Part III: Access To Wealth | Challenging Perceptions

Why is there a racial wealth gap in our country?

Black and African American families have a far lower percentage of wealth than white families in America. Even as the percentage of Black and African American college graduates increase, this wealth gap still persists. During this discussion, we will explore how systemic and racist policies have affected wealth building in Black communities for generations and still affect the financial growth and stability of communities today.

Moderator

	The conversations are led by community leader Adrienne Cole Johnson, MSW a social entrepreneur committed to seeking and facilitating creative approaches to change. With leadership experiences with the U.S. House of Representatives, Peter Paul Development Center and most recently the Henrico County Schools, Adrienne has always viewed authentic engagement as paramount to social change.
Panelists
	Dr. Justene Hill-Edwards, Assistant Professor of History, University of Virginia
	Dr. Jared Ball, Professor of Communication Studies
	Matthew Freeman, Author, Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences
	Rasheeda N. Creighton, Co-Founder of The Jackson Ward Collective and Founder of Killing Superwoman
Artist
	Carren Clarke, Ceramic Art and Pottery

Attendees are asked to watch an episode of Boss: The Black Experience In Business before the discussion and bring reflections to engage in a thoughtful conversation.

In this VPM virtual discussion series, community experts and participants will explore:

Richmond's history of systemic racism and its impact on our current culture
Systemic racism's influence over systems, processes and procedures
Disparities in health, education, housing, policing and wealth building in Black communities are rooted in systemic racism
New ways to absorb information about unjust systems and encourage authentic conversations with your families and peer groups.

Continue the conversation on social media with #VPMtalk.

Zoom Discussion

Thursday, October 15 at 6 p.m.

Separate registration for each panel discussion is required. There is space for only 450 participants to provide an engaging experience. A link to the Zoom discussion is shared with participants two days before the event. Each discussion is edited to a one hour program for broadcast.