AG Gaston Conference Seeks Unsung Heros

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Jan. 6, 2016 - PRLog -- The AG Gaston Conference is seeking unsung community heroes.  Nominations are now open for the 2016 AG Gaston Community Service Award.  Ideal candidates will exemplify the characteristics of Gaston – active in their church, involved in philanthropic activities and creating an impact in the business community.  Nominations are accepted by candidates and from persons seeking to acknowledge a member of their community.

Arthur George (AG) Gaston built an empire that spanned the communications, real estate, insurance and banking industries.  He could have easily been compared to the likes of J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie during his time.  His ability to amass wealth while providing economic opportunities for members of his community by employing the largest number of African American’s in the state of Alabama during the 1950s has allowed his legacy to live past his lifetime.  Gaston also recognized the importance of using his wealth to support social justice.  During a time when many African-Americans were turned away from hotels practicing Jim Crow segregation, Gaston opened the AG Gaston Motel to welcome black visitors and allowed meetings of civil rights leaders like Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth to hold meetings in his downtown office.

The AG Gaston Community Service Award will be presented during the AG Gaston Conference to be held at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex on Tuesday, February 16 through Wednesday February 17, 2016.  Economic leaders from the black business community will gather to honor the legacy established by business pioneer AG Gaston (http://aggastonconference.com/) while also discussing current trends in business and strategies to cultivate the next generation of black millionaires committed to serving their community.  The conference will feature speakers such as Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League and Dr. Juliet E.K. Walker, Founding Director of the Center for Black Business History, Entrepreneurship and Technology at the University of Texas-Austin.

Nominations are accepted on the AGGastonConference.com website through January 22.  Finalists for the award will be notified by February 10 and the award will be presented during the AG Gaston Legacy Luncheon on Wednesday, February 17.