Talk Black Atlanta

For those of you in the Atlanta area, there is a great discussion group called Talk Black Atlanta (http://www.talkblack.net). This is one of the few places where I have found a legitimate group of intelligent informed brothers and sisters who really care about making some sort of positive change in the world. I have been a part of this group for a couple of years now and I actually started blogging because the group took a hiatus for several months and I was starved for intelligent conversation.

Welcome to the home of Atlanta’s premier discussion group for African-American professionals.

• We meet once a month to discuss an array of topics – from politics and pop culture to Black love & relationships and religion– that we consider relevant to the greater African-American community
• We meet from 1-3 p.m. SHARP on the first Saturday of every month (except holidays) at African-American-owned venues throughout metro Atlanta.
• Our mission is to promote positive change and informed understanding within the African-American community through monthly forums that allow individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to explore the critical issues facing our community.
• Our meetings are presided over by a moderator and panelists are invited to share their perspective, but interactive discussion is encouraged.

I am at this month's event and the discussion is Yes We Can Or Can We? A Closer Look At Presidential Race '08.

Brother Bruce Dixon from www.BlackAgendaReport.com was one of the panelists. As far as the discussion is going, the majority of the group is highly vested in the political process. There aren't a lot of original ideas on this subject. The Barak Obama passion is strong in the room as one might expect, but there is a healthy skepticism as well about how much even a successful Obama presidency can possibly do to make substantive change in the way things are going.

The group hit all the major issues, healthcare, government spending, education, crime. the same as most other groups. I had to break them off a little reality about the political process, and a little nugget of it may stick in some places.

One of these days I'll have a little more equipment, and I will make this blogging thing a little bit more interesting, with video and such and such.

Until then, come out to the next Talk Black Atlanta yourself, and be a part of a real world solutions think tank.