COMMUNITY LEADERS MEET TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF DIVISION AND INCLUSION IN KANSAS CITY
Public dialog is the key to healthy community.
As the nation grapples with increasing scenarios of unrest and change affecting millions of Americans, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey (KCFAA) presents a symposium on “Race, Place, & Diversity” to address the deeper systemic issues behind the turmoil. The event will be from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Thursday, November 16, 2017, held at various locations in the 18th & Vine District.
Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey is committed to a five-year symposium project that focuses attention on fostering awareness of issues of diversity at the local, regional, national and international level. The candid discussion focuses on race, place, and diversity, and how each influences the current condition and future of Kansas City. Our featured speakers will share their contributions to American cultural arts and give important insights on their journey of life, struggle, and success.
Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. at the America Jazz Museum, 1616 E. 18th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108. There will be lunch followed by panel discussions between 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Admission is $60.
The Symposium will feature the following guests: Susan B. Wilson, Ph.D., vice chancellor, UMKC Division of Diversity and Inclusion; Gwendolyn Grant, president/CEO, Urban League of Greater Kansas City; Juan Rangel, director, Gateway to College, Donnelly College; Michael V. Toombs, founder/CEO, The Storytellers Inc., Artist Collective. The discussion is moderated by Michelle T. Johnson and Tyrone Aiken, KCFAA chief artistic officer.
Aiken says, “KCFAA’s Symposium on Race, Place and Diversity is designed to create points of intersection, and commonality while celebrating our uniqueness by bringing light to past transgressions through a series of workshops and discussions about how we got here in order to develop opportunities for greater understanding.“
An Evening Town Hall will run from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Gem Theater, 1615 E. 18th St, Kansas City, Missouri; free and open to the public.
The mission of Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey is making dance accessible to all people by presenting the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, teaching young people critical life skills through dance, and modeling interracial and multi-cultural community partnerships.
###
Contact: Pam Hausner, pam@kcfaa.org, Office: 816-471-6003, ext 4. Cell: 816-529-4929.