Upcoming symposium aims to address injustice in Dayton, inspire change

Mid-February event downtown is sponsored by UD, Wright State, Sinclair and the Dayton Metro Library
On the first day of the Imagining Community Symposium last year, moderator Daria Graham and Sinclair Community College professors Furaha Henry-Jones, Amaha Sellassie and Faheem Curtis-Khidr discuss how to shape a more equitable Dayton. FILE PHOTO

Credit: Jordan Laird

Credit: Jordan Laird

On the first day of the Imagining Community Symposium last year, moderator Daria Graham and Sinclair Community College professors Furaha Henry-Jones, Amaha Sellassie and Faheem Curtis-Khidr discuss how to shape a more equitable Dayton. FILE PHOTO
Local News
By
Jan 20, 2023
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A three-day public symposium in February will address the history of injustice in the city of Dayton and how the city can move forward in a more just, equitable and inclusive manner.

The Imagining Community Symposium, sponsored by local universities and nonprofits, is a free event open to the public at multiple sites in and near downtown Dayton Feb. 16-18.

Leslie H. Picca, a sociology professor at University of Dayton and the Roesch Chair in the Social Sciences for the university, said the event is meant to help inspire change.

“The challenges we are facing in the Miami Valley are deep and systemic,” Picca said. “If we are going to solve disparities related to housing, education, health, and more, we can only do it together in community where all voices are heard. Our hope is that the symposium brings education, connection, and hope.”

Events will mainly take place downtown at The Hub in the Dayton Arcade, entrance at 35 W. Fourth St., and the main library, 215 E. Third St.

On Saturday, a community conversation will be held at the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, 1401 S. Main St., on housing justice, led by Lawrence Brown, an Afrofuturist and author of “The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race & Space in America.”

Brown is a keynote presenter for the event, along with University of Dayton professor Aaliyah Baker, and Tim Thomas, research director at the Urban Displacement Project.

Additional exhibits include:

  • The “Evicted” exhibit at Dayton Metro Library, inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” by Matthew Desmond.
  • Concurrent sessions from artists, community organizers, scholars, educators, faith leaders, local businesses and others working for positive change in Dayton.
  • A pre-symposium event, opening reception of the “Evicted” exhibit and “Right to Counsel” film, is scheduled for 6-8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13 at Dayton Metro Library. Registration is required.
  • A pre-symposium event, a viewing of the documentary “Lead Me Home,” is scheduled for 4-5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15 at The Neon. Registration is required.

The University of Dayton, Wright State University and Sinclair Community College are sponsors of the event, along with CultureWorks, The Hub at the Arcade and the Dayton Metro Libraries.

Advance registration is now open through the University of Dayton’s website. For more information, email imaginingcommunity@udayton.edu.

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About the Author

Eileen McClory is the education reporter for the Dayton Daily News. She grew up in the Dayton area and returned to cover her hometown.