Discussions on Human Relations to Begin Today
A weeklong series of discussions on human relations and community-based issues will begin today. Lee Wallach, executive director of the nonprofit community-based Days of Dialogue, said the discussions seek to foster a national discussion on race relations and to achieve a better understanding among communities through an exchange of ideas.
“It teaches people to listen, to understand, before worrying about being understood,” Wallach said.
Days of Dialogue was formed after the racially divided reactions to the O.J. Simpson verdict in 1995. The discussions are held every year on the week before Martin Luther King Day. This year’s theme is “Bridging the Racial Divide in the Last Year of the 20th Century.”
Led by up to 200 trained moderators, two-hour discussions will be held in churches, synagogues and community centers throughout the Los Angeles area, Wallach said.
Many of the dialogues are open to the public, and the first session will take place today at 10 a.m. at the African American Firefighters Museum located at 1401 S. Central Avenue in Los Angeles.
The dialogues will continue every day until Jan. 17. Information: (213) 473-2376.
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