Having access to a good job is key to thriving in the Greater Washington region, but we know that the region’s overall economic growth is not experienced equitably. In our recent VoicesDMV Community Insights survey, more than 1 in 6 of our Black and African American neighbors rated the availability of good jobs in the area where they live as poor.

Small businesses are a key economic driver in Prince George’s County; ninety-five percent of businesses in the county are small businesses. Unfortunately, 50 percent of jobs created in Prince George’s County over the past five years were lost in the first two weeks of COVID-19.

This session featured thought leaders from three different sectors to explore how small business and entrepreneurship can be tools for addressing unemployment and ensuring economic equity.

Speakers included:

• June Evans, Director, Innovation Hub

• Anna Bard, Community Relations Manager – MD, DC & VA, Wells Fargo

• April Richardson, Owner, Food Opportunity LLC

• Moderator: Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

This event is part of The Community Foundation’s Social Justice Town Hall series. The series will provide a forum for the community to learn more about the issues impacting our region and to start developing solutions to rebuild more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.

The series will culminate in an opportunity for our entire region to come together for On the Table Conversations to consider how these issues impact our families and communities. The Community Foundation will then fund Community Action Awards to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action–committing at least $100,000 for community organizing, action, and social justice projects that can be implemented individually or collectively.

COVID-19 has exacerbated food insecurity across our region, with some areas experiencing a 60% increase in the number of people facing food shortages. This was already a major challenge before the pandemic. Our recent VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that nearly 1 in 10 Black residents in our region rated food availability where they live as poor.

How do we address the food needs of families now and in the future?

This conversation with local leaders illuminated the challenges facing our food security system, and share insights about what’s needed to build a safe, equitable food system – one where everyone gets the nourishment they need to thrive.  

Speakers included:

• Hon. Will Jawando, Montgomery County Councilmember

• Radha Muthiah, President and CEO, Capital Area Food Bank

• Christopher Bradshaw, Executive Director, Dreaming Out Loud, Inc.

• Dr. Tollie B. Elliott, Chief Medical Officer, Mary's Center

• Moderator: Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

This event is part of The Community Foundation’s Social Justice Town Hall series. The series will provide a forum for the community to learn more about the issues impacting our region and to start developing solutions to rebuild more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.

COVID-19 has upended the economy, with unemployment spiking to levels not seen since the Great Depression. A recent study by the Human Rights Coalition confirms that the economic fallout of the pandemic is hitting members of the LGBTQ+ community especially hard, with LGBTQ+ workers 30% more likely to have lost their jobs since May.

Our recent VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that LGBTQ+ people are also more likely to have experienced discrimination during their job searches.

How can we work to ensure the LGBTQ+ community is able to live and thrive in our region during—and after—the pandemic? This event brought together local leaders to discuss these questions, share lessons learned about addressing COVID-19’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community, and to identify opportunities to support LGBTQ+ workers to achieve economic equity.

Speakers included:

• Sultan Shakir, Executive Director, SMYAL

• Laura Durso, Chief Learning Officer, Whitman-Walker Institute

• Robert Burns, Senior Vice President & Greater Washington & Boston Market Manager – Community Investing & Development, Citi

• Benton Murphy, Associate Vice President, Community Investment, Greater Washington Community Foundation

• Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

This event is part of The Community Foundation’s Social Justice Town Hall series. The series will provide a forum for the community to learn more about the issues impacting our region and to start developing solutions to rebuild more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.

The series will culminate in an opportunity for our entire region to come together for On the Table Conversations to consider how these issues impact our families and communities. The Community Foundation will then fund Community Action Awards to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action–committing at least $100,000 for community organizing, action, and social justice projects that can be implemented individually or collectively.

It's back-to-school time and there are still many uncertainties in the minds of families about their children's educational futures. What we do know, though, is that ensuring children receive a quality education is a top priority for our community.

Our recent VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that 85% of residents of the Greater Washington region believe that local government should prioritize ALL children receiving a quality education.

How can we ensure our community’s children and youth are receiving quality education in this new, virtual environment? This event brings together local leaders to discuss these questions and share lessons learned about addressing learning loss, the digital divide, and family/community support. 

Speakers include:

• Misty Allen, Vice President, Comcast, Government & Community Affairs, Beltway Region at Comcast

• Everett Davis, Director, Student, Family and School Services in the Office of Student and Family Support and Engagement at Montgomery County Public Schools 

• Craig Rice, Council Member, Chair of the Education Committee in Montgomery County 

• Sulema Middleton Stewart, VP of Community Life Programs, Montgomery Housing Partnerships

• Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation

The current health and economic crisis has exacerbated the housing crisis and elevated the importance of housing – for our health, education, and workforce. 

Our VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that, even before COVID-19, 17% of Black households in our region were worried about paying rent or mortgage - compared to fewer than 3% of white households. Now, we know that over 70,000 renters in DC reported missing July rent or mortgage payment or have slight or no confidence that their household can pay next month’s rent or mortgage on time. A recent study also estimated that we could see a 40-45% increase in homelessness this year in the U.S.

How can we use this time to push for racial and housing justice? This event brings together local advocates and national experts to discuss what housing justice looks like and how we can all be a part of creating a more just and equitable region and nation.

Speakers:

• Parisa Norouzi, Executive Director, Empower DC

• Susan K. Thomas, President, The Melville Charitable Trust 

• Robert Warren, Founder, People for Fairness Coalition

• Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation

This event is part of The Community Foundation’s Social Justice Town Hall series. The series will provide a forum for the community to learn more about the issues impacting our region and to start developing solutions to rebuild more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.

The series will culminate in an opportunity for our entire region to come together for On the Table Conversations to consider how these issues impact our families and communities. The Community Foundation will then fund Community Action Awards to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action–committing at least $100,000 for community organizing, action, and social justice projects that can be implemented individually or collectively.

Our VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that 1 in 10 Black residents felt discriminated against in interactions with the police over the past year, compared with less than 1 in 100 white residents.

These stark findings - especially within the context of current events - remind us that racial disparities permeate our country's criminal justice system. In this VoicesDMV Social Justice Town Hall, we discussed police reform, restorative justice, and how you can be part of affecting change. We convened with local stakeholders pushing for reform - to explore the intersection of violence and incarceration in our region.

Speakers include:

• Seema Gajwani, Chief of the Restorative Justice Section, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia

• Candice Jones, President & CEO of Public Welfare Foundation

• Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA

• Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of The Community Foundation

The Community Foundation launched a Social Justice Town Hall series on Friday, June 19. This series will provide a forum for the community to learn more about the issues impacting our region and to start developing solutions to rebuild more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.

The series will culminate in an opportunity for our entire region to come together for On the Table Conversations to consider how these issues impact our families and communities. The Community Foundation will then fund Community Action Awards to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action–committing at least $100,000 for community organizing, action, and social justice projects that can be implemented individually or collectively.

The recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd due to police brutality and racism have ignited protests across the country. These incidents of continued bias and abuse expose the systemic racism that is built into many of our systems, resulting in calls to dismantle the structures that perpetuate racism and unjust policing. While local demonstrations have garnered national attention, now is the time for our community to come together to support our black friends and neighbors and invest in solutions to end police brutality and anti-black racism.

This conversation was about racial justice and the concrete ways we can take action to support the black community. Speakers included:

• Richard W. Collins Jr. and Dawn Collins, parents of 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III who was killed in an apparent hate crime three days before he was set to graduate from Bowie State University. The Collins family continues to serve as a vehicle for change to advocate for hate crime legislation in the state of Maryland.

• Dr. Rashawn Ray, Rubenstein Fellow at The Brookings Institution, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Ray’s research addresses the mechanisms that manufacture and maintain racial and social inequality with a particular focus on police-civilian relations and men’s treatment of women.

• Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, will moderate and share findings from our new VoicesDMV Community Insights survey of residents’ perceptions related to issues such as housing, safety, economic security, race relations, and community well-being.

*This virtual town hall series is part of The Community Foundation’s VoicesDMV community listening and civic engagement initiative. The series will explore the most pressing challenges facing our region, and solutions for collectively building more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.