On March 15 from 7-9 p.m., the Measuring the Dream Symposium will pull together prominent community leaders including: Former UN Ambassador & two time Mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young and Former Freedom Rider Dr. Bernard Lafayette to review research data and discuss how far we’ve come since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and how far we have to go.  The free event will also feature GA Representative Park Conner, the youngest and 1 of 3 openly gay lawmakers in Atlanta as well as Mary Hooks, the Co-director of Southerners on New Ground (SONG), a liberation movement for People of Color, immigrants, undocumented people, people with disabilities.  The event takes place at the First Congregational Church, and the symposium coincides with the Church’s 150th anniversary. 

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood before a crowd of 250,000 people at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and declared that all Americans should be treated equally.  He went on to champion legislation that reduced both racial and economic disparities for Blacks and Whites alike.  But now, more than ever, the country’s economic and racial divides are incredibly pronounced. Recent years have seen the rise of activist groups and events like Black Lives Matter and the Women’s March. Yet, some of the most critical political issues like affordable housing, quality public education, and LGBTQ rights—all concerns of disenfranchised groups—still persist.

Measuring the Dream’s panelists are a group of influential community leaders who have firsthand experience with the struggle for civil rights, past and present.  They will address a group of roughly 500 attendees on a variety of topics including equity in education, health, and criminal justice. The free public event aims to use thorough research and analysis to identify the issues that impede equality and map out a way forward.  While the event is open to the public, attendees are asked to register through Eventbrite or on the website at http://www.measuringthedream.com