Alabama Democratic Conference

In Keeping with its rich 50 year history of pursuing equality in Alabama, the Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC) began its annual conference weekend on May 13, 2010 in Montgomery, Alabama  with a Voting Rights Award Luncheon highlighted by a  hat show, plus a memorable performance by the acclaimed singer-actress Mzuri Moyo who performed her one-woman show depicting the life story of Mississippi civil rights freedom fighter Fannie Lou Hamer. A native of New Jersey, Mzuri Moyo received the AUDELCO Award in 2002 for the best solo performance. Moyo's credits include performing at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and in concert halls and cabarets in Paris and Paraguay.

The second panel, "ADC at 50: Dateline with the Press," focused on the competence and assessibility of the ADC staff in providing the press with reliable political data and information for good stories over the years--often information that other organizations or institutions would rarely know or have.  This panel included: Tom Gordon, retired reporter for the Birmingham News; Al Benn, reporter with the Montgomery Advertiser; and William Smothers, Editor- Publisher of Speakin' Out News in Huntsville.

Following the AVERA Luncheon on Friday May 14th, the convention attendees were fed a rich menu of ADC history served by guest contributors on three informative panels:

ADC at 50 : Partners in Our Progress

ADC at 50: Dateline with the Press

ADC at 50 From a Legal Perspective

The third Panel. "ADC at 50: From a Legal Perspective," heaped praises on the ADC for its ability to link the political with the legal system seamlessly through effective communication, cooperation and collaboration via a network of voting rights attorneys, as ADC pursued political equality in Alabama.  This panel included attorneys Jim Blacksher of Birmingham: and Larry Menefee and Soloman Seay of Montgomery.