A Community Forum with Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Dr. Louis W. Sullivan
The members of the James River Valley (VA) Chapter of the Links with Kym Grinnage, VP/GM of NBC12 WWBT, Dr, Louis W. Sullivan, Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Dr. Joseph Johnson, Acting President, Virginia Union University. Photo: Max Williams
Two historic figures, both born in the Jim Crow south, shared their personal paths to education and public service at a forum on Monday, October 10, 2016 in the Claude G. Perkins Living and Learning Center at Virginia Union University.
The James River Valley (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated hosted a provocative forum with two history-making, renowned speakers, Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Dr. Louis W. Sullivan. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Kym Grinnage, Vice President and General Manager of NBC 12/WWBT.
The forum included an interactive question and answer discussion with the speakers. After the discussion, there was a book signing and reception with the distinguished speakers. Governor Wilder is the author of “Son of Virginia”. Dr. Sullivan is the author of “Breaking Ground: My Life in Medicine”. Two hundred books were given to local high school and college students thanks to the generosity of two local donors of the Credit Adjustment Board, CEO Josh Rahman and President Nick Roupas.
Lawrence Douglas Wilder is the first African American to be elected as governor in the U.S. and first African-American to serve as governor of any state since Reconstruction. Wilder served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. When earlier elected as Lieutenant Governor, he was the first African American elected to statewide office in Virginia. His most recent political office was Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, which he held from 2005 to 2009. The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs is at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Louis Wade Sullivan served the American people as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in addition to founding the prestigious Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. The Sullivan Alliance is a national organization founded by Dr. Sullivan. Under the leadership of Dr. Sullivan, the purpose of the agency is to create diversity, equity, and access to the health professions for racial or ethnic minorities.
The Links, Incorporated is one of the oldest and largest volunteer service organizations in the United States. The organization works to enrich and improve the lives of the community through the programs and activities of their five Facets, which are Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services and Health and Human Services.