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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Wednesday, September 9

https://www.splcenter.org/about/staff/eric-k-ward

First hour: Addressing hate violence with civil rights expert Eric Ward

Second hour: Members of Rochester City Council discuss the Prude case and recent events in Rochester

Nationally renowned civil rights expert Eric Ward has spent years studying hate violence and its relationship to preserving democratic institutions. His work examines white nationalism, anti-Semitism, and police-community relations. Ward will be the keynote speaker for Jewish Federation's upcoming Summit to End Hate. This hour, we preview that event and talk with Ward and his fellow panelists about the recent events in Rochester and how communities can work to eliminate structural inequality. Our guests:

  • Eric Ward, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, and executive director of the Western States Center
  • Kevin Beckford, director of staff diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Rochester, and co-chair of the steering committee for the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester's Levine Center to End Hate
  • Taj Smith, director of diversity education at RIT, and member of the steering committee for the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester's Levine Center to End Hate
  • Meredith Dragon, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester
  • Karen Elam, director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester's Levine Center to End Hate

Then in our second hour, when Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary announced his retirement Tuesday afternoon, it came as a surprise to Mayor Lovely Warren and members of Rochester City Council. Members of Council learned of the resignation during the first of what will be regular public briefings with the mayor -- meetings that Council requested to discuss interactions between protesters and police officers. In a letter to the mayor last week, Council members called for officers involved in the Prude case to be placed on administrative leave, said charges against protesters should be dropped, and called for more funding for the Monroe County Forensic Intervention Team, which partners with the county's Office of Mental Health. This hour, we're joined by members of Council to discuss all of this and broader issues surrounding the Prude case. Our guests:

  • Loretta Scott, president of Rochester City Council
  • Willie Lightfoot, vice president of Rochester City Council
  • Mitch Gruber, member of Rochester City Council
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.