Creating Community : Networking group connects Black people in Wichita

The Gathering, led by a group 10 people, hosts events every other month for selected Black business professionals to come together and enjoy community and networking. They aren't public events - people are invited by the Gathering's team.

​

The Gathering's leaders are Darryl Kelly, Junetta Everett, Corinthian Kelly, Jacqueline Kelly, Carla Eckels, John Rolfe, Kaye Monk-Morgan, Derek Morgan, Taishma Council, and Samuel Eckels. While the events are invite-only, those who are interested in attending one can reach out to any of the members. 

​

While The Gathering events are free of charge, there is something that attendees are asked to do. "The ask is to duplicate and replicate this behavior going forward," Kelly said. Their homework assignment is to reach out to the people that they met that evening and go have a coffee, go have breakfast with them, go have dinner with them — connect on a different level than they did when walking past someone in the hallway at work and not speaking to them or just saying hi and just keep moving."

 

Instead of competition, Kelly said he wants to see community.