Song and prayers for Teamsters in Charlotte, N.C.

Note: this is a first-person account of Jerome Singletary, a member of Teamsters Local 396, who is attending the Teamsters National Black Conference in Charlotte, N.C.

Today was another great start as we honored the women of the Teamsters at TNBC’s Fourth Women’s Day. It started off with singing and prayers, including Miss Ruby Jackson singing the Negro National Anthem.

From there on we had phenomenal speakers. One common message from most of the speakers was this is an election year and voting is very important.

They honored Ferline Buie with a special recognition as the first African-American Vice President At Large at the IBT. The keynote speaker was the Rev. Fredrica Johnson-Paige, who delivered a powerful message about the need for all of us to take a stand. She highlighted four points: vision, integrity, self awareness and great relationships.

The room was filled with a lot of energy with most people dressed in red. Not to forget, this program was dedicated to the late Eula Cleveland and Lisa Mack. Next is today’s Clara Day’s luncheon.

To see the most recent photos of the TNBC, go here.