Community Based Programs - Support for Our Veterans and Black Heritage Month

By Jack A. Panella

My family and I strongly believe in working for our community and supporting necessary projects and functions.

In 2002, I was selected to join the United States Army National Guard to visit troops from Pennsylvania in Germany and Bosnia. The trip was a cooperative effort of the 28th Infantry Division and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Committee.

I wrote an Op-Ed column for the Express-Times Newspaper and Lehigh Valley Live website which appeared in the Thanksgiving edition on Thursday, November 22, 2012. I had been moved by a letter to the editor by a father of a wounded Marine, and I decided to do research into the injuries being sustained by our military personnel. I was astounded by the results, and I decided to do more to recognize our military veterans, and to create more public awareness of their sacrifices for us.

Special Session of the Superior Court - Northampton County - In February 2013, I presided over a panel of the Superior Court in the Lehigh Valley. I organized an opening program which was dedicated to our military veterans. I invited three veterans, one each from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, to address the audience. Most locally elected officials were also invited and attended. The morning program was extensively covered by the news media with very favorable reports. A video of this program is available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X7n0h8YHnk.

Special Session of the Superior Court - Luzerne County - In September 2013, I repeated this program at a special session of the Superior Court in Luzerne County. Two veterans who served in Vietnam, and a current naval officer stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, spoke to a large gathering of high school students and visitors. A video of this opening program is available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jdx8Gq-Vzo.

As a service to my community, and to address important issues in America, another program I organized was for Black Heritage Month, which so far includes two programs at Lafayette College, in 2012 and 2013. Working in cooperation with Lafayette College and the Easton Boys and Girls Club, both programs were very successful. Dr. John McKnight of Lafayette College, Dean Young, the Executive Director of the Easton Boys and Girls Club, and I worked well together to put these programs together.

In 2013, the program was about the book, Contempt of Court, by Mark Curriden and Leroy Phillips, Jr., which I first came across at the Pennsylvania appellate court conference.

I asked Mr. Curriden to speak at the program, which was held on February 5, 2013. Following his presentation, I organized a panel discussion with audience participation. The discussion was centered on civil rights protections and the role of the Federal Judiciary. I ended up being the moderator of the panel discussion.

In 2012, the program was Thurgood Marshall's Coming!, which was based on a Continuing Legal Education program in which I participated for the Minority Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

The program started with a showing of the filmed version of the full length play Thurgood Marshall's Coming! + followed by a panel discussion with audience participation. The play features T. Mychael Rambo as an older Thurgood Marshall, ruminating on, and relieving past trials and victories on behalf of the civil rights movement.

Jaciel Cordoba, the co-anchor of Chanel WFMZ News at Sunrise, moderated the panel discussion. An interview about the program which was on WFMZ is available for viewing on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBnsZTUV5BM.