671

1,323

50

Jun 18, 2011

2 weeks ago

10

Planet Earth

United States

Non-Profit and Political Consulting Work, Community Activist, community facilitator, civil rights organizer, advocate for low and moderate income communities and youth, associate pastor,

GA Center for Children & Education, W.K. Kellogg New Tools, New Visions 2 Augusta; Progressive Democrats of America, Richmond County Democratic Party (RCDP), Democratic Committee of Richmond County, International Leadership Association, GA Legal Services Program, RCDP Political Action Committee, Richmond County State Committee, GA Committee on Civil Justice, Augusta Human Relations Commission, Augusta Branch of the NAACP, MCG Television Production, WBIA, WCKJ, WAGT-TV

In 2007, Mr. Dicks founded the non-profit Georgia Center for Children and Education Inc. and serves as the volunteer executive director. The goal of the organization is encouraging parent involvement in education and to support community involvement in public schools.Formerly the Center for Children and Education, the project was founded 1997 by Philadelphia, PA attorney Baruch Kintisch, a former staff attorney for Georgia Legal Services.

A three-decade community activist for the Augusta, GA area, Rev. Terence A. Dicks is very concerned about civil rights, the needs of inner city and moderate and low-income children, fair civil legal representation for low-income and minorities, and many other issues.Terence has fought for civil representation for the low and moderate income involving cases like domestic violence and landlord disputes.Rev. Dicks is "widely-acknowledged for standing up for the rights of the powerless in his community and throughout Georgia," stated a press release on the GeorgiaAdvocates.org website when he was elected chair of the Augusta Human Relations Commission in July 2005.In 1986, Mr. Dicks was co-coordinator of the Mr. James Brown Appreciation Day in Augusta -- the first time the town and its people earnestly expressed love and respect to the late great Godfather of Soul.About 5,000 people attended the event on the banks of the Savannah River.It broke the ice and led months later to the first concert Mr. Brown had ever performed in Augusta -- ironically in the civic center that now bears his name (the renaming took another 20 years).Music Industry legends Casey Kasem and Dick Clark recorded radio PSAs to promote the free event.Mayor Charles DeVaney -- a fan of Mr. Brown -- prevented the celebration from being cancelled at the last minute by waiving the "mandatory" insurance requirements. Mr. Brown and Mr. DeVaney both died unexpectedly a month apart."Claiming A Street Named King" is an initiative Mr. Dicks started during tenure as chair of Georgia Clients Council.The project is about "taking back the street in by building businesses and homes on the crime-ridden abandoned boulevards that bear the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."Rev. Dicks hopes to help others "improve the condition of boulevards named after Martin Luther King, Jr. across Georgia" and the nation.Author Jonathon Tilove "wrote the book that inspired me" entitled "Along Martin Luther King: Travels on Black America's Main Street."The project is supported by East Carolina University Professor Derek H. Alderman."Dr. Alderman is a geographer who has helped us to work on a plan for the redevelopment of the Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards," Dicks said."There was a lot of hope around those streets and what he did for me is he reminded me of why we name those streets for Martin Luther King, Jr.," he said."We are heading into the second or third generation who doesn't know about Dr. King and his achievements.""The generation that starts it doesn't have to be the generation who built it," he said. "We have to keep Dr. King's work alive -- keep it relevant and cogent."After being an independent voter for two decades, Terence joined the Richmond County Democratic Party (RCDP) in 2002.He joined the Democratic Committee of Richmond County that "has jurisdiction over Democratic Party affairs in Richmond County" and a "purpose is to help select and elect Democratic Party Candidates to office" and whose platform includes "those of the Democratic Party of Georgia."Terence has served as chair of the RCDP Political Action Committee (PAC) and performed duties that included community outreach.Mr. Dicks is member of the Richmond County State Committee (2011-2014) representing the 12th Congressional District.He served for six years (2002-2008) as state chair of the Georgia Clients Council plus served on the council board for eight years (2000-2008).For nearly a decade, Terence has been a board member (2002-present) of Georgia Legal Services Program and served (2005-2010) on the organization's Georgia Committee on Civil Justice and is on the state bar president advisory committee.The mission of Georgia Legal Services Program is "to provide access to justice and opportunities out of poverty for low-income Georgians."After exhaustive planning, Terence helped co-write and secure a $255,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in the spring of 2008 that is being administered by Paine College for the "New Tools, New Visions 2 Augusta" Project and he serves on the project steering committee.Rev. Dicks is a longtime member of the International Leadership Association (2001-present).Mr. Dicks serves as state of Georgia Coordinator (2008-present) for the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA). He joined the national PDA in 2007.For over a decade (1998-2009), Terence served on the board of the Augusta Human Relations Commission including two-terms as chair, three terms as vice-chair.Terence served as a board member (1994-1996) and the second vice president of the Augusta Branch of the NAACP including chair of the fair housing committee.In his early years, Terence was a radio announcer at several Augusta radio stations (WBIA, WCKJ) as a disc jockey (when records were vinyl 45s), sports, features, talk shows.

"Along Martin Luther King: Travels on Black America's Main Street" by author Jonathon Tilove"Civil Rights Memorials and the Geography of Memory" by author Derek H. Alderman, a professor and research fellow at East Carolina University