Early in 2007, in the spirit of the city council’s vision that “Lynchburg acknowledges and values its rich cultural, ethnic, racial and religious diversity while promoting a respectful and cohesive community,” Mayor Joan Foster and City Manager Kimball Payne proposed that the community begin a dialogue on race and racism. Community stakeholders came together to explore methods that would lead Lynchburg to an open, honest, inclusive, and sustainable discussion of race relations. Following research and discussion, a model for community dialogue was chosen, and planning began in earnest in May 2007.