Honoring King: WHUR Hosts 3rd Annual
Town Hall Meeting
--By LaTavia Conner
WHUR-FM hosted its Third Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Town Hall Meeting from the First Baptist Church of Glenarden to honor the life and legacy of the civil rights icon on his day of remembrance. “Getting back to King’s basics; I am my brother’s and sister’s keeper” was the motto for the two-hour event aired live on Jan. 18.
George Fraser, chairman and CEO of FraserNet, Inc
People from throughout the region attended the gathering to get information on how they can make their respective communities better. A panel of guests featured those who make the effort to uplift their neighborhoods.
“Dr. King has a saying, ‘It doesn’t matter what you do, we all can be a helping hand,’” said Barbara Arnwine, executive director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
The panel expressed concern for the tens of thousands still suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 13.
George Fraser, chairman and CEO of FraserNet, Inc., of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, spent five days in Haiti after the tragedy. “I came back from meetings thinking a lot of things; Haiti needs Haitians,” said Fraser. “There are [Haitian Celebrities] in Miami and L.A. They need to get back to Haiti and reinvest.”
When it came to family values, many of the panel guests said character building starts at home. When a child grows up without his father, he is missing out on being raised by a man. “Sons and daughters need their fathers,” said documentarian and socio-political activist, Janks Morton.
Young women aren’t respecting themselves because they were never taught how to do so according to Cora Masters-Barry of the Southeast Tennis And Learning Center. Masters-Barry is also president and CEO of Recreation Wish List. “They don’t know what respect is. We have to build that into them by being patient and understanding and always give positive feedback,” said Masters-Barry, who works with young children in the D.C. area.
Many panelists said African American youth weren’t being encouraged to excel in school and haven’t tapped their true potential. If more positive words are spoken to children, then they will understand how successful they can be in life. Fraser is a living testimony. He grew up in foster care and saw his brothers deal drugs. “We are a powerful people. Our young people need to know how powerful we are,” said Fraser. “They don’t know this because we have not told them this.”
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