Black men and women are being invited to a forum tomorrow to talk about the state of the community.

The first forum of the Black Agenda 2003 will be held at St. Paul's Centennial Hall on Court Street at 7 p.m., and issues under debate will be young black men.

Panelists Dr. Ewart Brown, lawyer Julian Hall, senior's activist Claudette Fleming and Gavin Smith will speak, and members of the audience will be able to contribute.

And an overview will be given by Dr. Eva Hodgson and Eugenie Simmons.

Community activist George Scott said a group of residents, who had loosely called themselves The Grass Roots Alliance, had organised the event and were hoping to hold two further forums in the coming months.

But he said he also hoped that the group would become more formal after time.

Mr. Scott said: "Over the last two years, it has become increasingly clear that there are a number of significant challenges that are impacting - in most cases - negatively upon Bermuda's African Bermudian population.

"We envision Black Agenda 2003 as a vehicle by which we can begin to address these issues and others in the context of preparing ourselves and our community for the 21st century."

He said the forum would look at what had happened in the past, what was happening now, and how issues could be addressed for the future.