Celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream by Coming to the Table in Mississippi

HARRISONBURG, Va., Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A very special program with implications for changing the paradigm of race relations in America is coming to Mississippi. Creating New Legacies Inspired by the Dream will take place at the historic Tougaloo College near Jackson.

The community is invited to attend the event, which is free and open to the public. It is being held at Holmes Hall Auditorium, Tougaloo College, from 1:00 -4:00 PM on January 30, 2010. The program will encourage people of all races to face history, share stories, make connections, heal trauma and take action that leads to community and national restoration.

The event is sponsored by Coming to the Table (CTTT),  a program dedicated to acknowledging, understanding and healing the persistent wounds of the U.S. institution of race-based slavery. Inspired by the call of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that "one day... the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood," Coming to the Table was initiated in 2006 by descendants of people descended from slave holders.  

In Mississippi, almost half a million people were held in bondage in 1860. In the aftermath of Emancipation and Reconstruction, there was widespread brutality, lynching and segregation. In recent years, there have been initiatives that hold the promise of creating a new legacy. Coming to the Table hopes to contribute to this important work.  

The Coming to the Table model teaches people how to overcome the continuing trauma of slavery and achieve positive interracial relationships.  The group is non-partisan; multi-faith; multi-cultural and multi-generational. It is a program of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University, which is internationally known for its work in conflict transformation and restorative justice.

Visit www.comingtothetable.org for more information about the program and www.emu.edu/cjp to learn more about the peacebuilding programs of Eastern Mennonite University.

Media is invited to cover the event and/or to build stories beyond the event about the work of Coming to the Table and Eastern Mennonite University. There are many opportunities inherent in this program that relate to human interest, race relations and social justice.

SOURCE Eastern Mennonite University