EAST LANSING, Mich. — The East Lansing Human Relations Commission (HRC) is excited to announce a new Coffee & Conversation series aimed at providing a monthly forum for community discussions on topics of diversity and inclusion.
In response to feedback from community members at previous organized events, the HRC will be hosting monthly informal conversations around a single-topic issue at rotating East Lansing locations. Topics will be related to human rights issues, such as protected classes, religion, the LGBTQIA+ community, race, disabilities and accessibility, veterans, immigration, incarceration and more. The conversations will be hosted by rotating members of the HRC.
“It is vital that, as a community, we provide this forum in order to have tough conversations about topics that affect all members of our City,” said East Lansing City Councilmember Aaron Stephens, who serves as the HRC’s Council Liaison. “Through this monthly series, community members will be able to learn, discuss and grow from one another in an informal and welcoming setting. We invite the greater East Lansing community to attend and look forward to engaging and thoughtful dialogue on a variety of issues and topics.”
The first session of the Coffee & Conversation series, “What is a Protected Class?,” will take place on Sunday, July 21 from 1-3 p.m. at downtown East Lansing’s Blue Owl Coffee, 213 Ann St., Ste. C.
The second session will be a “Religion Edition,” which will take place on Sunday, Aug. 18 from 1-3 p.m. at the Espresso Royale at 1500 W. Lake Lansing Road. The conversation will include discussion on racial discrimination, including hate crimes.
Additional sessions will be announced on the City’s website calendar, www.cityofeastlansing.com, and social media: https://www.facebook.com/cityofeastlansing and https://twitter.com/CityofEL.