On Sept. 20 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the Demopolis Higher Education Center on Field of Dreams Drive, Black Belt Roots, in collaboration with the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF), Stillman College and Wallace Community College – Selma (WCCS), will host its second annual Black Belt Summit.

This year’s event, “State of the Black Belt: Exploring our Future through Collaboration,” includes talks on issues currently facing the Black Belt, as well as the perceived solutions to those woes, and a series of breakout sessions focused on specific issues and sharing best practices that can be implemented across the region.

Black Belt Roots, established in 2014, is a coalition of concerned citizens and nonprofit organizations working together to address issues unique to Alabama’s Black Belt by raising awareness, publicizing important issues and “empowering residents of impoverished communities to transcend generational poverty and invest in an improved quality of life.”

According to Black Belt Roots Founder Rasheda Workman, the organization began discussing plans to ramp up the organization’s efforts and landed on the Black Belt Summit as a way to reach more people in a forum-styled setting.

“I just don’t think you can ever call enough attention to the Black Belt,” Workman said. “If you don’t have enough people shining a light on rural areas, especially in Alabama, it doesn’t get as much attention as our more affluent cities. Our voices are stronger when we’re all singing the same songs.”

According to Workman, last year’s event took place before a packed house that included a diverse set of attendees, including state and local elected officials – this year’s event, Workman said, builds on last year’s in a number of ways.

Workman noted that last year’s event was largely focused on establishing a baseline of knowledge among those in attendance – this year’s event will focus on issues important to those that attended last year, issues they jotted down at the end of the summit and submitted to organizers.

One such issue is water quality, which summit attendees will hear plenty about – Professor Mark Elliott will discuss the issue, as well as emerging legislation aimed at the topic, and a representative from the office of U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-AL, will be on hand to discuss that issue and others and provide an update on efforts in Washington to tackle a myriad of issues plaguing rural communities and low-income families.

Breakout sessions will feature student-led projects making a difference in their communities – Workman noted that hearing from young people is integral as they are “the next generation of advocates.”

The luncheon keynote speaker for the event will be Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s Chief of Staff Jo Bonner, a Republican and former U.S. Representative for Alabama who, in 2005, voted in favor of reauthorizing the USA Patriot Act and voted against renewal of the Voting Rights Act a year later.

Also on tap to speak at the summit is U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-AL, who has been an outspoken proponent on behalf of rural communities, having his legislation tackling wastewater management signed into law and continuing to push for legislation to increase access to healthcare and provide broadband internet to underserved areas.

Various state departments will be represented and at least three state legislators will be on hand for the event – Workman noted that she contacted all of the legislators representing the Black Belt but only three agreed to attend.

“We welcome everybody to the table for this thing,” Workman said. “There’s something for everybody to do to improve this region. Poverty knows no party affiliation. It knows no colors or boundaries as far as who’s affected.”

For her part, BBCF Executive Director Felecia Lucky believes the event is a unique opportunity for those finding success in their work serving the Black Belt to share best practices and progressive ideas with other individuals and organizations looking to serve their own communities.

“It’s where we have an opportunity to converse and really discuss the issues of the Black Belt,” Lucky said. “We can provide solutions, as well as celebrate best practices and all the good that’s taking place.”

According to Workman, only a few seats are still available for this year’s event.

To register, visit www.eventbrite.com and search for “State of the Black Belt” in the event field on the main page.