SERIES OF WORKSHOPS PART OF BLACK FAMILY REUNION

A series of workshops designed to help families and individuals learn skills will be held Saturday during the Black Family Reunion.

The workshops begin at 10 a.m. and continue through 5 p.m. and will be held in the A.C. Brase Arena Building. No registration is necessary and the sessions are free.

The day is divided into three time blocks with a choice of four workshops for each time block.

From 10 a.m. to noon, participants may attend National Black Wealth Building, employability, AIDS Community Update, or Black Entrepreneurship.

From 12:15-2:15 p.m., East Missouri Action Agency, Health Care, Gang Awareness or Financial Planning.

From 2:30-4:30 p.m., Womancare, Drug Response, Black Family Past Present Future, and a repeat of the financial planning session.

National Black Wealth Building: a financial self-help workshop by Robert Taylor from Washington D.C. Taylor is president of the Better Life Club of America, a financial self-help organization. He is also a journalist with a masters degree from Columbia University.

Employability: Jack Sterrett, associate professor of marketing and interim director of career planning and placement at Southeast Missouri State University, will talk about attitudes and skills employers are looking for.

AIDS: Ted Fedler, former law enforcement officer, will share data on AIDS in Southeast Missouri.

Entrepreneurship: Darryl Mobley of Sacramento, Calif. owns several businesses including a consulting firm that helps with strategic planning and brand building. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. He will talk about what has to take place when starting a business. Speaking with Mobley will be Buz Sutherland, director of the Small Business Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University. Sutherland too has owned several businesses. He will discuss services available to those wishing to start a business.

Health care: Cynthia Dean, regional project coordinator for Missouri's Department of Health Bootheel Cardio-Vascular Project, will discuss heart disease with specific information for the African-American population.

Gang awareness: William Whitcomb, a mediator with the U.S. Justice Department, worked following the riots in Los Angeles and during the Rodney King trial. He recently has done work on gang activity in Sikeston. He will give an update on gang activity in the region.

Womancare: Barbara Crowell, manager of Womancare at St. Francis Medical Center, will discuss health issues concerning women.

Financial planning: Charles Whitener, national sales director with Primerica Financial Services, will discuss different ways to build financial security.

Drug response: John Sutton special agent in charge of St. Louis field division of the Drug Enforcement Agency, will talk about drugs in the region and the nation. Members of Narcotics Anonymous will have a display and be available to answer questions.

East Missouri Action Agency: A panel discussion by staff members to discuss services provided by the agency including family planning, housing, youth programs, Head Start, and weatherization.

Black family -- past, present, future: Patricia Washington, Cape girardeau native and press secretary for St. Louis Mayor Freeman Bosley, will lead a discussion on challenges facing black families and possible solutions.

Co-chairman for the theme workshops are Michael Sterling and Marvis Moseley.