The Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA) is sponsoring a town hall meeting (via Zoom technology) on Sept. 30 featuring six diverse local panelists from the Great Falls area who have been invited to share their experiences with attendees on the Webinar. The purpose of this town hall is to raise awareness among Great Falls residents and contribute to the current conversation on race relations.
The media has presented a number of stories about the experiences of people of color. George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis at the end of May sparked widespread protests in many cities and prompted a national discussion about race relations and social injustice in the United States. GFCA President Bill Canis said: “We believe that promoting a forum like this will make participants better informed citizens as it relates to these topics. For many, racial equality remains an elusive goal, as evidenced by the wave of demonstrations and social upheaval we are seeing on the news every day. We can do our part by placing a community focus on matters of racial disparity and disenfranchisement by conducting this forum for residents of our community to explore these issues and by attaching the local perspective.”
GFCA has invited five residents including a school principal and a pastor to lead a discussion centered on their experiences to stimulate a civil and informed discussion for the benefit of the Great Falls community. Like other recent town halls sponsored by GFCA on themes like the northern Virginia opioid crisis, addressing the needs of a growing senior population, and conducting an educational nature program for children, this town hall seeks to explore the subject of racial experiences as viewed through the lens of local residents of color.
The panel participants will be: Rev. Livingstone Dore (Pastor, Great Falls United Methodist Church), Kimberly Greer (Principal, Langley High School) and Great Falls residents Salima Singletary, Matt Truong, and Sujatha Hampton; the program will be moderated by Bill Canis, president of GFCA.
Residents who would like to attend may register for a ZOOM Invitation by going to the https://gfca.org/ home page and selecting Town Hall - Listen & Learn: Our Neighbors’ Voices on Racial Experiences which can be found on the Upcoming Events Calendar.