Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009

Race relations discussion to be held at St. Clair Square Saturday

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS -- Your weekend shopping spree might take on a different tone should you happen to stumble upon the race relations discussion that will take place Saturday at St. Clair Square.

"We're going to go at it," said event host the Rev. Dr. John Curry, of Conqueror's Christian Center in Belleville. "This discussion is going to be coming at you."

The Nations Race Relations Dialogue will begin at 2 p.m. at the lower level center court located near J.C. Penny in St. Clair Square. The event will include a panel discussion and an open forum for public participation.

Confirmed panelists include Curry's wife and daughter, the Dr. Rev. Sheila Curry and minister Chavon Curry, of Conqueror's Christian Center, the Rev. John Rouse of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in East St. Louis, the Rev. Dietra Wise of the Liberation Christian Church in St. Louis, Shiloh Police Chief Jim Stover, O'Fallon resident Cheryl Sommer, Swansea resident Kory May and Ted Vail, a self-professed converted racist who developed the Tri-pact Covenant, a pact to combat racism.

This is the fourth dialogue Curry has hosted in the metro-east, the previous three were held at local churches. His goal is to take the race relations dialogues on a national tour, with plans to host events at the St. Louis Galleria and malls in Ohio and Alabama.

Curry said the new metro-east venue will allow the discussion to grow by attracting a broader audience.

"In church, people are in their comfort zones. I don't want that. That's not real life," he said. "The church is not the real world ... so the dialogue has to go public."

He said the mall staff's eagerness to embrace the event was "very refreshing."

Carrie Fitzhugh, St. Clair Square assistant general manager, said she was "instantly intrigued" by Curry's proposal to host the event at the mall.

"Just hearing him talk for five minutes, he had so much passion for his job and the community and what he wanted to do that I just wanted to make it work," she said.

Fitzhugh, who has worked at the mall since she was 16, said there has never been such an event at St. Clair Square, and she expects it to offer the community a much-needed service.

"It will give people a chance to see those highly respected community figures actually come out to hear the people speak and hear the people vent and hear the people give their sides on how to make things better," Fitzhugh said. "No one wants to say their community has problems and has issues but (Curry) is willing to admit that we could do better and try to come together as one instead of being divided."

Curry said the discussion is meant to encourage true oneness among metro-east residents, rather than "integration" or "toleration."

"I'm interested in reconciliation. ...Toleration doesn't work, and all integration does is move me next door to you," he said. "Reconciliation deals with the heart."