ITGA Resiliency Illustrated as Never Before - Thanks!
The now-distant June of 2019, when we were following and wrapping up details from ITGA's conference, hosted by State College/Penn State, seems like the proverbial good old days!

If someone told me then, "Oh, by the way, in March, 2020, dozens of ITGA member communities and campuses will begin to be crippled and eventually shattered by a global pandemic that will only intensify. Then, in late May/early June, a high-profile race-related death, the latest in a series, will add an unprecedented layer of tension and questions on top of COVID-19 stress and anxiety."

A year ago, none of us would believe it, and then when it became our shared realities, many of us would have focused on our families, friends, workplaces, jobs, and our neighboring town or gown, understandably.

In the back of our minds, we might have thought, "Well, no ITGA conference this year!" Few of us could have envisioned a cutting-edge virtual conference that showcased the best of ITGA at so many levels, from COVID-19 to Race Relations 2020 and key topics in between.

Thanks so much to many of you for making ITGA's June 1-3 conference a tremendous and needed success. Special thanks to LINK Strategic Partners . This was ITGA Resiliency Illustrated, and I'll be forever grateful.
Forbes on Conference: Student Power
Recommended reading: Forbes Magazine's Steve Gavazzi's coverage of our conference, " Hearing the Voices of College Students: University Leaders Need to Listen Up. " Excerpt: "Student leaders representing various institutions of higher learning recently took part in a panel discussion on student engagement and crisis management convened as part of a virtual conference hosted by the International Town Gown Association."
An Invitation to ITGA Members
ITGA Members are invited to join the National League of Cities (NLC) University Communities Council for a discussion with Leon Andrews from NLC's Race, Equity, And Leadership (REAL) initiative on how to create more equitable communities and respond to issues of race and identity, especially in the face of current events. Many of you may remember Leon's powerful remarks from last year's conference. Date and time: Thursday, June 18, 3:30-4:45pm (EDT). Registration is free for ITGA and NLC members. ITGA members can register here. Please contact frankel@nlc.org with questions.
Related, Additional Ideas
Cornell University's Office of Community Relations manages two longstanding resources:
  • a local leaders of color group led by Cornell's president and community members meet regularly or as needed on current events. It has proven its value many times over 15 years, and will be meeting next week, virtually of course, in Ithaca, NY. Background here.
  • A long-running weekly radio show, "All Things Equal," that I've been on, along with several ITGA members and Leon Andrews over the years. Last week's show was with Ithaca's police chief, who said that if men and women in law enforcement weren't disturbed by recent incidents, including in Minneapolis, they should turn in their badge.

Interested in launching a local leaders of color group, or related media platforms? Contact gary.stewart@cornell.edu .
International Town & Gown Association www.itga.org