The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga will present its annual Equal Opportunity Day breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Chattanooga Convention Center. John Hope Bryant, founder and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, a nonprofit financial services network, will be the keynote speaker. This year’s event theme is “Urbanomics – The Breakdown of Economic Inequality.”
Bryant has been an advisor to the last three sitting U.S. presidents. At the request of Bryant, President George W. Bush signed the first executive order establishing financial literacy as the policy of the federal government in the nation’s history in 2008. President Obama appointed Bryant to serve on his new U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans in 2014.
To recognize corporate and individual leadership in the region, the Urban League will give out three awards at the event: the Inclusion by Design Award; the Community Impact Award; and the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award.
All proceeds from the event will support the organization’s programs. Information: www.ulchatt.net, Lily Sanchez (423 756-1762), lsanchez@ulchatt.net.
SouthWord Literary Feast
The Southern Lit Alliance will present SouthWord Literary Feast Nov. 3-4, with Friday’s events taking place at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s University Center and Saturday’s events occurring at both Lindsay Street Hall and the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.
The event will consist of readings, discussions and panels with published members of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. SouthWords’ keynote address will be delivered by Wendell Berry, an American novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic and farmer. Berry has written many novels, short stories, poems and essays.
Other authors in attendance will include poet T.J. Jarrett, author of “Ain’t No Grave”; short story and novel writer Jill McCorkle, whose works include “The Cheer Leader” and “July 7th”; Lee Smith, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Last Girls”; Charles Frazier, author of the 1997 National Book Award for Fiction winner “Cold Mountain”; fiction writer and environmental activist Silas House, author of more than 100 published short stories and poems; and bestselling novelist, poet and short story writer Ron Rash.
Tickets: www.SouthernLitAlliance.org, 267-1218.