Table of Brotherhood Project!!!!

Chevrolet Announces ‘Table of Brotherhood Project’

Chevrolet is sponsoring the “Table of Brotherhood Project,” a four-city tour honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. that culminates with the Aug. 28 dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“We admire and respect Dr. King's eternal legacy and all that he represents,” said GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson.  “This is an important moment in our nation's history and we hope this memorial will inspire others to turn their own dreams into action”.

The dedication will mark the 48th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech following tour stops in Atlanta, Memphis, Chicago, and Washington, where diverse community leaders will evoke King’s spirit though dialogue on topical social issues.

Tour stops will feature a table designed by Scott Tucker of Raunjiba furniture, where people of all backgrounds and opinions are invited to participate in culturally and socially relevant conversations around King’s vision.  The discussions will be moderated by Roland Martin, a CNN News contributor and commentator for TV One Cable Network.

The Table of Brotherhood Project is highlighted in a TV ad that aired during the recent BET Awards.  The ad features Americans from all walks of life taking their seats at an endless table weaving its way through beaches, schools, streets and restaurants to Washington, D.C. The ad was created for Chevrolet by SpikeDDB, its African-American advertising agency of record. 

To date, General Motors and the General Motors Foundation are among the largest sponsors of the King memorial, having donated more than $10 million to the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.  Both are committed to raising public awareness of the Memorial in the nation’s capital.

The Memorial will be positioned in a direct line between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials on the National Mall, where King delivered his most famous speech on Aug. 28, 1963. The centerpiece of the Memorial, the "Stone of Hope," will feature a 30-foot likeness of King made of natural elements.  It will contain excerpts of his sermons and public addresses to serve as living testaments of his vision of America.  It will be the first memorial on the National Mall to honor someone other than a U.S. President.

“We are deeply grateful to General Motors and the General Motors Foundation for their consistent and steadfast support, which has helped build the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in our nation’s capital,” said Harry E. Johnson, Sr., president and CEO of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. “We look forward to the conversations the Table of Brotherhood project tour will create and are certain they will be a meaningful prelude to the August 28 dedication of our nation’s memorial to Dr. King, one of the world’s most influential leaders.”

The Chevrolet.com/MLK site is the hub for all information related to the Table of Brotherhood Project. The site also has space for visitors to join a virtual Table of Brotherhood conversation by posting thoughts through video and photos around a number of topics inspired by King.

American Youth "Aspire To Be Me"

        ANNOUNCING the 2011

"Aspire To Be Me" WINNERS!

Event "Keep It Digital"

All of the Talented Contestants

Aspire To Be Me

Greetings!

The second annual "Aspire To Be Me"

Talent Showcase and Fundraiser

was a huge success!!! Mehcad Brooks being the
primary highlight of the evening,
made us laugh, dream and believe; along with

leaving us with many thing to ponder,
in paticular, that "Success is a

Choice....Choose Success."

All of the talent contestants were fabulous!!!
Please keep them in mind for future entertainment
opportunities with your organizations.

This year's winners walked away with
 $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place
and $200 for 3rd place winnings!

1st Place Winners - Peterson Brothers Band   

2nd Place Winners - Ballet Afrique Youth Company                     

Two Artists Tied for 3rd Place                      

    

This year's panel of judges:

Jennifer Cumberbatch, Mehcad Brooks,

Bernard Wong 

                    

Emcees for the evening!

 Tamra Cobbins and Martin Egwuagu Jr.

                     

Tennis: is it just a country club sport?

　

The Davis Cup just made an appearance here in Austin. The Davis Cup is an international competition between 125 countries that occur on an annual basis. This year the number one ranked country in the world Spain beat the sixth ranked United States. The crowds were good the hospitality was excellent, the games were even great. However something is missing with this sport there is not a ground swell of passion like we have for football, basketball or even baseball. People reschedule you’re their life in order to make football and basketball fit in.

What happened to the love of tennis in this country? There are only three times a year I may pay attention to tennis, Wimbledon, the US Open and if a major professional tournament is in town. There are very few Americans that are playing at the top level of the game now. Most people may know Serena and Venus Williams, Marty Fish and local hero Andy Roddick.

Tennis is a very inexpensive sport to play and can be readily made available to the masses, but it isn’t. The Williams Sisters are watched and adored, but they do not inspire people to play the game. Arthur Ashe was a well-respected and he inspired us to play tennis. Even the video playing generation does not clamor to play the game via their XBOX or Wie consoles. If you go ask the average person to name four Americans that are currently playing on the professional tour, less than 10 percent surveyed would be able to pass this test.

What can be done to restore the broad appeal? The powers that be needs to remove the stigma of Tennis being only a Country Club sport and bring it back to middle America and most importantly back to the inner city. Tennis should increase their marketing and courts need to made available to the entire community. In the 80’s there were plenty of public tennis courts for the average person to play on at a very reasonable price.

Today I see tennis courts at some apartment that are in vast need of repair and most public courts not being used. Tennis need to adopt a program similar to the Pro Golf Association First Tee program which bring the game of golf to people who may not be able to afford to play or get quality teaching from a professional at no cost. Tennis needs some variety, color and not just the clones that are playing the game. Doing these things may just restore the domination the Americans once had across the world in tennis.

By Terry Davis

5^th ANNUAL WOMEN’S PRAYER CONFERENCE

CELEBRATED AT ST. PETER’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Located at 4509 Springdale Road, Austin, Texas, St. Peter’s United Methodist Church Women’s Ministry will celebrate their 5^th Annual Women’s Prayer Conference beginning Friday, July 29, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. with registration and an opportunity for fellowship and snacks.  “Women of Triumph – Treasuring the Anointing!” is the conference theme for 2011.

Friday, July 29, 2011 will feature Reverend Telley Lynnette Gadson, M.Div., pastor of Saint Mark United Methodist Church, Sumter, South Carolina since 1999.  Affectionately known as Pastor T, Reverend Gadson with her sensitivity and a warm smile as her hallmarks, leads by example and believes that everyone has a place in the building of God’s Kingdom.  An anointed preacher, a tenacious teacher, and a compassionate counselor, Reverend Gadson models her life after the African-American spiritual:  “If I can help somebody as I travel along the way, then my living shall not be in vain.”

Saturday, July 30, 2011 will be the continuation of registration with fellowship and snacks before going into our Praise Celebration with Keynote Speaker Pastor Arlise Carson, co-pastor with her husband at Spirit and Truth Christian Church in Round Rock, Texas.  Her passion is to glorify God and serve His people by reaching out to the un-saved and spiritually disillusioned with a radically relevant message of salvation, deliverance, integrity, empowerment, and faithfulness.  Pastor Carson is a woman that earnestly perseveres to walk in the excellence of God, so that she may glorify Him in all she does.  She has truly been ‘Called Into This Time for God’s Purpose.”  She attributes all she is in Christ to the love and grace of God that continues to make all things possible in her life.

During the Saturday activities we will have age-appropriate child involvement sessions for children three years to 12 years of age.  These sessions will be going on simultaneously with the Women’s Prayer Conference Workshops.  St. Peter’s will be sponsoring a Silent Auction Friday evening through Saturday and vendors will be on site.

Our climax for this three day Women’s Prayer Conference will be Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 3:30 p.m. with Reverend Dr. Clara M. Reed, D.Min., as the Keynote Speaker.  Dr. Reed is an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and a member of the North Texas Conference where she currently serves as the District Superintendent for the Metro District and provides spiritual and administrative oversight for the 80 churches and all the clergy members in her district.  Throughout her Christian journey, which began as a member of the Pentecostal Church, Dr. Reed has served the church in numerous capacities which include pastoring, directing community outreach ministries, serving as minister to children and youth and as a frequent facilitator for Disciple Bible Study.

New this year for our Prayer Conference, St. Peter’s will sponsor a Women’s Chorus Musical, “PRAISING GOD FOR THE ANOINTING” scheduled for Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 3:30 p.m. This praise musical will be featuring choirs, groups and soloist from the Austin and surrounding communities.  Serving as the Mistress of Ceremony for this celebration will be Claudia D. Williams, a Christian woman who has carried the baton directing the St. James Missionary Baptist Church Music Ministry since 1976.  Her love for gospel music, especially her rhythmic and animated actions, began at a very early age. Her accolades within her church as well as the community are numerous and extraordinary.  And on Wednesday night, July 27, 2011, we will have an Old Fashioned Prayer Meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m.

The proceeds from our Women’s Prayer Conference benefit St. Peter’s UMC Ministries and Educational Scholarships of St. Peter’s graduates.  The Austin and surrounding communities are invited to join us for this awesome conference, musical and prayer meeting.  For conference information pertaining to registration, scheduling, etc., please contact the church office at 512 926-1686 or visit us at stpetersaustintx.ning.com.  First Lady Tammie Y. Gause is the founder of the St. Peter’s United Methodist Church Women’s Ministry and the Women’s Prayer Conference and Elder Jack C. Gause, M.Div., is the pastor of St. Peter’s United Methodist Church.