Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials to Hold Fall Conference in Macon this Weekend

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials wants you to get out and vote.

GABEO will hold its 2012 Fall Conference this weekend in Macon at historic Mount Olive Baptist Church.

The church played a big role in the Macon bus boycotts of the sixties and was a featured scene for the movie, King, in which late actor Paul Winfield played Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The conference will focus on a “Turn Out to Vote” theme, and several civil rights activists, as well as elected officials from across the state, are expected to attend.

“Here in Macon and surrounding areas, we want everybody out and voting during early voting and certainly by election day or on election day,” says Macon council member Elaine Lucas.  “So GABEO is going to have a ‘Get out the Vote’ rally in Tattnall Square Park on Saturday.”

The rally will be held at 2 Saturday afternoon.

Full schedule of the weekend’s events:

Friday, October 26
4:00 p.m. Pre-Conference Seminar: “Stopping the KKK from adopting Public Highways/Roads in Georgia”
Title 6 of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
Facilitators: DOT Board Member Emory McClinton, 5th Congressional District
DOT Commissioner Keith Golden, P.E.
Macon City Hall, 700 Poplar Street, Macon, Georgia 31201
6:00 p.m. GABEO Reception — Welcome by Elected Officials and Local Talent
Lead Host: Hon. David Lucas
Macon City Hall, 700 Poplar Street, Macon, Georgia 31201

Saturday, October 27
8:00 a.m. Registration
8:00 a.m. Rev. Dr. Bennie Mitchell GABEO Prayer Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Plenary Session, President Tyrone Brooks
HR 1162 Charter Schools Amendment
Presenters: Ms. Tracey Ann Nelson, GA Association of Educators
Ms. Verdaillia Turner, President, GA Federation of Teachers
10:00 a.m. Candidates Forum, All Candidates for Public Office are invited
Only one question per candidate will be asked.
Moderator: Herbert Dennard, Publisher, The Informer newspaper
Mount Olive Baptist Church, 957 Oglethorpe Street, Macon, Georgia 31201
12:00 p.m. Georgia Get out the Vote Luncheon — Mount Olive Baptist Church
Speakers:
Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery
U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young
Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Board Chair, SCLC
SCLC-CEO Charles Steele, Greetings
U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Greetings
GABEO Presentations – President Tyrone Brooks
Mrs. Lillie Ruth Gantt-Evans, Civil Rights/Voter Turn Out Activist
Former Councilwoman Delores Brooks, GABEO Servant
Rev. Marshall Stenson, Long Time Civil Rights Activist
The Quitman Ten +2, The Movement of the Year
David Lucas, Democratic Nominee, Senate District 26, Macon and middle Georgia
2:00 p.m. Georgia Get out the Vote Rally — SHUT UP AND VOTE
Presiding: Hon. C. Jack Ellis, Former Mayor of Macon; Hon. Anita Ponder, Former President Macon City Council
Speakers:
Senator Emanual Jones, Chair, GA Legislative Black Caucus
Rep. Calvin Smyre, Columbus, Dean of GA General Assembly, Past Pres. NBCSL
Atty. Janice Mathis, Vice President, National Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Mr. Edward Dubose, President Georgia State Conference NAACP
Rev. Samuel Mosteller, President of SCLC, Georgia
Ms. Rita Samuels, Founder and President, GA Coalition of Black Women
Mayor Kenneth Smith, Kingsland, GA, President GA Conf. of Black Mayors
Former Mayor Willie Burns, Washington, Exec. Dir., GA Conf. of Black Mayors
Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Board Chair, SCLC
Rev. Albert Love, Director of Love in Action Ministries
Ms. Helen Butler, Director, Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda
Mr. Bill Cannon, Director, Georgia Association of Black Contractors
Tatnall Square Park, College Avenue at Oglethorpe, Macon, 31201
4:00 p.m. Historic Tour of Macon
Tours by Quinton – Professional tour guide by QTard
Historic scenes of African American Macon including a stop by the Tubman Museum, the largest African American Museum in the Southeast
8:00 p.m. Evening Entertainment (Featuring the Fitness Band)
Midtown Key Club, 435 Third Street, Macon, Georgia 31201

Sunday, October 28
11:00 a.m. GABEO Closing Worship Service
Mount Olive Baptist Church
957 Oglethorpe Street, Macon, Georgia 31201
Rev. Timothy Price, Pastor

For more information about GABEO please visit www.ga-gabeo.org.