INDIANAPOLIS — On Thursday, July 2, RTV6 along with our partners at Radio One will air a virtual town hall called, "A Conversation on Race: Connecting Central Indiana."
The hour-long virtual town hall is a chance to have a necessary conversation about race, one that can often be uncomfortable and difficult.
Leaders we spoke with said we have to do better and this is a chance to allow everyone to be part of the change.
"Families are talking about being Black in America, what does that mean," Maggie A. Lewis said.
Lewis is the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis. She also has a teenage son.
"As a mother, I am always afraid something is going to happen to my child and so it's important I talk to him about the decisions and choices he is making," Lewis said.
Lewis and State Rep. Gregory Porter, D-Indianapolis, are two of the panelists that will discuss what African-American families call the talk during Thursday's town hall.
"The talk includes how to say, 'no, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, maam. No, maam.' To stay within your confines of being positive," Porter said. "You move slowly if you get stopped by the police. You tell them what you're going to do. You have dialogue. You speak with respect."
"I think it's so important that we are comfortable having difficult conversations with our youth, kids, children about what's happening in our community," Lewis said.
The conversation will also focus on how we got here, the history of racial injustice and where we are right now. Jessica Louise with Indy 10 Black Lives Matter, who was born and raised in Indianapolis, will be part of that conversation.
"Addressing racism or addressing systemic oppression and that those conversations can happen in our own homes, with our friends, with our families and ultimately with the organizations we serve and work with," Louise said.
Louise said she hopes the conversation opens up a platform for people all across the city to feel empowered to then have a conversation with other people in their lives.
The town hall will be Thursday, July 2, from 7 to 8 p.m. on RTV6 and on our digital platforms. It will also be simulcast on three Radio One stations.