The city of East Lansing is resuming an in-person discussion series on issues of inclusion and diversity.
Coffee shops around East Lansing will host the forums to discuss subjects related to race and racism.
The theme of the first talk will be “Reparations: What It Is and What It Is Not.”
Elaine Hardy is the city’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She says members of the East Lansing Human Rights Commission choose the topic. “There were commissioners on the Human Rights Commission who really wanted to explore this topic more fully," Hardy explains, "and really to help educate the community about what reparations are.”
"Having conversations about repairing wrongs or harms that have been done to communities was something that was important to them, their mandate being to educate the community," Hardy adds. "That was really one of the things that they were hopeful to do with the conversation about reparations."
The first of the monthly forums will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Blue Owl Coffee in downtown East Lansing. Upcoming topics have not yet been announced.
