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It was moderated by WRFA Public Affairs Director Julia Ciesla-Hanley.

The discussion was broadcast live on WRFA radio, with video streaming available on the WRFA Youtube Channel – www.Youtube.com/WRFALP.

Funding for the Community Conversation is made available by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s American Rescue Plan Act stabilization grant fund.

JAMESTOWN – WRFA is pleased to present a three-part series of Community Conversations, connecting the broader Jamestown community with its marginalized/under-served groups to increase public awareness of their challenges and also identify workable solutions to overcome these challenges.

Each discussion will feature a panel of representatives from various groups, including the local African-American Community, the Hispanic Community, LGBTQ+ Community, those affected by Chemical Dependency, as well as Generational Poverty.

Week 1 (Sept. 23) will focus on the past history of the groups, with a goal of educating the community on how long these groups have been in the community and some of the challenges they faced in the past, along with whether or not those past challenges exist today.
Week 2 (Sept. 30) will focus on the present challenges and barriers facing the groups.
Week 3 (Oct. 7) will involve identifying solutions for the community in order to bring more equity, inclusion, and accessibility for the groups.

All three panel conversations will be broadcast live, starting at 6 p.m.

The event conversation will be co-moderated by WRFA Public Affairs Director Julia Ciesla-Hanley and Amit Taneja, Senior VP & Chief IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Officer at Chautauqua Institution, with over a dozen community members serving on the panel during the three-week program.

Each panel discussion will be broadcast live on WRFA radio (and streaming on our website), with video streaming available on both WRFA’s Facebook Page and Youtube Channel.

A virtual Q&A will be available for audience members.

Funding for the Community Conversation is made available by Humanities NY and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.