The anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot approaches. One of the ways that the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation commemorates that is by hosting its annual symposium, now in its third year.
This year’s theme is “The Politics of Reconciliation.”
The symposium will run May 30—June 1 at the Hyatt Regency downtown.
Two of the major events are free and open to the public. The first is a Town Hall panel.
Hannibal Johnson is chair of the National Advisory Committee for the symposium.
“(The Town Hall) will feature mayors reflecting on urban reconciliation efforts,” he said. “It will be moderated by Tulsa former Mayor Kathy Taylor.”
Tulsa’s first female mayor Susan Savage will be on the panel, joined by and Wellington Webb, the first African American mayor of Denver. That will be at 3:30 p.m. on May 31.
Then at 5:30, there will be a keynote address by Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi, reconciliation and grandson of Mohandis “Mahatma” Ghandi.
Johnson says he hopes people register for the other parts of the symposium, as well.
“If we’re fortunate, people will come to the symposium and become renewed and reinvigorated around the work that they are doing or would like to do in their communities around reconciliation issues,” he said.
He says that while several experts will present on scholarly research related to reconciliation, other presentations will focus on the practical aspects of making reconciliation a reality in a community.
To register or for more information, visit www.jhfcenter.org. You can sign up for the whole event, or for individual days.