Overcoming Richmond’s Racial Divide

**Overcoming Richmond’s Racial Divide: Standing Together to End Poverty**

On Tuesday, October 9, at 7 p.m. the Richmond Peace Education Center
(RPEC) will sponsor a public forum, “Overcoming Richmond’s Racial
Divide: Standing Together to End Pov

erty,” featuring presentations by
Thad Williamson, Duron Chavis, Sookyung Oh, and David Hicks.

The program will be held at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton
Avenue, in Richmond.

The panel will examine a variety of strategies for tackling
poverty and building a more economically and racially just community and
region. As part of the forum, Thad Williamson will present one of the first detailed previews
to date of the mayoral commission’s Anti-Poverty Report, which is scheduled for release later this month.
Other panelists will discuss state and national obstacles affecting Richmond
efforts to alleviate poverty and grassroots economic empowerment
efforts already underway in the community. There will be a short opportunity for an action meetup at the end of the evening.

The panel will feature:
* Dr. Thad Williamson, of the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of
Leadership Studies and a member of the Mayor’s Anti-poverty Commission;
* Duron Chavis, community activist and founder of Happily Natural Day
and the Richmond Noir Market;
* David Hicks, Senior Policy Advisor to Mayor Dwight Jones;
* Sookyung Oh, Policy Analyst from the Commonwealth Institute for
Fiscal Analysis.

Cathy Woodson of Virginia Organizing will serve as moderator. The
participation of Dr. Hicks, the mayor’s Senior Policy Advisor, will give
participants an opportunity to engage a key decision-maker who will be
involved in implementing anti-poverty policy in the city.

The evening will focus on the urgent need for a variety of community
mobilizations to advance a genuine anti-poverty agenda. The program will
include a question and answer period and an opportunity for interaction
among audience members. After the Q&A, participants who wish to do so
will gather in small interest groups with the panelists to discuss ideas
for taking further action.

“Overcoming Richmond’s Racial Divide: Standing Together to End
Poverty,” is sponsored by the Richmond Peace Education Center and hosted
by the Committee on Racial and Ethnic Unity of First
Unitarian/Universalist Church of Richmond. This forum is the latest
installment in the Richmond Peace Education Center’s ongoing Racial
Justice initiative.

What: Public forum: “Overcoming Richmond’s Racial Divide: Standing
Together to End Poverty”

Where: First Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton Ave., Richmond
VA 23221

When: Tuesday, October 9, 7 p.m.

Who: Free and open to the public

For more information: contact the Richmond Peace Education Center,
rpec@rpec.org or 232-1002

Facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/104973506324413/