On March 23,2017 Parlay: An Urban Think Tank On Civic Engagement hosted its 3rd installment of a conversation series aimed to elevate and engage the Black community.
The founder and political strategist Kenya T. Parham, lead the panel; David Banner (Rapper, Producer, Activist, and Actor), Nina Parker (Media Host and Correspondent), Jarret Hill (NBC BLK Host & The Hollywood Reporter Commentator) and Shavon Hill (Head of Music and Youth at Instagram) into a controversial conversation that tackled the many political and social challenges faced by the Black community.
The foundation of this powerful conversation was how to best leverage social influence to amass political power in the Black community and the resources needed for the Black community to thrive in today’s society. With an audience of Millennials and Gen-X influencers and a panel who each came with their own experiences and perspectives this was a recipe sure to create impact. The conversation was inspiring, reflective, at times uncomfortable, but overall necessary. There were also vendors, live mixes by DJ Malski, amazing eats by local farm-to-table restaurants, and an interactive photo booth allowing for an overall successful event.
Parlay is an organization which is creating change, more than hosting a conversational space among celebrities (which is also great). Parlay is providing a platform of information, knowledge, and resources that has the potential to change the course of the life and culture for today’s African American.
[slideshow]– Trivinski Taylor