TROY – A Mississippi physician braved a seven-hour ride through thunderstorms to spread his message of committed community leadership to the opening assembly of the Fifth Annual African-American Leadership Conference at Troy University.

Dr. Ronald V. Myers M.D., whose Myers’ Foundation Christian Family Health Centers in Tchula, Belzoni and Greenville, Miss. center on indigent health care and community development, told a crowd of about 300 people in the Trojan Center Theatre that committed community leadership was necessary to improve the lives of African Americans.

“The challenge is before us,” he said. “It’s going to take courage, integrity, committed community service and accepting no compromises when it comes to the plight of our people.”

Active on the national platform as founder and chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Myers blended Black history and modern-day stories to drive home his points about self-sacrifice, commitment and investment of effective community leadership.

“We face a tremendous challenge in the Mississippi Delta,” he said, citing that Humprheys County, where he practices medicine, had the highest infant mortality rate in the nation.

“A baby had a better chance of survival in Bangladesh than in Tchula, Mississippi,” he said.

It was from this stage that Myers said he drew his ideas on leadership and community service.

“Community leaders have to stand up,” he told the audience. “The first principal of effective community leadership is ‘stand up.”

Continuing to outline his thoughts, Myers added to his message of courage, the requirement of individual responsibility, committed community service and integrity.

“Community leadership is not going to win you popularity,” he said. “It is very lonely and a challenging thing to stand up [and show courage].”

Myers brought cheers when he focused on the problems facing African Americans today.

“The biggest challenge we have is us,” he said. “We have to take responsibility to provide leadership to the challenges today that we face as African Americans.”

“If you don’t take up the challenge of effective community leadership, it’s going to get worse,” he added.

Other speakers for the evening included remarks by Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford, Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr., State Sen. Jimmy Holley, Conference Chairwoman Shelia Jackson, Dr. Fernell Warren, who introduced Dr. Myers, Dr. Robyn Bynum, the Rev. Jason Thomas and the Rev. S.D. James. Special music was provided by the Troy University Gospel Choir.

The African American Leadership Conference, co-hosted by the City of Troy and Troy University, continues on Saturday in the Trojan Center, beginning at 8 a.m..

At 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4., the Rev. Jamal Harrison-Bryant will deliver the keynote address at the closing ceremonies of the African-American Leadership Conference. Rev. Harrison-Bryant is pastor of Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Md. His ministry focuses on empowering people spiritually, developing them educationally, exposing them culturally, activating them politically and strengthening them economically.

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