Elected officials, along with community members, held the Strengthening Connection Through Conversation forum Saturday at Broadmoor United Methodist Church.
It’s part of an ongoing effort to unite the community through healthy conversations about race and social justice. Reverend Dr. F. Willis Johnson, from Ferguson, Missouri, engaged in a round-table discussion, along with Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie.
“We were honored to be able to share, not only some of our story, but some of the strategy that has led to us trying to build and rebuild relationships and processes and systems in communities challenged by trauma,” said Rev. Johnson.
“I think, the most important part were the table discussions that we had to openly talk about our experiences, to openly share our questions, black people and white people, folks who’ve been in the community for just a few years, like myself, or who have been here for decades or more. I think that was a great way to open up our ears to begin to hear the conversations that’s out there that maybe we just weren’t listening to in the past,” said Pastor David Chisham of Wellspring Church.
Mayor-President Broome said there will be more discussions, like the one held Saturday, to help improve race relations in the baton rouge community.