Residents can watch a video and view slides from the July 20 “Shared Voices Virtual Town Hall: Race, Community & Policing,” the second in a series of town hall discussions to promote sharing and understanding about how systemic racism impacts Alexandria.

The event, a collaborative effort between ACT for Alexandria and the City of Alexandria, drew more than 100 Alexandrians and featured diverse viewpoints and discussed solutions and action steps. Participants also shared perspectives on the City Council resolution regarding a community review board. 

The first event, “Facing Racism. Demanding Change.,” is also available online. The June 2 event featured a panel of civic leaders and provided an opportunity for residents to share their voices in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died at the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25.

The event recognized that while chronic stress can have negative effects on everyone, pervasive exposure to racism and discrimination create additional daily stressors for people of color. The impact of racism-related events, institutional and socio-political inequities, and daily exposure to racism through micro-aggressions is significantly associated with higher risk factors related to poorer mental and physical health, depression and substance misuse. 

Access resources related to coping with racism and trauma on individual, interpersonal/family, community and national/global levels at alexandriava.gov/DCHS.