Washington, DC—The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) launched today a new website and free event series, “Summer of IDEAS.” NLIHC’s Summer of IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, and Systems-thinking) is a curated educational event series that aims to showcase and amplify stories on the social and economic issues facing marginalized communities in the U.S. The series pairs narrative and new media projects together with discussions on topics such as housing disparities, race and poverty, environmental racism, and voter suppression led by preeminent voices in these areas.
“We are proud to announce the launch of our Summer of IDEAS website and narrative event series as an important part of our work to dismantle the systems of oppression affecting BIPOC and other marginalized communities,” said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel. “Summer of IDEAS embodies our commitment to achieving racial equity and inclusion and overcoming systemic racism in housing.”
Part of an organization-wide initiative to advance racial equity and inclusion in policy analysis and advocacy, research, advocate-mobilization, internal operations, and external relationships, the Summer of IDEAS event series and website integrate narrative works, resources, advocate mobilization tools, and expert-led conversations.
The free event series will feature a virtual screening of the film Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, followed by a panel discussion with Khalil Gibran Muhammad and Jeffery Robinson, executive director of The Who We Are Project. A virtual screening of the film A Reckoning in Boston and a discussion with co-producer Kafi Dixon will take place in July. And in August, the event series will host a virtual discussion about the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City with Andrea Elliott (the book’s author), Chanel Sykes (an advocate and mother featured in the book), and James Perry (president and CEO of the Winston-Salem Urban League). The conversation will be moderated by Melissa Harris-Perry, who is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University.
“This series of conversations will help disrupt and eradicate systemic oppression,” said NLIHC Senior Vice President for Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Renee Willis. “Summer of IDEAS will support a shift in the national narrative to emphasize race and the intersectionality of health, education, economic mobility, housing, and racial justice.”
NLIHC is committed to achieving racial and housing justice and to ensuring that low-income renters and people with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability – especially people of color, people with disabilities, and others who are too often marginalized – are included in the development and implementation of NLIHC’s policy agenda.
The Summer of IDEAS website and event series schedule are available at: https://bit.ly/3navQLk
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About the National Low Income Housing Coalition
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated to achieving racially and socially equitable public policy that ensures people with the lowest incomes have quality homes that are accessible and affordable in the communities of their choice. NLIHC educates, organizes, and advocates to ensure decent, affordable housing for everyone. For more information about NLIHC, please visit www.nlihc.org.