The Hampton Roads Community Foundation in partnership with Virginia Humanities will sponsor a Public Conversation About Race with Dr. Beverly Tatum on Thursday, May 30 at 7 p.m., in Chesapeake as part of its Understanding Hampton Roads forum series.
Tatum, a psychologist and a former president of Spelman College, wrote Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Classroom? And other Conversations About Race in 1997 to help start a conversation in the United States about race. She updated her ground-breaking work in 2017 with new research.
As part of her presentation at the Chesapeake Conference Center, Tatum will facilitate a discussion about racial barriers that divide people in Hampton Roads. While there is no charge to attend, advance registration is required at https://beverlytatumhr.eventbrite.com or by calling 757-622-7951. Seating is limited.
The May 30 program will be the inaugural event in a new partnership between the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and Virginia Humanities. The new Beneath the Surface: Race and the History of Race in South Hampton Roads initiative focuses on Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. The goal is to deepen awareness of the role race plays in issues confronting the region and to lay groundwork for positive transformation.
A 24-member Advisory Committee is helping guide the project, which will include:
- The May 30 kickoff program with Tatum.
- Focused conversations led by Tatum with Hampton Roads educators, public officials and law enforcement personnel.
- Community workshops similar to events held in Richmond in 2016 (#UnmaskingRVA) and Charlottesville in 2018 (#UnmaskingCville) that will feature shared meals, film screenings, discussions and exercises that help participants recognize racial biases and the effects of racism in their own lives.
To Learn More about Beneath the Surface contact:
- Vivian Oden, vice president for special projects at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation at 757-622-7951 or voden@hamptonroadscf.org
- David Bearinger, director of grants and community programs at Virginia Humanities at 434-924-3296 or dab@virginia.edu
Hampton Roads Community Foundation is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia. Its mission is to make life better in Hampton Roads through leadership, philanthropy and civic engagement. Because of generous donors from all walks of life, since 1950 the community foundation has provided more than $282 million to improve life in the region. Understanding Hampton Roads is the community foundation’s effort to advance civic engagement in the region. Learn more at hamptonroadscf.org.
