Theme: "Bridging the Gap to Build a Beloved Community"
Three workshops will be presented from 1 to 2 PM by Honorable Andy Dinniman, the Chester County Community Foundation, and Voices Underground who will engage participants in discussions about the political, racial, and socioeconomic divides that hinder us from living in a Beloved Community where people of all races, all faiths, and all backgrounds come together to make peace, justice, and equity a reality in our community. Everyone will come together from 2 to 3 PM with the keynote speaker, Mr. Oliver Franklin, who will screen his new film, “Slavery in the Age of Revolution” informing of the importance of the transatlantic slave trade and its lasting impact on society. He will welcome dialogue with participants.
Workshops (1 to 2 pm)
Workshop A: Andy Dinniman, former Senator of Pennsylvania's 19th District, Chester County Commissioner, School Board Member, and a professor at West Chester University, will discuss the current political and racial divide and opportunities to create a just and equitable Beloved Community.
Workshop B: The Chester County Community Foundation has long connected people and philanthropy with causes that address the needs of the community. The staff will discuss their current work in diversity, equity and inclusion in grantmaking, programs, and initiatives that are bridging the racial and socioeconomic divide toward building a Beloved Community.
Workshop C: The vision of Voices Underground is "the healing of the American racial imagination through exposure to the truth of American racial history." The presenters will share how the organization's mission, programs and current project to establish a national Underground Railroad Memorial in our region helps to bridge the racial divide toward a Beloved Community.