Don Cowles represented Hope in the Cities at a forum sponsored by WYES public television station in New Orleans, November 17. WYES serves as coordinator of The One Community Initiative, a local media project concerning race relations and diversity in the New Orleans area.

Class Picture CCTP 2009 (Photo: Cricket White)
Where did sixteen people from Richmond, VA, one from France, one from Guatemala and one from Latvia come together? Four were in their twenties or thirties; five were in their forties; thirteen were in their fifties or sixties. There were nine Caucasians, ten African Americans, and representatives of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, as well as those with no religious affiliation.

Can’t guess? It was the Connecting Communities Trustbuilding Program!

Obama’s epic presidential campaign climaxed with a rally of 85,000 in Virginia. It was remarkable and fitting that his journey to the White House concluded in the state which led the way in institutionalizing slavery, fought a civil war to preserve it, and promoted Massive Resistance to school integration after one hundred years of Jim Crow segregation.

It feels like we are on an emotional roller coaster these days. Wild swings of the market and a tense political campaign can easily allow us to be controlled by fear, blame and anger or swayed by false hopes and promises that appeal to our self-interest.

David Campt, the nationally recognized dialogue consultant, facilitated a forum on Building Trust for Regional Cooperation in Richmond on September 24.

Hope in the Cities partnered with the American Civil War Center (ACWC) at Historic Tredegar Ironworks and Hermitage High School (Richmond, Va.) to facilitate dialogue among students and support their exploration of how the Civil War and its effects continue to influence their lives.