The Charleston Forum’s 2019 Lineup includes “The Today Show’s” Craig Melvin

Melvin (Credit: Twitter @craigmelvin)

The Charleston Forum announced their lineup of speakers and keynote armchair discussion participants for the 2019 Charleston Forum on Sunday, June 16th at 4 pm at the Charleston Music Hall. The Charleston Forum provides the community with different perspectives on issues involving race and a direct path to address issues of criminal justice and policing, education, economic opportunity, and the future of the past.

This year, The Charleston Forum will host a keynote armchair discussion with Rev. Eric Manning of Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Synagogue. Craig Melvin of The Today Show will moderate the discussion.

“We’re honored these incredible religious leaders are willing to sit down and have an open and honest discussion about hate and division—problems they know all-too-much about—and their respective ideas for how our communities can address them,” Brian Duffy, The Charleston Forum CEO, said. “Both of these men have become symbols of peace, unity, and love in the face of hate and are using their voices to change our communities.”

Other speakers include U.S. Congressman Joe Cunningham, Mayor of Charleston John Tecklenburg, Public Defender Ashley Pennington, and Chief Luther Reynolds of the Charleston Police Department. The line-up will also include South Carolina Senator Marlon Kimpson, and South Carolina Representatives Nancy Mace, Peter McCoy, Jr., and Marvin Pendarvis.

“This is an exciting lineup of speakers that will provide solution-based ideas on how we can move our community forward,” Mayor John Tecklenburg said. “The only way we can move towards equity across our communities is to have these meaningful discussions and make sure everyone has a seat at the table. I’m excited to be a part of The Charleston Forum.”

This year’s event also includes the first-ever Forum Expo, which will provide an opportunity for nonprofits with compatible missions addressing issues of race and social justice to share their stories with the public. The Forum Expo will be in the Bus Shed on John Street from 1 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, June 16th with the annual Charleston Forum immediately following at the Music Hall at 4 pm. You can find more information here.

The Charleston Forum was born in 2015 in the wake of the Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church massacre. The Charleston Forum is a community project designed to promote productive discussions on issues of race. Accordingly, the speakers involved have different backgrounds and perspectives and collectively can better inspire change, unity and progress in our community, State, and Nation.

For more information about The Charleston Forum, visit thecharlestonforum.com. To purchase tickets, click here.

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