In addition to creative cultural, entrepreneurial and technical initiatives going on in our capitol city, we are excited about an emphasis being placed on building a community that values diversity and commits to inclusion. Two upcoming events are cause for hope after the difficult (and embarrassing) events around the Megan Williams incident.

First, Communities United Against Hate is holding a community forum at the Marriott Hotel on Tuesday, August 5, at 6pm featuring Tom “TJ” Heydon, a former neo-Nazi white supremacist who now works to make people aware of what creates a culture of hate and counteract it. It promises to be both a stimulating and insightful learning experiencing and an opportunity to “talk back” with ideas of how the Charleston community can build inclusiveness and address issues of intolerance. The event is sponsored by the YWCA of Charleston, the WV Hate Crime Task Force, Covenant House and other key organizations.

Second, several organizations in Charleston, including the Charleston Area Alliance, Jackson Kelly PLLC, Kanawha County and the City of Charleston, are sponsoring the Diversity Leadership Academy held by the American Institute for Managing Diversity. The AIMD is one of the nation’s first and leading think tanks dedicated to the advancement of diversity management.

The Charleston DLA group convened for the first time Thursday, July 31, and brought together several key leaders in non-profit, education, government, religion and business. The DLA is a series of five intensive full-day training sessions held over five months that builds the skills of those in the best position to influence real progress in local institutions and the community. The group will be asked to develop a handful of “capstone” projects that lead to real long-term change in the community.

Congratulations to Charleston and the Kanawha Valley region for addressing issues that have caused great concern locally and nationally. We look forward to seeing the impact of these two great efforts.