“Race and Money: How You Can Make an Impact” Beneath the Surface: Three Years Later

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation hosted a discussion on Race and Money at the historic Attucks Theatre in Norfolk.

The Oct. 19 event was a follow-up to “Beneath the Surface: Race and the History of Race in South Hampton Roads," a collaboration between the Virginia Humanities and the Foundation exploring the ways that race has shaped and continues to shape this region and its communities.

Edgar Villanueva, author, activist, and expert on issues of race, wealth, and philanthropy, was the guest speaker alongside moderator Barbara Hamm Lee, host of “Another View” on WHRV-FM, and owner/consultant with Sharing Info, LLC.

Villanueva is the founder and CEO of the Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital and an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe. He advises a range of organizations, including national and global philanthropies and Fortune 500 companies, on social impact strategies to advance racial equity from within and through their investment strategies. Learn more about Villanueva at edgarvillenueva.net.

“Race and Money is an opportunity for people from all walks of life to have a safe space to have meaningful conversations about race and money. It is important we understand the impact racism plays in our society on building wealth so we can heal and bring about change,” said Vivian Oden, the Foundation’s vice president for equity and inclusion and organizer of the event.

After the event, the Foundation gave the community an opportunity to participate in the conversation at two free community forums, “Community Conversations,” at the Kroc Center in Norfolk and at the Portsmouth YMCA.

Beneath the Surface is a civic engagement partnership between the Community Foundation and Virginia Humanities. The goal of this initiative is to deepen awareness of the role race and racism play in issues confronting the region, and to lay groundwork for positive transformation.

Learn more about Beneath the Surface. Stay informed about future community conversations!