I know I already tweeted about this (and the great “Vote like your life depends on it” t-shirt I got!), but earlier today I was part of a dynamic panel sponsored by BET called “This Moment Matters.” It was a thrill to be a part of the same slate as Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and pollster/strategist Cornell Belcher. High profile national journalist TJ Holmes moderated.
This all came about because a month ago I facilitated a discussion hosted by BET and Higher Ground in Massachusetts. It was about one of my sheros: Shirley Chisholm. The event was called “The Chisholm Effect,” and it brought together black women leaders from across the country to reflect on the impact of the great Shirley Chisholm on politics and leadership. I immediately hit it off with the folks from BET, and I was flattered and excited when they reached out to me to be a part of today’s BET/DNC activities.
TJ Holmes challenged those of us on the panel to go beyond soundbites on vital issues like the wealth gap, voter supression, voter apathy, and what’s at stake this November. Before the panel took the stage, BET CEO Debra Lee and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett spoke and got the crowd fired up. Tough acts to follow!
The audience was a who’s who. I chatted with more people than I could count, but managed to get this quick picture with Roland Martin. Jesse is mad at me because I also saw former Cosby kid Keisha Knight Pulliam, and she wasn’t there to meet her.
AP and JM at the DNC 