This past Monday was Tallahassee's 15th Annual Day of Dialogue.  Held at City Hall, it was a panel discussion between a diverse group of community leaders.  It was held on the same day as Martin Luther King Day in order to address some of the things that Martin Luther King set out to change. The panel, including representatives from black, Asian, Native American, Islamic and physically and mentally handicapped communities, discussed pressing issues of discrimination and how best to continue the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Dr. Ken Fowler & Dr. Brenda Jarmon

The theme this year was "The Beloved Community: Redefining What it Means to Belong" based on Dr. King's philosophy of the need for one united community of all people in order to combat racism, poverty, and oppression. Angela Hendricks, who introduced the event, began the discussion by identifying the eventual goal all of the dialogue would lead to: "A community in which every person cares for every person."

By the time two o'clock rolled around and the discussion began, only about forty or fifty people had showed up leaving more empty seats than filled.  It wasn't looking good.  As the dialogue began though, it became clear to me that the small number that had showed up were extremely passionate about creating change in their community.  The line to the microphone to ask questions never seemed to end.

Sulaiman Ali speaks as Teandra Delancy & Joe Quetone look on

The dialogue opened and Carl Sherrod, a member of Occupy Tallahassee, asked the panel what steps they thought should be taken in order to combat the homeless problem. Later on, Katrelle Simmons, a local elementary school teacher, wanted to know how to best teach her children about dual identities, in other words qualifying their own cultural backgrounds with America as one society at large. One concerned grandmother asked how to encourage an increasingly disillusioned youth to get involved in their community. 

In fact, most of the discussion seemed to focus on educating and empowering young people as a means of making change. One member of the panel, Mary Williams, seemed to me to put it best: "We must support the youth through the struggles of today by providing them with the strength and love taught at home."

Dr. Kenneth Fowler, a licensed mental health counselor on the panel also rested much of the continuation of Dr. King's dream on educating children: "If you invest just a little time in a child, it will go a long way."

Imam Muhammad Abulezz, the head of the Islamic Center of Tallahassee and a native Egyptian, provided another perspective on the power of young people. "In Egypt, it was the youth who demanded freedom from Hosni Mubarak. They used the lessons of Martin Luther King to demand their rights."

Call it the apathy of youth that so many at the event were concerned with but when I walked into the Day of Dialogue I was mostly skeptical that anything would be accomplished other than some well meaning grandstanding. But after two and a half hours of listening to intelligent, concerned people come out and take a stand against oppression and discrimination in their community, my hopes were raised. These weren't just people guilted into coming out for Martin Luther King Day, these were citizens who were concerned for their community and their country all year long. 

When it came time at the end for the audience to suggest Action Steps for practical ways to help the community at least a dozen people came up to the microphone suggesting everything from volunteering at Leon County schools to creating a support system for the traumatized and mentally ill homeless to providing youth with a better understanding of financial literacy.

At the end of the day, Sulaiman Ali, one of the Islamic leaders on the panel, said it best. "The community we have is only as good as the work we put into it."