[Archived] Shared Voices Town Hall Series to Hold Second Event: “Community, Race and Policing”

For Immediate Release: July 17, 2020

Shared Voices, an emergent collaboration of community members, government and nonprofit organizations, will host the second event in its town hall series, on "Community, Race and Policing.” The virtual town hall will take place online at zoom.us/j/94141682618 and facebook.com/ACTforAlexandria on Monday, July 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The goal of the town hall is to educate and engage Alexandrians in a dialogue about specific police reform ideas being discussed nationally and locally. Panelists will include Dr. Brian Williams, Associate Professor for Public Policy at University of Virginia; and Burke Brownfield, criminal justice author, community review board expert and former Alexandria police officer. The panel will be moderated by Chris Lewis, member of ACT for Alexandria’s Racial Equity Committee; and Matt Harris, chair of the Alexandria Human Rights Commission. 

Topics will include a historical perspective on policing and structural racism; definitions of commonly heard police reform concepts; and best practices in police community review boards. Moderators will take questions from the audience and share resources for more information.

The town hall is also an opportunity for the public to learn more about police community review boards in the context of direction from the Alexandria City Council that staff present a proposed ordinance at its September 8 meeting to establish such a board. The staff proposal will include a framework to establish the board and a process for public input before further action is taken.

The first town hall, “Facing Racism. Demanding Change.,” was held on June 2 to bring together City of Alexandria and community leaders following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. The Shared Voices Town Hall Series focuses on racial justice, racial trauma and healing. This is part of Alexandria’s commitment to acknowledging and dismantling the systematic and institutional racism that pervades all institutions, resulting in unequal outcomes for people of color in areas such as education, health, employment, transportation, housing, environment, income, wealth and the arts. 

For inquiries from the news media only, contact Craig Fifer, Director of Communications and Public Information, at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3965.