President Jimmy Carter will join the America’s Sunday Supper event on August 11 in Atlanta to discuss how the education and service sectors can collaborate to help youth achieve their dreams. Sponsored by Points of Light, Target and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, this serves as the kick-off event for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. It will be hosted by Bernice A. King, former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, at the Carter Presidential Center.

The Sunday Supper will feature President Carter and others sharing memories of Dr. King and what MLK Day and the march’s anniversary mean to them. Delores Morton, president of Programs for Points of Light, and Laysha Ward, president of Community Relations for Target, will lay out the vision for America’s Sunday Suppers – a national movement that promotes the concept of diverse individuals sharing a meal. Supper guests engage in civic dialogue to create solutions and service projects to solve local community issues. Morton and Ward will ask attendees of the August 11 event to commit to hosting their own Sunday Suppers.

Bernice King, Dr. King’s daughter, will also lead a panel that includes the Rev. C.T. Vivian, a Dr. King civil rights deputy who this week was named a Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree; Dr. Dione Simon, principal of Coretta Scott King School for Girls; and Doug Shipman, chief operating officer of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Partnership. They will discuss the magnitude of the historic march and Dr. King’s famous speech, and how it continues to impact their work today.

After the panel concludes, guests will engage in table conversations around the theme – Education, Youth and the “I Have a Dream” speech. Respective table hosts will ask guests to reflect on what Dr. King’s message of social justice and opportunity means to our nation’s youth and education system; how we can work together using Dr. King’s message to bridge differences with others; and how we can engage in open dialogue to solve problems and practice tolerance when misunderstanding occurs.

Eight-year-old Zaqary Asuamah will recite Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and Bernice King will conclude the event by sharing the table conversation insights and highlights.

"We are deeply honored to co-host this event in Atlanta, the birthplace of Dr. King, and to bring together community leaders to discuss education, service and youth development to create a path to achieve the American dream," said Laysha Ward of Target. "Together with Points of Light, we want these conversations to lead to action, strengthen our youth and communities, and honor the legacy of Dr. King."

To find out about hosting a Sunday Supper, go to www.pointsoflight.org/mlk.

Social media: If you're on Twitter, follow @PointsofLight and tweet to #‎2013MLKDay. Sample tweet: King, Carter honor 50th anniv of DC March, America’s Sunday Supper 8/11 w/@Target @PointsofLight @KingCenterATL. Follow #2013MLKDay

About Points of Light
Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,856 stores – 1,788 in the United States and 68 in Canada – and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit target.com/corporateresponsibility.

Points of Light

Points of Light

Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org. 

Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.

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