The City of Charlottesville has set up a website for the Dialogue on Race. Go to www.charlottesville.org/dialogue, to read about the background of the initiative, the method and its timeline.
The new website also includes a complete list of members of the steering committee with Councilor Holly Edwards and Cindy Stratton listed as co-chairs. Assistant City Manager Maurice Jones is the only city staff person on the committee.
At the fall retreat last year, City Council identified a set of priorities that needed to be discussed in 2009. Race relations was one of them. Jones was tasked with implementing ideas and create a successful method for the discussion.
Since then, the city has chosen the study-circle model and has recruited a facilitator, Gwendolyn Whiting. The kick-off event will be December 5, 2009.
