More than 847,000 black men are in jail in the United States, a number expected to increase to 1.1 million by 2012 unless people break the cycle, a local minister says.
“If we don’t do more than just talk, there is going to be more chaos. Problems will exacerbate,” said the Rev. Dwight Harrison of Mount Canaan Baptist Church.
PDF: Summit Agenda PDF: Why this summit?
The figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, he said, and the increasing numbers of black men in jail, the lack of jobs and poverty lead to a breakdown in family structure, he said.
On Saturday, Mr. Harrison is hosting an African American Summit at Brainerd Recreation Center.
The goal is to bring community leaders together to discuss solutions and develop a plan for improving the quality of life for blacks and the entire community.
“This is geared toward all of the community, but it targets African-Americans specifically because we’re suffering higher unemployment rates, higher poverty rates, higher illiteracy rates,” Mr. Harrison said.
The theme of the event is “A Community in a Crisis: Failure Is Not an Option!” he said, and participants will gather information and learn about available resources and methods to improve their communities.
Speakers include Dr. Thomas Rumph, a local dentist who has been buying properties in inner-city communities and then renting them to black business owners at low rates.
“This is my way of giving back by offering minorities opportunity to own businesses,” he said.
IF YOU GO* What: African American Summit* When: Noon Saturday* Where: Brainerd Recreation Center, 1010 N. Moore Road* For more information: 320-3824
North Brainerd Neighborhood Council member Joe Rowe will about the effects of a lack of law enforcement and Chattanooga’s plans for annexation.
“We hope to give residents a 360-degree view of the issues facing the community so that they can make well-informed decisions,” Mr. Rowe said.
Others will discuss the power forfeited by blacks because so many people don’t vote.
“The purpose for this summit,” Mr. Harrison said, “is to bring together some of the most brilliant minds in the state of Tennessee and the city of Chattanooga to expound on some of the most critical issues plaguing the African-American community and for us to leave with at least some practical solutions to implement immediately.”