Experts from the banking, housing, and healthcare sectors will explore the topics including politics of funding neighborhoods and whether ethnicity or the size of a paycheck determines where someone can live in the metro area. They will also discuss health issues and the pursuit of health insurance coverage.

The panelists:

• Panel Moderator, Carolyn Love: the principal of Kebaya Coaching-Consulting, Inc. a leadership coaching, training, and organization development company;

• Abby L. Ferber: Director of the Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program, Associate Director of the Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion, and Profession of Sociology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Ferber is the author if numerous books on gender, race and white supremacy;

• Darius Lee Smith: serves as the director of the Denver Anti-discrimination Office where he facilitates resolution of civil rights discrimination complaints by utilizing the indigenous form of “peacemaking” to resolve conflict/disputes through common sense principals and encouragement of ethical settlements. He also was the official mayoral liaison to the American Indian Community for nearly seven years and is now staff support to the Denver American Indian Commission.

• Kevin E. Marchman: is a founding member, Board Chairman and Interim Executive Director of the National Organization of African Americans in Housing (NOAAH). NOAAH was formed 17 years ago to highlight and promote contributions of African Americans and other persons of color in the formation of public policy in the area of affordable housing.

The panel will explore race and the wealth gap as well as the affect of discrimination on health status. “Race, as we understand it as a social construct, has a lot to do with where somebody will live, what schools they will go to, what jobs they will get, and whether or not they will have health insurance,” says donnie l. betts, education liaison for History Colorado and curator of the FWD series. “Health status is very complex, involving social, economic, political and historical factors as well as biology. So race does play a very important role in our lives.”

History Colorado’s RACE exhibit provides a context for understanding diversity from a scientific, cultural and historic perspective. By serving as a hub for thought-provoking discussions about our past, History Colorado helps Coloradans understand better how to shape the state’s future. This includes raising awareness of how unconscious bias and stereotypes limit opportunities for people.

“Racism persists precisely because people will not talk about it,” says Ed Nichols, CEO of History Colorado. “We are all impacted as human beings by this issue. With the changing demographics in Colorado and the changing attitudes toward identity in our country, we saw the opportunity through this exhibit and our programs, to bring the topic of race into a conversational mode – not to highlight strife but to open and enhance communication among Colorado citizens about who we are.

Admission to the Economics and Health of Race FWD discussion is $4 for members and students; $5 for non-members.

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History Colorado's mission is to inspire generations to find wonder and meaning in our past and to engage in creating a better Colorado. We serve as the state's memory, preserving the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through our museums, educational programs, historic preservation grants, research library, collections, and outreach to Colorado communities. Find History Colorado on all major social media platforms. Visit HistoryColorado.org or call (303) HISTORY for more information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Deborah Radman
deborah.radman@state.co.us
303-866-3670 (direct)