MAEC’s ALIVE students come to Washington
The Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, Inc. and Kiamsha Pen or Pencil Movement partnered to bring 24 Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, MD) students to the Congressional Black Caucus’ 45th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
The ALC is a premier gathering of African Americans working collaboratively to address and cultivate engaging policy discussions on issues that impact black communities around the world.
Students began their CBC experience with a special greeting from Congressman Elijah Cummings (MD-7). “You are our future. Your presence here today is powerful and memorable.”
Feeling motivated and empowered, the students walked into the National Town Hall Forum that focused on the Black Lives Matter Movement, a national grassroots movement of youth who have come together to organize and demand change and accountability for the excessive force by law enforcement that is threatening black youth and communities across the country.
Dunbar student, Jonathan Townes, asked the distinguished panel, “with public school education failing its students, and the decline of true leadership, how can support be given to Baltimore youth 
who are clearly crying out for help?…our lives matter.” The question set the tone and sparked several conversations among the students and numerous leaders (ie. Congresswoman Corrine Brown, Judge Greg Mathis, BET host Roland Martin, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter Movement Alicia Garza and Shelley Stokes, daughter of late Honorable Congressman Lou Stokes) and other vested adults.
The students ended the day attending the session “The Road the Leads to Somewhere: Underground Railroad”. Using the journey of Frederick Douglas, the distinguished panel, students, and attendees examined the road that has and continues to lead to somewhere. Recognizing the road from civil wrongs to civil rights, Paul Lawrence Dunbar students embraced the ALC ’15 as an extraordinary opportunity to learn, network and better understand their voice in the present quest for liberty and justice for all.
