Louisville will be the site of a gathering of more than 1300 in attendance for the Cities United 12th Annual Convening. This event hosts those community members and other “peacemakers” who gather to “learn, connect, and share lessons on interrupting violence, dismantling systems of inequity, and investing in communities to create safe, healthy and hopeful communities for young Black men and boys, and their families.”
The gathering takes place from Wednesday, Oct. 28 through Friday, Oct. 31 at the Galt House hotel (140 N. 4th St).
“Our partners across the country come together at the Cities United annual convening to learn, build, and honor our collective work,” said Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United in a release. “This year marks my 10 years as Executive Director. I am honored to be in my hometown to celebrate with local and national leaders, mothers and fathers, credible messengers, elected and appointed officials, young leaders and elders all committed to the same vision: that young Black men and boys, and their families, deserve to live in safe, healthy and hopeful communities.”
Cities United is a support organization for a network of mayors and local leaders across the country. The organization is committed to building “comprehensive public safety ecosystems designed to reduce community violence and its impact on young Black men and boys, and their families, while also creating new pathways for them to thrive.”
For more information, check the website at CitiesUnited.org.
Scheduled to speak are:
- Anthony Smith, Executive Director, Cities United
- National violence prevention experts, including:
- Amber Goodwin, Founding Director, Community Violence Legal Network
- Devone Boggan, Advance Peace, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer
- Karol Mason, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, President
- Monique Williams, Cure Violence Global, Executive Director
- Sasha Cotton, National Network for Safe Communities, Executive Director
- Cities United partner cities and jurisdictions, including:
- LaKeesha Eure, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, New Jersey
- David Muhammed, COO/Deputy Director, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services
- Malcolm Cunningham, City of Toledo, Director, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement
- Local partners, including:
- Senator Keturah Herron
- Councilmember Shameka Parrish-Wright
- Devine Carama, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Commissioner
- Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Chief of Police
- Lyndon Pryor, Louisville Urban League, President & CEO
- Dr. Eddie Woods, No More Red Dots, CEO
