World Conversations, Local Implications: City Sponsors Mayor’s Summit on Race, Culture & Human Relations
Dynamic Speakers and Free Public Evening Events
The City of Tallahassee will host the ninth Mayor’s Summit on Race, Culture and Human Relations on Monday and Tuesday, April 9-10, at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Special evening sessions will also be held both days that are open to the public and free of charge. The 2012 conference is designed to explore the status of relations among our diverse community through a series of thought-provoking presentations, workshops and opportunities for ongoing dialogue.
“At a time when the nation’s eyes are on the state of Florida in reference to recent events, we continue to strive to set the example of what it means to be a diverse culture in the 21st century,” Mayor John Marks said. “Through the Summit and other efforts, Tallahasseeans are constantly seeking to educate themselves and grow together as a community.”
Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. both Monday and Tuesday. The two-day fee is $60. A single day fee of $35 is also available. Highlighting each day of the conference are morning and luncheon plenary sessions. Throughout each day of the conference, series of concurrent workshops will be offered in the morning and afternoon.
Monday morning’s plenary speaker will be Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who will present “Cities United: A Conversation about the Deaths of African American Males.” Monday’s luncheon will feature Joe Gerstandt, whose presentation will help attendees understand the value of diversity, inclusion and authenticity. Gerstandt combines artful storytelling with the latest research and science to successfully illustrate the importance of diversity and inclusion.
A special community-wide evening session will take place Monday evening. Panelists Tomika Smith, Schica D’angelo, Dr. Rachel Pienta and Dr. Jay Reeve will come together for “Youth Summit – Focus on Teen Violence.” This event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Palmer Monroe Teen Center, located at 1900 Jackson Bluff Road.
The plenary session on Tuesday morning will feature Rick Caldwell, who will present “Cultural Competency…a Lifelong Journey.”
For Tuesday’s luncheon, there will be a panel discussion on the topic “Where are we now – a look at the progress made on the issues of civil rights, LGBT issues and the rights of the disabled”. Panelists include Dale Landry, President, Tallahassee Branch of the NAACP; Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people; and Judith Barrett, Executive Director of Ability 1st., a non-profit, community based agency that provides service to persons with disabilities in the Tallahassee area.
Tuesday evening, panelists Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Kelly Otte and Kimolyn Ferrell will lead a discussion on “Re-envisioning the Future of Women and Girls.” This event begins at 6 p.m. at Tallahassee Community College’s Center for Economic Development, building 38.
The Summit is coordinated by the City’s Equity and Workforce Development Department, with sponsors from a variety of local businesses and organizations. General information on the Summit may be found on Talgov.com or by calling the Equity and Workforce Development Department at 891-8290.
CONTACT
Angela Hendrieth, Equity and Workforce Development, 891-8290; or Alison Faris, Communications Department, 891-8533
