The city’s dialogue on race has an official price tag. According to the Daily Progress, Gwendolyn Whiting, of G. Whiting & Associates, of Chester has won the bid for $30,000.
Whiting’s bid was the lowest of the three finalists the city interviewed for the job.
Some of the firm’s past and present clients include: Pew Partnership for Civic Change; Foundation for Mid-South; Episcopal Diocese of Virginia; AARP; White House Task Force on Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia; U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Department on Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service.
At the fall retreat last September, City Council identified priorities that needed to be discussed in 2009. Included was the plan to address race relations in the community and “promoting diversity within City government.”
Assistant City Manager Maurice Jones was appointed to develop a concrete and detailed plan for a citywide, sustainable dialogue on race and racism. Jones, as tasked, recommended a series of “study circles,” groups of up to 15 residents from different backgrounds that meet to discuss concrete ways to help their own community solve racial problems and, most importantly, create plans of action.
The kick-off event is scheduled for early December.