Alumnus Duvalier Malone plans to give Mississippi residents a voice at upcoming event
With his next event, Alcorn State University alumnus Duvalier Malone plans to start a conversation between Mississippi community leaders and citizens in an effort to make the state a better place.
Malone will host the “Do you have a seat at the table?” forum Thursday, Nov. 3 at Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, located on 528 Bloom St. in Jackson, Mississippi. The forum is designed to give citizens in Mississippi communities a chance to voice their opinions about different issues they face on a regular basis. Citizens will be able to state their concerns with community leaders from throughout the state.
Some of the topics scheduled for discussion are poverty, education, jobs and economic development.
The idea for the forum came to Malone after a three-year stint of talking to people around the state about pressing issues and their opinions on solving them.
“After traveling through the state and facilitating conversations on improving Mississippi, I decided that it’s time to stop meeting and having discussions within the elite circles in politics,” said Malone. “It was time for us to go to the communities and talk to the people and see how we can get them to the polls and get engaged in their community.”
Malone hopes that the discussion will be the push community leaders need to enforce change.
“For any progress to happen, we must start the conversation. We have to talk to one another and be willing to discuss the reality of our state. I’m asking our leaders at all levels to get involved. It doesn’t matter if you’re a coach or a mentor; Mississippi needs your help. You must be willing to spread the message of progress and community. Let’s appeal for an accord on our commonalities.”
Malone said that he hopes to form a number of task forces among Mississippi citizens to lobby for change in Washington D.C.
