At a town hall meeting held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College Tuesday afternoon, several congressional members and noted black figures held forth on education, health care and economic disparities in the African-American community.

Climenko Professor of Law Charles J. Ogletree moderated the panel, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.

“What you see here today are the people who are the heart and soul of Massachusetts,” Ogletree said to an audience of over 200.

Prominent trial attorney Willie Gary contended that blacks still faced a number of challenges.

“This road to freedom is always under construction, and we have to work on it everyday,” he said.

“Don’t let your head get too big for your hat size,” he said, urging the audience to “go out and make a difference.”

Motivational speaker Dr. Julia Hare, whose dynamic speaking style drew applause and laughter from the audience, advised people to actively seek change.

“If we need to get equality...I think we need to throw out the old agenda and get a new road map,” she said.

“The tragedy does not lie in not achieving your goals,” she said, “The tragedy lies in having no goals to achieve.”

She also chided comedian Bill Cosby’s recent criticism of some members of the black community.

Patricia A. Ford, among the most prominent black women in the labor movement, spoke briefly about health care, saying that education and access to health services were two means of addressing existing disparities.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux, an economist, commentator and author, said that “financial literacy and financial access” would bring the black community closer to economic empowerment.

“How do we have $180 billion for Iraq, but we don’t have enough money for higher education?” she asked. She also noted the economic disparities in income and wealth between blacks and whites.

Student Heru Setepenra Heq-m-Ta, who graduated as valedictorian from Roxbury Community College, stressed the importance of ensuring adequate representation, no matter the outcome of November’s presidential election.

Massachusetts State Representative Gloria Fox charged that not much had changed since the civil rights movement.