The Delta Grassroots Caucus (DGC) is a broad coalition of grassroots leaders in the eight-state Delta region. DGC is also a founding partner of the Economic Equality Caucus,
which advocates for economic equality across the USA.

Strong Line-up for Nov. 18-19 Delta Conference; Please Send Registration Fees to Participate

Posted on September 07, 2021 at 12:37 PM

Preliminary List of Speakers and Need for Registration Fees ASAP

We are recruiting a strong line-up of participants for the Nov. 18-19 conference in Little Rock, but we have not received hardly any contributions in recent months and we have bills coming due. Please contribute ASAP.

As often happens, our contributions are late in coming in except when a conference is coming up soon, and that time frame is getting nearer. We have bills coming due and need to ask people to send in registration fees (and or larger sponsorship contributions in the $200 or larger range if you are so inclined).

Prelmininary list of key speakers: We have lined up a preliminary list of key confirmed participants and are working on getting many other confirmations. The event is now about two months away so we are getting recruiting into high gear for the next several weeks.

We are only asking for $50 in early registration fees before Oct. 15. If you would like to send in more please do so.

Some have generously contributed $100 or $75 in registration fees and that is greatly appreciated.

The easiest and fastest way to contribute is to go to the website at mdgc.us and go to the PayPal link at the top of the site that says “Donate.”

If you prefer to pay by check, please make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

We have received a few contributions in the past few months from Billy McFarland of TS Police Support League in Alabama, long-time Delta advocate Wilson Golden, and Harvey Joe Sanner, so thanks to them and we hope others follow suit now.

We are all moving forward in spite of the pandemic and will keep encouraging the remaining people who have not been vaccinated to do so for the general welfare.

PLEASE GET VACCINATED AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO–the Delta region ranks at the bottom in vaccination rates: This is a highly contagious disease and people do not have the right to get others sick by going unvaccinated.

This is not a political issue but rather one of science and self-preservation for vaccination and ignorance on the side of currently healthy people who refuse to get vaccinated. Those who claimed not to be concerned about getting sick themselves have taken a different view in cases where they did get the virus, and even if they get a mild case they have no “freedom” to get others sick with a serious or even fatal disease.

Thanks so much. Lee Powell, Executive Director, Delta Grassroots Caucus (202) 360-6347

Preliminary List of some key Participants and Speakers for Nov. 18-19, 2021 Delta Conference in Little Rock

As of Sept. 6, 2021

EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Harvey Joe Sanner, Des Arc, Arkansas, president of American Ag Movement of Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Ray Higgins, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Preston Clegg, (SPEAKER) Pastor, Second Baptist Church- Little Rock, AR, on Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s anti-poverty work

Rex Nelson, (SPEAKER) senior editor, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, former Federal Alternate Co-Chairman, Delta Regional Authority

Lee Powell, Executive Director, Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus

EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS

East Central Enterprise Community, Forrest City and adjacent areas—Robert Cole, Mildred Barnes Griggs and others. (SPEAKER)

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY, ARKANSAS

Randy Henderson, Nucor Yamato Steel

Priscilla Johnson, Mississippi County Economic Opportunity Commission, Blytheville

Cecil McDonald, MissCo EOC, Mississippi County Quorum Court

(INVITED) President James Shemwell, Vice Presidents Blanche Hunt and Pacey Bowens, Arkansas Northeastern College based in Blytheville–invited

Rep. Monte Hodges, Blytheville,

PHILLIPS COUNTY ARKANSAS

Beatrice Shelby, BGACDC nonprofit in Phillips County confirmed.

Anita Harrison, BGACDC

Kenneth Cox, BGACDC

Netasha Brown, BGACDC

Latina Taylor, BGACDC

KaChasity White, BGACDC

Several others from Phillips County invited, including Keith Pinchback, Phillips Community College of U of A

LOUISIANA

Millie Atkins, (SPEAKER) Delta Caucus board member, Monroe, Louisiana, veteran Delta regional advocate and formerly executive at CenturyTel working on broadband access expansion and many other initiatives;

MISSOURI

Mike Marshall, (SPEAKER) CEO, Sikeston, Missouri Regional Chamber and Economic Development Corp., former Federal Alternate Co-Chair of the Delta Regional Authority

ALABAMA

Billy McFarland, (SPEAKER) TS Police Support League, Eutaw, Greene County, Alabama

Sheila Smith, (SPEAKER) TS Police Support League, Eutaw, Greene County, Alabama

MISSISSIPPI

Wilson Golden, (SPEAKER) Georgia resident, Mississippi native;

Keith Fulcher (SPEAKER), President, Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi

. Dorothy Grady-Scarbrough, (SPEAKER), Executive Director, Mississippians Engaged in Greener Agriculture (MEGA)

KENTUCKY

Al Cross, (SPEAKER) Director, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, University of Kentucky,

ILLINOIS

LYNN ANDERSEN LINDBERG, (SPEAKER) Interim Executive Director, OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS

Last but not least, we have one of the foremost experts on hunger and poverty in America, Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America (SPEAKER)

MANY OTHERS HAVE BEEN INVITED FROM ACROSS THE REGION

US. Sen. John Boozman, Gov. Asa Hutchinson were invited and other federal and state officials are invited