The recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd due to police brutality and racism have ignited protests across the country. These incidents of continued bias and abuse expose the systemic racism that is built into many of our systems, resulting in calls to dismantle the structures that perpetuate racism and unjust policing. While local demonstrations have garnered national attention, now is the time for our community to come together to support our black friends and neighbors and invest in solutions to end police brutality and anti-black racism.

This conversation was about racial justice and the concrete ways we can take action to support the black community. Speakers included:

• Richard W. Collins Jr. and Dawn Collins, parents of 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III who was killed in an apparent hate crime three days before he was set to graduate from Bowie State University. The Collins family continues to serve as a vehicle for change to advocate for hate crime legislation in the state of Maryland.

• Dr. Rashawn Ray, Rubenstein Fellow at The Brookings Institution, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Ray’s research addresses the mechanisms that manufacture and maintain racial and social inequality with a particular focus on police-civilian relations and men’s treatment of women.

• Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, will moderate and share findings from our new VoicesDMV Community Insights survey of residents’ perceptions related to issues such as housing, safety, economic security, race relations, and community well-being.

*This virtual town hall series is part of The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV community listening and civic engagement initiative. The series will explore the most pressing challenges facing our region, and solutions for collectively building more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.