“Overcoming Violence in Our Community” will be the topic of the Rosa Parks Museum’s Real Talk: Community Forum on Sept. 14. The event is free and open to the public.
A part of the museum’s Real Talk Community Forum series, the panel discussion is set for 6 p.m. in the museum’s auditorium. The Real Talk Community Forum project is supported by a grant from the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Dr. Dana Wilson, lecturer and Human Services Program coordinator at Troy University, will serve as moderator for the panel, which will include Wanda H. Battle, the Rev. Dr. Cathey Bruce, and Phillip Ensler. Dr. Wilson will go through a series of questions with the panelist before entertaining questions and comments from the audience.
Battle is a native of Montgomery and a 1977 graduate of Spelman College. She has served as a tour guide and also tour director at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church for seven years. In March, Battle launched her own business, Legendary Tours, LLC, which provides Zoom call conversations about human rights and social justice and also conducts in-person tours in the Montgomery area. She was recently employed by the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce as a trainer for Welcome Center Ambassadors at the new location at One Court Square in downtown Montgomery.
Dr. Bruce is a native of Montgomery and serves as pastor of Gaines Chapel A.M.E. Church in Sardis and youth pastor at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Montgomery. A community activist and advocate for the safety of children and the elderly, Dr. Bruce is employed with OPKA where she manages prison medical labs and obtains and maintains Covid medical data. Cathey also work with the Montgomery Police Department as a VIP Officer and Team Leader (5) with Operation Good Shepherd where she is called to assist the department with victims and family members of violent crimes, suicide, and gives death notifications.
Ensler is an attorney, public policy expert and community advocate. He serves as the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama and previously served as the senior policy advisor to Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed. After serving as an Obama Administration intern when he was an undergraduate student in Washington, D.C., Ensler was a Teach for America corps member in Montgomery. Since 2012, he has led a program for traditional Montgomery public high school students to achieve their college and career goals. Born and raised in New York City, he is a 2017 graduate of Cardozo School of Law.
Dr. Wilson has served as a member of the TROY faculty since 2018. She also previously served the University as a student services advisor. She also serves as CEO and founder of Humbled Hearts, Inc., a nonprofit organization serving Pike and surrounding counties with financial assistance grants for those who lack healthcare and have medical debt, while also researching long-term solutions for their healthcare needs. The organization also seeks to educate the community on health and wellness with efforts including nutrition seminars, walks for wellness and wellness clinics.
For more information, contact Madeline Burkhardt at 334-241-8701 or by email at mburkardt@troy.edu.
The Real Talk Community Forum Series is held regularly by the museum to address current topics of interests or concern and offers area residents the opportunity to gain information and share viewpoints in a safe and civil setting.
