Love Feast Workshop #2 (November 19, 2025)
Event Overview
The second Love & Reverence event took Ward I residents deeper into the Model City Initiative through interactive workshops, facilitated discussions, and Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Event Details
- Date: November 19, 2025
- Location: Hugh C. Conley Recreation Center, College Park
- Host: Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Jamelle McKenzie and UAFAH
- Format: Workshop dinner with facilitated discussions and video presentations
- Attendance: Ward I residents
What Happened
One month after the inaugural Love Feast introduced the Model City Initiative, Ward I residents returned for deeper engagement. This was not a repeat of the first gathering. This was the next step in the journey.
People who might not normally sit at the same table broke bread together. Different demographics. Different backgrounds. Different life experiences. Same humanity.
The Central Activity: Dr. King’s Speech
Residents watched Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech together. Not as historical artifact. As present-day mandate.
After the speech, the group grappled with a question that has been waiting 57 years for an answer:
“How do we actually live this?”
The Workshop Process
Facilitated Discussions Small groups explored:
- What does it mean to judge by character rather than color?
- How do we transcend racial constructs in daily life?
- What is the difference between tolerance and transformation?
- How do Love and Reverence principles apply to our neighborhood?
Community Partner Presentations Partners shared perspectives and resources supporting Ward I’s transformation.
Cultural Concepts Deep Dive Participants explored Love and Reverence as daily practices, not abstract ideals:
- How do you show Love to neighbors you’ve never met?
- What does Reverence look like in grocery stores, at bus stops, in community meetings?
- How do you judge yourself by human attributes rather than racial identity?
Video Content
Event Highlights Video: https://youtu.be/f0vNzl-rMNU
This video captures the atmosphere, the conversations, and the breakthrough moments as residents realized they create ward culture through their daily actions.
The Breakthrough
The workshop’s most significant outcome was residents understanding: We create culture. We can change it.
Ward culture is not imposed from above. It emerges from how neighbors treat each other daily. If residents want a culture of Love and Reverence, they must practice Love and Reverence. If they want unity, they must build unity.
The power isn’t somewhere else. The power is in the room. The power is in the choices residents make every day.
Impact
- Deepened residents’ understanding of Model City Initiative
- Created space for difficult conversations about race and unity
- Built relationships across demographic lines through shared meals and discussions
- Helped residents see themselves as culture creators, not just culture recipients
- Prepared foundation for implementation team formation
Connection to Mission
Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is famous. But how many people know HOW to live it? The Love Feast Workshop answered that question. Through Humaculture. Through Love and Reverence. Through the Community Pledge. Through daily practice in Ward I, College Park, Georgia.