Nashville, Tenn. (TN Tribune)- The AIR Equity Initiative at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) will host a free, public event that gathers leading voices and national experts on justice, public safety, and educational equity. The event, “Pathways to Peace: Reimagining the Future of Public Safety for Youth and Communities,” will be held on the campus of Meharry Medical College, in Nashville, and will be moderated by Grammy nominated recording artist Aloe Blacc.
Among the speakers at the Oct. 12th event are Nashville City Council Member Brandon Taylor; Jill Fitcheard, executive director, Metro Nashville Community Oversight; Nicholas Sensley, founder and CEO of the Institute for American Policing Reform; and Rashawn Ray, executive director of the AIR Equity Initiative. The event will also feature local art and a performance by Nashville’s youth poet laureate, Lachlan Cook. The AIR Equity Initiative is AIR’s five-year, $100M+ investment in behavioral and social science research and technical assistance to address the underlying causes of systemic inequities and address the effects of segregation by race and place.
AIR, one of the nation’s largest social science and behavioral research institutions, is bringing this conversation to Nashville to highlight
community-driven, evidence-informed approaches to reducing violence, equipping youth to thrive, and fostering justice and public safety in communities. Public safety is at the center of discourse in Nashville, where one of the city’s zip codes tallied the highest incarceration rate in the country in recent years. In the wake of rallies at the Tennessee Capitol against gun violence following the mass shooting at Covenant School in Nashville and the killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police in Memphis, concerned citizens and local leaders are ready to have their voices heard.
AIR wants to learn from and support Nashville’s efforts build a more peaceful, safe, and equitable city. The insights generated at the event will inform the AIR Equity Initiative’s place-based approach to dismantling the harmful effects of segregation and helping all communities thrive. As part of its presence in Nashville, AIR will make supporting contributions to several local non-profits and donate a piece of artwork, created live during the event, to a local institution.
What: Pathways to Peace: Reimagining the Future of Public Safety for Youth and Communities Who: Hosted by the AIR Equity Initiative; Moderated by Aloe Blacc; Remarks by Paula Ioanide, Center for Policing Equity; Christy Lopez, Georgetown University Law Center; Nicholas Sensley, Institute for American Police Reform; Candace Hester, AIR; Ugochi Jones, Benchmark Analytics; and panel discussion featuring Laveil Allen, Chief of Emergency Radiology at Vanderbilt Medical Center; Jill Fitchard, Director of Nashville Community Oversight Board; Jennifer Wade, Magistrate Judge; Daniel Singh, Executive Director Metro Arts Nashville; and Dr. Christina Edmondson, Truth’s Table Podcast LIVE When: Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. CT Where: Dr. Wayne Riley Auditorium at the Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education, Meharry Medical College, 1011 21st Avenue N., Nashville, TN 37208 Event website: www.air.org/PathwaysToPeace Speaker availability: Speakers will be available for media engagement on Oct. 12.
