FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2008
CONTACT: Press Coordinator Email: change@bethenextwave.com
Web: www.bethenextwave.com
From Selma to Washington, DC: King’s Call to Reduce Poverty, Promote Human Rights Lives On
DC Summit set for April 4-6th provides resources and networking to build skills to lead change
WASHINGTON, DC— Today marks the anniversary of the historical Selma to Montgomery march led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and is the catalyst to civil rights movement in this country, which gave way to the passage Voting Rights Act of 1965 in our nation’s capitol by President Lyndon Johnson.
“With today as the start of Spring, Selma should remind us to ‘spring into action’ and be the next wave of change in our communities. We are suffering economically, socially, culturally and spiritually,” said Tambra Stevenson, chair of the Next Wave Leadership Committee.
On March 21, 1965 over 3,200 marchers joined Dr. King in Montgomery, Alabama to demand their voting rights. They walked 12 miles everyday for 5 days through chilling weather and rain on Route 80. By the time they reached the capitol on March 25, they were 25,000 marchers strong. With great hope, the marchers brought attention to the violations of their rights by marching to Montgomery. Upon their arrival, Dr. King delivered his “How Long, Not Long” speech along side the state capital building.
Like the marchers, the Next Wave Leadership Committee hopes you will be the next wave of change at the inaugural Next Wave Action Summit from April 4-6, 2008.
Hosted by Creative Cause the Summit commemorates the 40th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Assassination in partnership with George Washington University Multicultural Student Services Center and Howard University School of Business Center for Professional Development.
“We need compassionate leaders who address their own healing from in order to become true champions for human rights in America through social entrepreneurship and political leadership,” stated Stevenson.
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson acknowledged, “What happened in Selma is part of a far larger movement which reaches into every section and state of America. It is the effort of American Negroes to secure for themselves the full blessings of American life. Their cause must be our cause, too.” This is an excerpt from Harry E. Johnson, Sr.’s email from the MLK Foundation.
To register and learn more about the Summit please visit www.bethenextwave.com. Limited scholarships are available to waive the Summit fee for attendees who write a poem or essay of what “Next Wave” means to them and submit via email to change@bethenextwave.com.
Creative Cause is Washington, DC-based social enterprise dedicated to using creativity to raise awareness and action on social causes and encourage the next generation of leaders to harness their creativity to address social issues in their community. We accomplish this by hosting educational, outreach and community service events throughout the year.
Students and young professionals gather to address poverty in DC and answer the call of Dr. King’s legacy
Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Dr. King’s Assassination in our Nation’s Capitol
WASHINGTON, DC—On April 4-6th, Creative Cause will be hosting the inaugural Next Wave Action Summit to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Assassination in partnership with George Washington University Multicultural Student Services Center and Howard University School of Business Center for Professional Development.
“The Summit is a call to action for our generation to lead and support the change to improve our communities; otherwise we will be left behind,” stated Tambra Stevenson, chair of the Next Wave Leadership Committee and founder of Creative Cause.
Next Wave is a grassroots campaign developed by Creative Cause to inform, engage and empower young professionals and students to become social entrepreneurs and public service leaders in their communities. Continuing the legacy of Dr. King, the goal is to build the next wave of change agents.
“When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, to me Katrina’s message sent shockwaves as far as our nation’s capitol of how will we prepare, promote and prevent a social and economic epidemic from engulfing our communities – by investing in our communities most prized treasure – our youth and young professionals,” said Stevenson.
Kicking off the Summit, a forum on social entrepreneurship to address poverty in DC will begin on April 4th at Howard Business School Auditorium at 6:00PM. On Saturday starting at 10am professional/personal development workshops will be held and a political leadership forum will be at 6:30pm in the GWU Marvin Center auditorium the Summit concludes with a special message from Pastor Smith at Shiloh Baptist Church.
Our partners include the ASHOKA Foundation, William James Foundation, Upgrade America, Urban Social Enterprise along with a list of individual supporters found on our website. To register and learn more about the Summit please visit www.bethenextwave.com.
Limited scholarships are available to waive the Summit fee for attendees who write a poem or essay of what “Next Wave” means to them and submit via email to change@bethenextwave.com.
Creative Cause is Washington, DC-based social enterprise dedicated to using creativity to raise awareness and action on social causes and encourage the next generation of leaders to harness their creativity to address social issues in their community. We accomplish this by hosting educational, outreach and community service events throughout the year.
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For media interviews of the Next Wave Leadership Committee Chair,
email change@bethenextwave.com
