual newspaper in the Tri-City area.

In May of 2007 Mr. Hailes received the prestigious Georgia Minority Small Business Champion Award and the Region IV Minority Business Champion Award by the United States Small business Administration.

A published author with his book “A View From A Pew” Wane has served as the co-host of the weekly televised Urban league on Location as well as “Lo Que Usted Debe Saber” (What you need to know”), an informational show focusing on the Hispanic community.

Wane is married to Attorney Cecelia Howard Hailes, an Assistant Solicitor with the Muscogee County office of the Solicitor General and has one son, Raymond Wane who resides in New York City, New York.

Contact: Lee Brantley 706- 324-6471