Council on Foundations and National League of Cities convened the first of three conversations on racial equity. With support from the Lumina Foundation, philanthropic and government leaders came together in DC to raise awareness about the social impact of structural racism while highlighting current efforts to dissolve and resolve racial conflict and disparity. Elected and appointed city, county, and state officials joined philanthropists in a panel discussion to identify how philanthropy and government can take actions that confront and dismantle structural racism.
Schedule
- 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. — Networking Breakfast
- 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. — Racial Equity Forum
- 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. — Q&A
Speakers
Tamara Copeland
President and CEO, Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers
As WRAG President, Tamara is the organization’s major thought leader, helping to envision and implement work that meets the needs of the sector and of the region. She came to WRAG with extensive experience in nonprofit management, policy and children’s issues having led Voices for America’s Children, the National Health & Education Consortium, and the Infant Mortality Initiative of Southern Governors’ Association and Southern Legislative Conference as well as having been Congressman Bobby Scott’s (D-VA) Legislative Director. In 2017, Tamara was appointed as the Visiting Nielsen Fellow at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy to explore the role of philanthropy in addressing racial equity in the DC region and co-teach a graduate seminar on philanthropy and racial justice.
Candice Jones
President and CEO, Public Welfare Foundation
Candice is the President and CEO of the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, DC. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization that focuses on gun violence in Chicago. In that role, she worked on securing greater investments for violence intervention programs as an alternative to the criminal justice system. Prior to her work with Chicago CRED, she served as Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, a cabinet level state agency where she supervised operations, programming, budget matters, and communications. During her tenure, she pushed significant reforms that reduced the number of youth in state custody. Candice received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
David Grosso
Chairperson, Committee on Education, Council of the District of Columbia
David Grosso is chairperson of the Committee on Education of the Council of the District of Columbia. David was first elected to the D.C. Council as an at-large member in November 2012 to represent residents in all eight wards. During his first term in office, David focused on many issues with one main goal always at the forefront of his mind: making D.C. a better city. Central to that goal is education. In addition to his focus on education, David is committed to addressing inequities within the criminal justice system, improving health outcomes throughout the city, promoting transparency and open government, strengthening the creative economy, and further engaging residents in the political process. In addition to Education, David serves on the Council's Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Committee on Health, and Committee on Human Services.
Kenyan R. McDuffle
Councilmember, Council of the District of Columbia
Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie is a native Washingtonian and former civil rights lawyer who has represented Ward 5 on the D.C. Council since 2012. In his six years on the Council, Kenyan has established himself as a skilled legislator and coalition builder, including having been elected by his colleagues to serve as Chairman Pro Tempore since 2013. As a testament to his diligent work and preparation, more often than not the legislation Kenyan champions passes the Council unanimously. As of January 2017, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie serves as the Chairperson of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, overseeing the District’s economic development ag encies. Previously, Kenyan served as Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and oversaw sweeping updates to the District's criminal justice law. In addition, Kenyan championed "Ban the Box" legislation that bans the use of criminal background checks in housing as well as passing legislation to end the unfair use of credit history in hiring. Kenyan also passed the innovative Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act (NEAR Act) which reforms the District’s criminal justice system to a public-health approach toward violence prevention.
This event is made possible thanks to our co-host, National League of Cities, and our sponsor, Lumina Foundation.
