Nationally known organization to conduct community wealth building workshop at race and poverty conference in Lynchburg

On Saturday, October 24, at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA, community leaders, students, advocates, nonprofit agencies, community groups and interested individuals will convene for the 3rd Annual Race, Poverty & Social Justice Conference sponsored by Many Voices, One Community (MVOC).

The one-day conference begins at 9 a.m. in Drysdale Student Center at Lynchburg College.

Conference organizes are excited to have a  number of local and nationally known organizations presenting at this year’s conference including the Democracy Collaborative. The Democracy Collaborative, a national leader in equitable and sustainable development, will share how community wealth building initiatives across the country are improving the ability of communities and individuals to increase asset ownership, anchor jobs locally, expand the provision of public services, and ensure local economic stability. The workshop will focus on successful case-studies from the following strategies and models: community land trusts, employee-ownership, worker-cooperatives, municipal enterprise, and anchor institution linked development.

Conference luncheon keynote speaker will be Daryl Michael Scott, current Professor of History and former chair of the Department of History at Howard University in Washington,D.C. His scholarly work has focused on American history since the Civil War with a specialization on African Americans, Southerners (whites in the American South), race relations and intellectual history.  Dr. Scott is also the current president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Founded by Carter G. Woodson in 1915, ASALH is the oldest black scholarly and intellectual society in the world.  Past presidents of ASALH have included Mary McLeod Bethune, Andrew Brimmer, Samuel Dubois Cook, Sr., John Hope and Charles Wesley. Dr. Scott has authored numerous articles in scholarly publications on social policy and the origins of multi-culturalism.

A list of other dynamic workshops to be offered during the conference:

It happened at the Table: The Transformation of Two Racists
Rusty Vaughn, Lynda Davis & Jane Carrigan, Coming to the Table

Creating Healthy Villages as a Form of Vital Action
Angela M. Shuttlesworth, MSW, PhD, Healthy Villages

(Up)Rise and Grind: Grassroots Insights from the Baltimore Uprising
Lawrence Grandpre, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle

Community Wealth Building: What is it and Why is it Important?
Jessica Bonanno, The Democracy Collaborative

American Art and Social Justice, Focus on Women
Laura Mitchell, Artist

The Vision Quest Tradition and Inter-Generational Movements for Racial Justice
Gabe Santos, PhD, Lynchburg College

United for Homes: Connecting Local Needs with a National Movement for Affordable Housing
Dan Emmanuel, National Low Income Housing Coalition

Social Justice Theatre
Jennifer Petticolas, JLP Productions, LLC

Walk the Walk: On Being An Authentic White Ally
Bev Collier, Jennifer Crumby, Don Johnson and Latesha Thornhill

Black Lives Matter, More than a Slogan, moderated panel

Restoration of Rights
Lashawnda Singleton, Communications Manager, Secretary of the Commonwealth

Hunger and poverty in Lynchburg: an analysis of income distribution, race, employment, education, and gender.
Dr. John Abell, PhD, Professor of Economics at Randolph College in Lynchburg

Learn more about the conference at www.manyvoicesonecommunity.com or follow us on Facebook.

image

rpsj social justice racial equality conferenc Lynchburg

Jay Smooth: Why Race Conversations are like Crappy Auto-tune Songs

“In this installment of the Illipsis, Jay Smooth argues that our racial discourse has become just as shallow and predictable as the latest cookie cutter pop songs on the radio, lamenting the endless cycle of gaffe, backlash and defensiveness that dominates media coverage of racism, and wonders how the “purists and connoisseurs” of racial justice can dig deeper for the vital conversations that don’t get as much airplay. “

 

race conversation racism jay smooth lynchburg

City Community Development Advisory Committee Invites Public to Comment on Housing and Non-Housing Needs

image

City of Lynchburg Community Development Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. at the Miller Center located at 301 Grove Street, Room 304 to accept public comments prior to preparation of the City’s 2015-2020 Consolidated Plan.

The Consolidated Plan is a planning document required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Consolidated Plan requirements are designed to help states and local jurisdictions assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions. The consolidated planning process serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities and priorities for utilizing HUD funding.  The City receives Community Development Block Grant  and HOME funding according to a federal formula annually due to its size, demographics and housing characteristics.

Specifically, the public is invited to comment on the housing and non-housing community development needs common to low and moderate income persons and individuals with mental illness, intellectual and physical disabilities, substance abuse or addiction, persons with HIV-Aids, persons that are homeless, and elderly persons.

Individuals are asked to suggest priorities among these needs, as well as reasonable goals and objectives for addressing priority needs over the next five years given funding of approximately $950,000 per year in federal community development and housing assistance. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate non-English speaking persons who wish to speak. Likewise, the City will make reasonable efforts to accommodate persons with disabilities. Persons needing special accommodations or translators should make their request to Grants Administration Office (434-455-3913) in the Department of Community Development no later than January 27, 2015 so that arrangements can be made.

A copy of the proposed goals is posted on the City’s web site atwww.lynchburgva.gov/grants and available from the Grants Administration Office, City Hall, 900 Church Street, Lynchburg, VA 24504. Written comments may be submitted through February 3, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. at the Grants Administration Office or via e-mail to starlette.early@lynchburgva.gov.

A copy of the proposed goals are included in this article for your review. 

image

lynchburg housing meeting


Indy Theme by Safe As Milk