More than 100 people filled Shiloh Baptist Church on Warren St., in Hudson Sat., Mar. 16, to hear presenters offer their views on the current state of the Black community in Columbia County. The forum was the inaugural event organized by the newly established Staley B. Keith Social Justice Center. Among the information presented: Blacks represent 4 percent of the county's workforce and 13 percent of city's; and, the Hudson City School District graduated less than half of its black students in 2010. Staley B. Keith was a former Hudson supervisor and alderman, and past president of the Columbia/Green NAACP. He died in August. The center's mission is to help eliminate persistent poverty and to provide leadership opportunities for black males. Dr. Alice Green, Executive Director of the Center for Law and Justice in Albany, was the keynote speaker at the event.

PLAY excerpts (10:00) (Speakers (in order): Alexis Keith, the Rev. Ronald Grant, Quintin Cross, Alan Skerrett, Cedrick Fulton, Selha Graham-Cora, Larissa Parks, Kamal Johnson, Pamela Badila, Daniel Grandinetti and Green.) NOTE: Skerrett and Badila are members of the WGXC Radio Advisory Council. Cross is a WGXC volunteer.)

PLAY Green's full keynote address (24:08)