2018 Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee Stacey Abrams and Acclaimed Reporter Dorothy Gilliam to Headline Inaugural Conversation at Metropolitan AME Church
Washington, D.C. (September 12, 2019) – On Thursday, September 12, 2019, New York Times bestselling author and 2018 Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams will join renowned reporter and activist Dorothy Gilliam to kick off a new conversation series called The Family Room. Hosted at the historic Metropolitan AME Church, the series will foster ongoing social progress through dialogue with thought leaders on the most pertinent topics of our time.
“In today’s challenging political and social environment it seems like we have forgotten how to talk to one another and necessary work to find the common good,” said Abrams. “I am honored to help launch this important series at such a storied D.C. landmark, and hope this evening’s event will help foster progress through community engagement.”
Founded in 1838, Metropolitan AME Church has a long history of catalyzing change, social activism and advocacy locally and internationally. From harboring enslaved people who decided to escape bondage to serving as the backdrop for Rosa Parks’ memorial service, Metropolitan AME Church has been at the forefront of critical moments in U.S. history for nearly 200 years.
Consistent with the values of Metropolitan AME Church, The Family Room seeks to create a familial environment to generate ideas, learn from the past and chart a successful future. Tonight’s conversation will focus on the importance of fighting voter suppression and ensuring that every American is counted in the 2020 Census.
“We are humbled that Stacey Abrams and Dorothy Gilliam are here—affirming this space as a cultural beacon in the African American community,” said Pastor William H. Lamar, IV. “We look forward to continuing these important conversations for years to come.”
There is still time to purchase tickets at http://thefamilyroom.eventbrite.com. Each tax-deductible purchase goes directly to the preservation and legacy of Metropolitan AME Church. Donations will also support the continued growth of The Family Room conversation series.
Please visit www.metropolitaname.org for more information.
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About our Speakers
Following her historic run for governor of Georgia in 2018, Stacey Abrams launched Fair Fight, an organization dedicated to ensuring free and fair elections through litigation, legislation and advocacy; and Fair Count, which focuses on ensuring that populations that people of color and non-English speakers are accurately counted in the Census. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “Lead from the Outside,” and a former Georgia House Democratic Leader.
Legendary civil rights journalist, activist Dorothy Butler Gilliam authored “Trailblazer: A Pioneering Journalist's Fight to Make the Media Look More Like America". She began her journalism career more than 50 years ago in the segregated South reporting on the integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas for the Tri-State Defender. In 1961 she became the first black woman reporter for The Washington Post, where she worked for more than 30 years as an editor and columnist covering politics, education, race and more. She went on to become president of the National Association of Black Journalists and founding director of the Young Journalists Development Project.
About The Family Room
The Family Room is a new conversation series, which marries our past with our future. Hosted at the historic Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in downtown Washington, DC, The Family Room is a familial space where ideas are ignited and healing happens through action-oriented, thought-provoking dialogue. @thefamilyroomdc
About Metropolitan AME Church
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church is known as "The National Cathedral of African Methodism." Founded in 1838, Metropolitan was formed by two existing churches: Israel Bethel AME, founded in 1821, and Union Bethel AME, founded in 1838. Our ancestors thoughtfully bequeathed our ministry and location to us at the intersection of the history and the future of African Americans with the power corridors of the nation. We have been bearing witness to the sovereign God through praiseful worship, spreading the power of the gospel message to liberate the oppressed, and serving humanity since our founding. Ours is a Sankofa ministry with a theology of location—we are looking to our ancestral past while joyfully embracing the possibilities and challenges of the future.
The church has been known in stature and influence, both locally and nationally, from anti-slavery leadership, to AIDS education and voter registration projects today. Featured speakers over the years have included Paul Laurence Dunbar, Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jesse Jackson and Bishop Desmond Tutu. Frederick Douglass attended and spoke regularly, and his funeral was held at Metropolitan in 1895. Visit www.metropolitaname.org or follow us on Twitter at @Metropolitaname.