On August 7th, 2018, African American trauma surgeon Dr. Brian Williams was the featured speaker at our joint event with The Nantucket Project. Dr. Williams, who treated white police officers shot by a black sniper at a 2016 protest in Dallas, spoke to more than 50 guests. Dr. Williams talked about that incident and shared his own experiences with discrimination. He said racial healing is possible if we can recognize our own biases, have conversations between the races and genuinely listen to understand the perspectives of those whose race differs from ours.

Common Ground Committee CEO Bruce Bond led the discussion and interviewed Dr. Williams before the floor was opened to the audience for an extended Q&A session. “This event embodied our motto of ‘bringing light not heat to public discourse,’” Mr. Bond said. “We were able to get in a room and have a meaningful conversation about a difficult topic that is currently at the forefront of our nation’s collective consciousness. We are thankful to Brian for being comfortable enough to share his difficult experiences without being judgmental and for sparking such thoughtful discussion that undoubtedly left people more mindful of how they can do their part to improve race relations, regardless of their own race.”

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