The Valentine’s free “Controversy/History” series explores present-day issues facing the Richmond community by pairing historic debates with modern data, encouraging important discussions that inspire action and promote progress.

The series kicks off on November 6 at 6 p.m., where we’ll be discussing the history of school segregation in Richmond.

Valentine Director Bill Martin and Coffee With Strangers RVA host Kelli S. Lemon will present a back-and-forth focused on Richmond’s history of segregation and massive resistance. Chris Duncombe, Senior Policy Analyst at the The Commonwealth Institute For Fiscal Analysis, with then present data on access and outcomes in Richmond schools today.

Virginia Commonwealth University Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Dr. Genevieve Siegel-Hawley will also share research on the impact of re-segregation in the 21st century. Finally, attendees will receive a list of concrete steps they can take to make a difference in their community.

Dialectix Founder Matthew Freeman will facilitate group discussion. We are excited to align our event topics with the The Capital Region Collaborative‘s priority areas and to continue our partnership with Richmond magazine.