[Archived] National League Of Cities Honors Alexandria's Call To Community Program For Outstanding Community-Building


News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Friday, December 3, 1999
Contact:	Angelita Plemmer, City Manager's Office, (703) 838-4300

National League Of Cities Honors Alexandria's Call To Community Program For Outstanding Community-Building

The National League of Cities (NLC) awarded the City of Alexandria its top honor today during a special ceremony held in Los Angeles, California for the Call to Community Program, an initiative that addresses inter-cultural conflict and race relations.

The City of Alexandria was one of six communities nationwide to be recognized with a 1999 Innovation Award for outstanding community-building projects.

Initiated by Vice Mayor William Euille and Council Member Lonnie Rich, the Call to Community Program started last year to promote racial harmony and cultural understanding by encouraging dialogue on diversity issues, identifying and addressing problems and concerns of residents, facilitating the planning and development of ongoing community-building events and serving as a model for other organizations to conduct their own race relations and civic involvement events.

Last month, Alexandria City Council and the Alexandria City School Board sponsored the City's first Student Forum on Race and Culture, with more than 500 student representatives from local public and private middle and high schools participating in the event.

Receiving the award on behalf of the City were Vice Mayor Euille, Council Member Lois Walker and Elbert Ransom Jr., Special Assistant to the City Manager for the Department of Human Relations.

As NLC's 76th annual meeting, the four-day gathering brought more than 4,000 municipal leaders together to consider ways to strengthen their communities in a global marketplace of information and electronic commerce. During the conference, participants attended workshops that addressed how local government leaders are initiating dialogues, shaping decisions, putting together resources and finding solutions to ensure a better future for cities throughout the country.

The conference also featured a forum on electronic commerce and its implications for consumers, businesses and municipal governments.

NLC President Clarence Anthony, mayor of South Bay, Fla. delivered the keynote address on the vital role of local leaders in building a sense of community in America's cities and towns. In addition, Kweisi Mfume, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), also called on local officials to address the persistent problem of racism in their communities.